Black and Teal
FanSided

5 worst moves the Jacksonville Jaguars have made this offseason

• The Jaguars made several important acquisitions in the offseason but also made a few questionable moves.

By Carlos Sanchez

Jacksonville Jaguars fans, from left, Griffin Lasch, Garrett Roberson, and Gabriel Mont react to
Jacksonville Jaguars fans, from left, Griffin Lasch, Garrett Roberson, and Gabriel Mont react to / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next

Releasing Darious Williams

Darious Williams was the Jaguars' top cornerback last season. Heck, you could even make the case that he was their best player in the defensive backfield. Mistcast at nickel early in 2022, he fared much better once he moved to the boundaries. He didn't register an interception that year but led the team with 16 passes defensed.

Williams built off of his first season in Jacksonville and was even better in 2023, tallying four picks, including one for a touchdown and 19 passes defensed. But as good as the former UAB Blazer was, Jacksonville released him in a cap-saving move that freed up $11 million in space.

Maybe there were other reasons that promted the Jags to move on from Williams but it was still odd. Granted, the front office found a cheaper replacement in Ronald Darby, and Williams reunited with the Los Angeles Rams, so you could argue that things worked out in the end.

The Jaguars should've signed Bud Dupree

The Jaguars got a ferocious pass-rush tandem in Josh Allen and Travon Walker, who combined for a league-best 27.5 sacks. However, the rest of the rotation is a work in progress, which is another way to say that they need a No. 3, and there may not be viable options on the roster right now.

Trevis Gipson logged seven sacks in 2021 but only a combined four the past two seasons. He's a fine reclamation project but the Jaguars may not have a backup plan in case he doesn't pan out. The silver lining is that DaVon Hamilton or Roy Robertson-Harris could line up on the edge if needed. However, it would be much better if the Jaguars had another pass-rusher who could consistently get after the quarterback besides Walker and Allen.

That player isn't on the roster right now, which is why Jacksonville should've made a stronger effort to land Bud Dupree, who ended up signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. After an uneventful stint with the Tennessee Titans, Dupree enjoyed somewhat of a career revival with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. His defensive coordinator last year was Ryan Nielsen, who now holds the same position in Jacksonville.

Maybe it was Nielsen himself who wasn't interested in bringing Dupree in but there's no doubt he would've given the Jaguars' pass rush a boost.

Home/Jacksonville Jaguars News