Category: A.J. Bouye

Former Jags corner A.J. Bouye joins Panthers

A.J. Bouye has a new home once again as he has signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers, the team announced Wednesday.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye is on the move again. The 29-year-old has agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers, the team announced on Wednesday. Originally an undrafted player out of Central Florida, Bouye spent the first four seasons of his career in Houston before signing a five-year, $67.5 million contract with the Jaguars in 2017.

That season was the best of his career as he played opposite Jalen Ramsey. He notched a career-high six interceptions and made his only Pro Bowl appearance. However, his play declined over the next two years a bit, and Jacksonville decided to offload his contract by shipping him to Denver for a fourth-round pick in 2020.

With the Broncos last season, he appeared in seven games and allowed two touchdowns and 273 yards. On Dec. 9, he was suspended for six games for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. He missed the final four games of the 2020 season, and his suspension will carry over to the first two games of the 2021 season.

Broncos release former Jags CB A.J. Bouye

Almost a year after being traded to the Broncos, former Jags CB A.J. Bouye was released Wednesday.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye was amongst the various key starters the team traded last offseason, but unfortunately he’ll be looking for his second team in two seasons. According to 9News reporter Mike Klis, the veteran was released by the Denver Broncos Wednesday and is now a free agent.

Bouye, 29, was sent to the Broncos by the Jags last March for a 2020 fourth-round pick as the team needed to free up some cap space. Now, the Broncos will be moving on from the veteran, too, for the same reason. Additionally, things simply didn’t go as planned in Denver as Bouye only played in seven games last season due to a shoulder injury, a concussion, and a six-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs. That suspension will bleed into the 2021 season for two games, too.

Bouye finished his career with the Broncos with 23 combined tackles and six pass breakups over seven starts. However, with him being only 29 years of age, there should be a respectable market for his services. As for the Broncos, they freed up $11.7 million against the salary cap by releasing Bouye.

A.J. Bouye discusses being overwhelmed with Jags’ dysfunction during his tenure

As one of the top veterans on the Jags’ roster in 2019, even A.J. Bouye didn’t know how to handle the Jags’ looker room issues last season.

It’s no secret that the Jacksonville Jaguars developed an internal mess after their 2017 season, which almost resulted in the franchise’s first Super Bowl berth. Of course, the easiest issue to point out was former executive Tom Coughlin, however, it went beyond him, too.

To pile on to the issues in the front office, the Jags had players in the locker room getting the big head and there were a few reported altercations as well. All of that led to a dismantling this offseason, including the departure of one of their better locker room players in A.J. Bouye via trade.

Now, as a Denver Bronco, Bouye has had time to reflect on exactly what went wrong in the Jags’ locker room. He shared those thoughts in a recent interview with Sirius XM Radio, expressing that the Jags’ environment was like none he’s been a part of in the process of playing for three teams.

“I just never was a part of something like that,” Bouye said via SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Being in Houston before that and even seeing how the guys in Denver just gelling together with the chemistry between the players and the coaches. It was just something different and I didn’t know how to handle that. […] It was so many things. From fighting in the locker room and disagreements to people wanting to be gone, I’ve just never seen that before.”

Additionally, Bouye pointed to the Jags’ defensive scheme being predictable under Todd Wash and Coughlin’s rocky relationship with certain players.

In 2019, the issues really flared up when Jalen Ramsey demanded a trade from the team after the Jags’ Week 2 loss to the Houston Texans. The former all-pro had a meeting after that game with Coughlin and some others, which left him feeling disrespected by what at least one person in that meeting had to say. Ramsey played in the game that followed against the Tennessee Titans, but missed the remaining games he was on the roster before he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams.

After that situation, the NFLPA came down hard on the Jags by warning players of the excessive fines that the team had handed out to players on the roster. There were also some preseason issues that occurred like the abrupt retirement of linebacker Telvin Smith and the mishandling of Yannick Ngakoue’s contract extension.

When reflecting on all that went on over the past two years, fans may be more happy than anything for Bouye as he got a fresh start. As for the Jags, they removed a lot of toxic factors from the team, too, which hopefully will get them on the right track again.

PFF projects Jags to start 4 rookies in 2020

PFF believes four of the Jags’ top-5 draft picks will be starters for the team once the season begins and, of course, C.J. Henderson is one.

The Jacksonville Jaguars surprisingly used all 12 of their draft picks this April, which means the team will be one of the youngest in the NFL. They also could end up starting a lot of the rookies they drafted after parting ways with veterans A.J. Bouye, Calais Campbell, and Marcell Dareus.

The good folks at Pro Football Focus recently took a crack at projecting the lineups of all 32 teams, and unsurprisingly, the Jags almost had a handful of rookies in their lineup. That included one rookie on offense in fourth-round pick Ben Bartch and three rookies on defense in pass-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, cornerback C.J. Henderson, and defensive tackle Davon Hamilton.

Offense

QB: Gardner Minshew
RB: Leonard Fournette
WR: DJ Chark
WR: Chris Conley
Slot: Dede Westbrook
TE: Tyler Eifert
LT: Cam Robinson
LG: Andrew Norwell
C: Brandon Linder
RG: Ben Bartch
RT: Jawaan Taylor

Defense

DI: Taven Bryan
DI: Davon Hamilton
EDGE: Josh Allen
EDGE: K’Lavon Chaisson
LB: Myles Jack
LB: Joe Schobert
CB: CJ Henderson
CB: Rashaan Melvin
CB: D.J. Hayden
S: Jarrod Wilson
S: Ronnie Harrison

Starting with the offense, it’s not shocking to see PFF slot Bartch in at the right guard position because they haven’t given veteran A.J. Cann overly impressive grades in the past. He’s only graded over 70 once in his career, and this past year, Cann was given a career-low of 55.3.

The issue with slotting Bartch as a starter is the fact that many in the Jags’ front office referred to him as a project player when he was selected. When adding in the fact that the team likely won’t have a minicamp and possibly won’t return until training camp, the rookies may be a little behind the curve. That being said, fans should probably expect Cann to start in 2020.

It’s a given that the Jags first selection of April’s draft in Henderson would be slotted in as a starter. The team lost both of their 2019 starters at the cornerback position, trading with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, so Henderson was arguably the biggest acquisition of the offseason with linebacker Joe Schobert.

With the Jags saying they will move to more 3-4 looks on base downs, Chaisson could get a starting role alongside Josh Allen as the team’s go-to pass rushing duo. However, if Yannick Ngakoue decides he wants to play on the franchise tag, that could complicate the snap count for Chaisson. Still, the Jags took him with the No. 20 overall pick, which is an indicator that they have plans for him to see the field a lot.

Lastly, Hamilton is a player who I listed as someone who could be the Jags’ biggest surprise of 2020 in a recent episode of “Bleav in the Jags.” Like most rookies, he’ll have to go through a veteran in Al Woods though, who will be entering his 11th season. While it could be a difficult task, it’s hard not to like Hamilton’s chances because Woods is the oldest player on the roster at 33 years of age.

Poll: How do you feel about the Jags’ selection of Florida CB C.J. Henderson?

So how do you all feel about the Jags’ selections of Florida CB C.J. Henderson?

With the No. 9 pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected cornerback C.J. Henderson out of Florida.

The 6-foot-1, 204-pound cornerback ran a 4.39 at the Scouting Combine back in February. The Jaguars were in desperate need of corner help after trading Pro-Bowl pair Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye earlier this year.

Henderson established himself this year as an elite man-coverage corner and will be looking to come in and contribute as a true number one in coverage from day one.

With three of the top tier elite offensive linemen and no wide receivers taken at the time, how do you feel about the Jaguars’ selection of the former Gator?

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Watch: All of Tre Herndon’s pass breakups, interceptions from 2019

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered 2019 with arguably the best cornerback duo in the game, but it was only a matter of weeks before that changed. After starting one game in A.J. Bouye’s place Week 2, second-year corner, Tre Herdon, was called on again …

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered 2019 with arguably the best cornerback duo in the game, but it was only a matter of weeks before that changed. After starting one game in A.J. Bouye’s place Week 2, second-year corner, Tre Herdon, was called on again Week 4 with Jalen Ramsey feuding with the front office and remained there until the season’s end.

After that, Ramsey was traded and Herndon knew there was a grand opportunity ahead of and took advantage of it. He showed growth and promise throughout the process and accumulated 55 tackles, three picks, and 13 pass breakups.

Like Gardner Minshew II, Herndon’s growth throughout 2019 likely will get him a starting role in 2020 and the Jags may find a gem. Before we get to that point though, here are his highlights from 2019:

Jags, Broncos transaction for A.J. Bouye becomes official

The Jags and Broncos made their transaction for A.J. Bouye official upon the new league year.

After being traded over two weeks ago, cornerback A.J. Bouye is officially a Denver Bronco. Both organizations announced that the transaction was completed once the new league year began Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

With the nation currently dealing with COVID-19, the NFL has informed the league that each team isn’t allowed to have players travel or visit their facilities. However, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic, Bouye traveled to Denver and took his physical before the travel ban was enforced.

In return for Bouye the Jags received a 2020 fourth-rounder (No. 137 overall) from the Broncos. The pick was given to them by the San Francisco 49ers for wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

Bouye originally joined the Jags in 2017 and he was able to land a Pro Bowl and a second team All-Pro nod in his first season with them. He ended his Jags career with 175 tackles, 34 pass breakups. and eight picks.

Podcast: Discussions on A.J. Bouye trade, NFL Draft with Jordan Reid of Draft Network

Phil and James discussed the Jags’ decision to trade A.J. Bouye to the Broncos. They also discussed the 2020 NFL draft with Jordan Reid.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars deciding to trade cornerback A.J. Bouye last week, Jags Wire contributor Phil Smith and I went in-depth on the topic in episode six of “Bleav in the Jags.”

Afterward, we sat down with Jordan Reid of the Draft Network to discuss the  hottest draft related topics surrounding the Jags from their needs, who could be available for their first pick, to some options at the receiver and linebackers position, plus more.

Feel free to listen to the archived episodes of Bleav in Jags, too, and subscribe via Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify.

Ep. 6

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Revisiting Jags’ top-7 positional needs heading into 2020 free-agency period

After the regular season, we evaluated the Jacksonville Jaguars’ top needs and it’s now time to re-evaluate them with free-agency coming up. Some important things have changed since then as A.J. Bouye was traded and Yannick Ngakoue told the team …

After the regular season, we evaluated the Jacksonville Jaguars’ top needs and it’s now time to re-evaluate them with free-agency coming up. Some important things have changed since then as A.J. Bouye was traded and Yannick Ngakoue told the team that he doesn’t want a deal from them.

With these key events taking place in the Jags’ timeline, here are the Jags’ needs as free-agency closes in:

Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

7. Wide receiver

Receiver initially looked like a strength for the Jags after free-agency last season, but after the season unfolded, it became clear they needed help there alongside Pro Bowler D.J. Chark. The second-year receiver from Louisiana State led the team in receiving yards registering just over 1,000 with eight touchdowns and the next receiver behind him was Chris Conley, who registered 775 yards.

The biggest issue with Conley and those behind Chark like Westbrook and Cole has been drops and consistency over the last few years. That said, they need to head into this offseason looking for a bonafide No. 2 receiver, especially when considering the team will be likely releasing veteran Marqise Lee as a cap casualty.

The draft may be the best route to address this as the Jags could have a shot at Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, or Henry Ruggs early in the first-round and a shot at others like Justin Jefferson, Laviska Shenault Jr., and Denzel Mims late in the first or early in the second. There are other options later in the draft like Antonio Gandy-Golden, K.J. Hill, and Van Jefferson.

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PFF says LSU CB Kristian Fulton is a perfect fit for Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be heading into this April’s draft with a bunch of draft picks which could set them up well for the future if used correctly. One reason for their plethora of picks is because of this week’s decision to trade cornerback …

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be heading into this April’s draft with a bunch of draft picks which could set them up well for the future if used correctly. One reason for their plethora of picks is because of this week’s decision to trade cornerback A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos, which put them at six selections for 2020.

Unfortunately, the departure of Bouye will leave the Jags slim at cornerback and they will need to acquire a starting corner in the draft, free-agency or both. For that reason, in an article where they took a look at a perfect draft prospect for all 32 teams, Pro Football Focus deemed Louisiana State cornerback Kristian Fulton as the top fit for the Jags.

Here is some of what they had to say about the Senior:

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: CB KRISTIAN FULTON, LSU

After trading away Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye in the last calendar year — two cornerbacks who ranked among the top 30 players at the position in PFF grade as recently as the 2018 season — Jacksonville now has an obvious need. Fulton’s player comp in the PFF Draft Guide was none other than Bouye himself, making him a natural candidate for replacement in the first round. Tre Herndon was the only other cornerback on the roster to play significant snaps outside in 2019, and he ended the year with a sub-50.0 overall grade in those alignments. Jacksonville needs to put serious resources toward improving that group, and Fulton would be a good start.

We’ve long been fans of Fulton here at Jags Wire, dating back to when the Jags were considering trading Jalen Ramsey, which eventually  happened. At 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, Fulton has solid technique like Bouye (good hips, footwork, etc.). He also comes from the top conference in college, the Southeastern Conference, which Dave Caldwell loves to draft from. In fact, five of his seven first-round selections have been from the SEC.

In the AFC South, the Jags see their share of talented receivers like DeAndre Hopkins, T.Y. Hilton, A.J. Green and more, so a player with clean technique like Fulton would be huge for the Jags. Most tend to believe he’s a late first-round selection, which means he’ll be heavily considered for the Jags’ No. 20 overall pick if he’s available.