Jaguars bolster pass-rush rotation by signing Trevis Gipson

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed several players in the early stages of free agency and they added a couple more in the second wave. Right after locking up kicker Joey Slye, they announced they've also brought in pass rusher Trevis Gipson.

The team's PR account on social media announced that they signed Slye and Gipson. The former will compete with Riley Patterson for the kicker job and the latter will join a pass rush rotation that includes Josh Allen, Travon Walker, Yasir Abdullah, and D.J. Coleman.

Gipson was a fifth-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2020. After three seasons in the Windy City, he joined the Tennessee Titans last year. The Tulsa product didn't get much playing time as a rookie but became an integral piece of the Bears' pass-rush rotation the following season, registering seven sacks. However, he wasn't nearly as productive in 2022, racking up just three.

The biggest reason for the dropoff was that Gipson switched from defensive end to standup linebacker. He then opened training camp near the cellar of the depth chart and was waived just before the regular season. Gipson was quickly claimed off waivers by Tennessee but things didn't get much better. He was never able to find his footing and was a mostly scratch for a good chunk of 2023. Now, the Texas native will get a chance to rebuild his stock with the Jags.

Trevis Gipson could be a low-risk, high reward signing for the Jaguars

Trevis Gipson was trending up in the right direction but switching to outside linebacker stalled his development. In Jacksonville, he'll have a chance to play with his hand on the ground, where he's at his best, under defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.

If there's anyone who can get Gipson going is Nielsen, whose work with defensive linemen has gotten him praise from players and coaches alike. Now, it's not a given that Gipson will make the 53-man roster in 2023 but he should feel good about his chances. After all, the pass rush rotation beyond Travon Walker and Josh Allen is a work in progress.

Currently, the only two pass rushers on the roster are 2023 undrafted free agent D.J. Coleman and Yassir Abdullah, who was mostly a non-factor last year. K'Lavon Chaisson, the Jaguars' No. 3 pass rusher last season, inked a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in free agency. Dawuane Smoot, a long-time mainstay of the defensive front, also hit the open market but hasn't found a new team yet.

Maybe Jacksonville will eventually bring Smoot back but it wouldn't be shocking if they want to go in a new direction. In fact, the team's brass could look for a pass rusher in any of the first three rounds of the draft to bolster their rotation. While this year's class isn't particularly deep, the Jags will have several options.

Ultimately, signing Gipson comes with plenty of upside. Although he's coming off an underwhelming campaign, he's also shown he can play at a high level. He's got a favorable chance of becoming the No. 3 pass rusher and being on the roster come Week 1.

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