As NFL free agency officially opened on Wednesday afternoon, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made the decision to bring back a pair of players that were on the roster last season. They are re-signing tight end James O’Shaughnessy and kicker Aldrick Rosas on top of the free-agent signings they’ve already made.
Additionally, the team released cornerback Rashaan Melvin and defensive tackle Al Woods while waiving running back Craig Reynolds, defensive tackles Gabe Wright and Dontavius Russell, cornerback Josh Nurse and specialist Cameron Nizialek.
The two re-signing decisions make a good deal of sense. O’Shaughnessy, who has been with the team since 2017, is coming off the best season of his career, making 28 catches for 262 yards and 12 touchdowns (all career-highs for the 29-year-old). Overall, he was targeted 38 times last season.
The Jaguars declined Eifert’s option, and though they likely aren’t done addressing the position, bringing O’Shaughnessy back should help with continuity.
Meanwhile, Rosas joined the team last season and filled in for the injured Josh Lambo. He was serviceable, converting on eight of his 11 attempts (including 3-of-5 from 50-plus yards), though he missed his lone attempt between 40 and 49 yards. He was perfect on extra point attempts, drilling all nine of his tries in 2020.
If Lambo is healthy next season, Rosas likely won’t make the final roster. But he’s an experienced NFL kicker, and keeping him around for camp at the least could prove to be a wise decision.