Jaguars releasing Tyler Shatley opens the door for youth movement on O-Line

Offensive lineman Tyler Shatley had a good run with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, all good things must come to an end. That's why it wasn't particularly surprising to see the Jags move on from the grizzled veteran after a 10-year stint. Following cutdown day, the team's brass explained the decision.

General manager Trent Baalke told the local media that he was appreciative of Shatley's work and didn't rule out a potential reunion down the road.

"He had a really good run here. Is that run over? That remains to be seen," Baalke said when asked about potentially bringing Shatley back. "But it's hard to stay in this league a year, much less 10, so hats off to him and what he's accomplished. And you never say, never."

Later in the press conference, head coach Doug Pederson said that it wasn't easy to let Shatley go, citing his impact on the community and his dependability as the reasons.

"Because of his tenure and his commitment, his the longevity that he's had here in Jacksonville, it's always hard, it's tough when they've been a staple in the community, on your team, and in your organization for as many years as he has. I just appreciate his hard work. He's another one of those guys, he kept working his tail off right. And then there was, we'd get an injury in the offensive line, and he would go in and he's just Mr. Reliable. It's tough to make those decisions."

An undrafted free agent in 2014, Shatley was the longest-tenured player in the organization. He outlasted head coaches Gus Bradley, Doug Marrone, and Urban Meyer. In total, the former Clemson Tiger appeared in 145 games with 51 starts, with 36 of them coming in the past four seasons.

One big reason Shatley managed to stick around for so long was his versatility to play all three positions on the interior offensive line. Back in 2020, he filled in for center Brandon Linder. The following year, he subbed in for right guard A.J. Cann. In 2022, he stepped in left guard Ben Bartch's place when he suffered a season-ending injury.

On the other hand, Shatley was a limited player. He replaced Bartch three games into 2023 when the latter showed he wasn't fully recovered from the injury he suffered the year prior but was phased out in favor of offensive tackle Walker Little after just one game.

Nevertheless, Jacksonville brought back Shatley on a one-year deal. The issue is that he was facing an uphill battle to make the roster with Cooper Hodges, and Luke Fortner in the fold. Both of them are considerably younger, so it's not a surprise that the front office went with them.

The Jaguars are paving the way for Cooper Hodges and Luke Fortner

General manager Trent Baalke is right. Making it in the NFL is a feat in itself. Lasting as long as Tyler Shatley did is even more remarkable. That said, the Jacksonville Jaguars had to beef up the depth on their interior offensive line, and they already had in-house options available, including Luke Fortner and Cooper Hodges.

For the sake of clarity, Fortner struggled so badly last year that the Jaguars brought in Mitch Morse in free agency. His play in the preseason doesn't inspire much confidence but he's got the physical attributes and is young enough that he still has time to eventually turn the corner. That's why it's understandable why Jacksonville isn't just ready to give up on him.

Hodges, on the other hand, appeared to be a lock to make the team in 2023 but a labrum injury put a premature end to his rookie campaign. He's bounced back nicely and will probably be the top backup in the interior trenches next season.

Ultimately, the Jaguars couldn't justify giving Tyler Shatley a spot. At this point, it's hard to tell if either Cooper Hodges or Luke Fortner will last as long in the NFL as long as him but barring an eventual reunion, it was most definitely time to move on.

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