Jaguars sign former 2nd-round pick to fill the void left by the De'Shaan Dixon injury
Defensive tackle De'Shaan Dixon was vying for a roster spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in training camp that put his immediate availability in doubt. Head coach Doug Pederson has now confirmed that the third-year pro tore his ACL. Following the injury, the Jags waived him and brought in former second-round pick Breeland Speaks to replace him.
Pederson met with the local media on Day 13 of training camp and mentioned that Dixon suffered an ACL injury. Hours later, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston first reported that the Jags had waived Dixon and later that they had signed Speaks. Not long after, the team announced both moves.
#Jaguars waived-injured De'Shaan Dixon, creating a spot for Breeland Speaks, as reported previously @KPRC2 https://t.co/g7muJAnhfW
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 8, 2024
"ACL. He's done unfortunately," Pederson and then noted that the team would try to replace him. "We'll make a decision, and we'll have to fill that spot. He was having a good camp too. It's unfortunately for him."
An undrafted free agent in 2022, Dixon got the spotlight because he made the Jacksonville initial roster as a rookie. He ended up appearing in three games, registering one assistance. He wasn't able to crack the team last year and landed in the practice squad.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed DE Breeland Speaks, the team announced today. Additionally, DE De’Shaan Dixon has been waived/injured. If Dixon clears waivers, he will revert to the Jaguars’ injured reserve list.
— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) August 8, 2024
Dixon switched to defensive tackle last year but once again moved back to edge rusher in 2024. He told Josiah Caldwell of the Pro Football Network that he had set his sights on clinching a roster spot and being productive. His injury has brought the plan to a halt.
Breeland Speaks has a steep hill to climb to earn a roster spot with the Jaguars
As Doug Pederson noted, the Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to bring in somebody to fill the void left by the De'Shaan Dixon injury. They settled on Breeland Speaks, a third-round selection by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018.
Speaks play all 16 games in his rookie season, making four starts and registering 24 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. However, the former Ole Miss Rebel showed up overweight to training camp in 2019 and later suffered a knee injury that put his sophomore campaign to an end. Kansas City waived him in 2020.
Even though Speaks has tried out for several teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Dallas Cowboys, he's yet to play in the NFL since being waived. That said, he's stayed busy. He signed with the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League. The defensive tackle suited up for them once again in 2023 and went on to earn USFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Circling back to the Jaguars' decision to sign Speaks, he might have a hard time making the roster. Dixon was also facing an uphill battle to begin with, and that's because the team is loaded at defensive tackle. Inside, he would've had to compete with rookies Maason Smith, Jordan Jefferson, and Tyler Lacy for a roster spot. On the edge, he would've needed to beat either Rasheem Green or Myles Jack.
The truth is that Breelan Speaks won't probably make the team but that doesn't mean he should just go ahead and give up. Players like him are always competing and every now and then, one of them pulls it off. Whether he's that player remains to be seen but he'll certainly get a shot. From a team standpoint, he gives the Jaguars an additional option to look at.
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