Rookie FB Connor Slomka moved back to Jags’ active roster after passing physical

Connor Slomka didn’t have to even spend a day off the Jags’ active roster as he passed his physical Tuesday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars started training camp Tuesday and already are trending in the right direction in terms of getting players back from their reserve lists. Undrafted rookie fullback Connor Slomka, who was placed on the team’s active/ non-football list Monday, passed his physical Tuesday and was moved to the active roster.

This comes after Slomka was one of five players placed on a reserve list Monday.

Under his previous designation, Slomka still accounted for a roster spot, but obviously needed medical clearance for activities on the field. Luckily, he had plenty of time to begin with as it appears physical activities won’t start until seven days in, when the team begins their strength and conditioning phase.

The rookie will enter 2020 after spending his collegiate career with Army. He’ll be coming off his best season in 2019 where he was able to accumulate 149 carries for 658 yards and eight touchdowns. In terms of his career numbers, he was able to garner 274 carries for 1,208 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

As of now, he’s the only fullback on the Jags roster at 6-foot-0, 240 pounds. He will share a virtual running backs room with Leonard Fournette, Ryquell Armstead, and veteran Chris Thompson among notables.

Jags’ 2020 undrafted free agent class ranked sixth in the NFL

While the Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t had the best luck with making draft selections since general manager Dave Caldwell was hired, they’ve certainly had better luck than others when it comes to undrafted gems. Names like Allen Hurns, Allen Lazard …

While the Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t had the best luck with making draft selections since general manager Dave Caldwell was hired, they’ve certainly had better luck than others when it comes to undrafted gems. Names like Allen Hurns, Allen Lazard (temporarily), Keelan Cole, and Tre Herndon are some of the more recent names who come to mind, all of whom have helped the Jags in a big way (aside from Lazard).

With the Jags needing to improve upon a six-win season last year, many will be hoping to land a gem or two from the team’s 2020 undrafted crop of players, which consists of some interesting names. According to Rotoworld’s Thor Nystrom, the Jags may just have some players who can continue the trend of contributing via the final roster as he ranked the Jags’ undrafted class sixth in the league. He also singled out two members of the group specifically in cornerback Luq Barcoo and running back James Robinson.

If you’re looking for this year’s Philip Lindsay candidate, the leading contender in the clubhouse right now has to be James Robinson. How did this kid not get drafted?! Uber-productive in the FCS, the compact, hard-charging Robinson proved in Indy that athletically everything in the profile checks out except long speed. And his well-rounded game includes plenty of experience in the receiving game. If Robinson hits, you have a potential low-end three-down option. We know Ryquell Armstead can’t catch. So if Leonard Fournette is traded, Robinson not only looks like a good bet to make the team, but a strong bet to carve out, at minimum, a situational role as a rookie.

I also loved the CB Luq Barcoo signing. Jacksonville must have had furious competition for him, as they gave Barcoo a UDFA record $180,000 in guarantees. Ironically, that was better than Barcoo would have gotten had he been picked in Rounds 6 or 7. Barcoo exploded last season for the San Diego State Aztecs, with nine interceptions and 16 pass breakups to earn Thorpe Award semifinalist honors and a third-team All-American nod. He’s a bit spindly, but you have to love the length and ball skills. And although we didn’t get to see him test, Barcoo is reportedly a strong athlete. He’s raw, sure. But this is the kind of kid you want to take a flier on in the UDFA sweepstakes.

I agree with his analysis of both players for the most part as both were projected to make the team in my super-early final 53-man roster predictions. Robinson’s production on the FCS level was especially intriguing as he finished his career with Illinois State with 4,444 total rushing yards and 44 touchdowns. While the competition he faced didn’t compare to others, he still was impressive enough to get a shot as a sixth or seventh-round pick.

As for Barcoo, there isn’t a reason why he shouldn’t be able to make the team as a CB4 if he plays to his potential. At 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, he will have to add some weight to his frame but the length is evident (measured in with 32-inch arms). He has good reaction to defenders and great athleticism, too, which are two traits that can take a cornerback a long way.

Georgia safety J.R. Reed is another notable who we projected to make the final roster, too, but wasn’t mentioned by Nystrom. He was a leader for an elite defense with the Bulldogs who was rarely out of place and made crucial plays when crunch time came.

When adding in the potential of Robinson, Barcoo, and Reed plus the contributions the Jags could get from their 12 rookie selections, this could be a draft class that gets the Jags going in the right direction. With the staff emphasizing getting younger, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a handful of rookies starting for the team and one may even be an undrafted player.

Winners, losers after Jags’ 2020 NFL Draft haul

While Gardner Minshew didn’t get any immediate starters on the offensive line, he did get some threats at receiver to help him in 2020.

With every draft class comes the potential of veterans being replaced by younger and cheaper options. That applies for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the class they brought in last month, which consisted of a whopping 12 draft picks. Add in the fact that the team added 18 undrafted players, and it appears Dave Caldwell could be looking to make the team super young.

That being said, there were some players on the roster who benefitted from the moves made in the draft while others, unfortunately, didn’t.

Here’s our list of winners and losers from the annual event:

Winners

(Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

OT Cam Robinson

Many fans were hoping the Jags drafted an offensive tackle or guard early to help upgrade the line, but that did not happen. In fact, with the offensive tackle class being talented at the top, the Jags elected to pass on names like Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs, and Jedrick Wills, all of whom were thought to be top-15 prospects grade-wise.

This is huge for Cam Robinson as he will now get to return to the starting lineup and protect Minshew’s blindside. While his play has been sporadic, there is a chance he’ll improve in 2020, especially when considering he’ll be further removed from his ACL tear from 2018. That said, like Minshew, 2020 is a year for Robinson to be a permanent starter as he’ll be playing on the last year of his rookie contract.

2020 NFL Draft: Jags agree to terms with 18 undrafted free agents

After the Jacksonville Jaguars wrapped up the selection process of the 2020 NFL Draft, the team also came to terms with 18 undrafted free agents. With the Jags going with mostly defensive players in the draft (7-of-12), they went in the opposite …

After the Jacksonville Jaguars wrapped up the selection process of the 2020 NFL Draft, the team also came to terms with 18 undrafted free agents. With the Jags going with mostly defensive players in the draft (7-of-12), they went in the opposite direction with their undrafted class, electing to sign 10 offensive players.

Here are the names of each undrafted acquisition as well as a few highlights and scouting reports:

To make space on the 90-man roster for each of the Jags’ new additions they parted ways with kicker Jon Brown, veteran linebacker Austin Calitro, offensive lineman Donnell Greene, receiver Charone Peake, and cornerback/receiver Jayson Stanley.