Category: Jaguars news

Report: Jaguars agree to 4-year deal with 6th round pick Parker Washington

That’s one rookie deal down for the Jaguars, 12 to go.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have secured a deal with one of their 13 picks from the 2023 NFL draft. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston, the Jaguars reached an agreement on a deal with sixth-round pick Parker Washington.

Washington is set to receive $4.032 million over four years on the deal, per Wilson.

The Jaguars drafted the former Penn State wide receiver last week at No. 185 overall. During his three seasons with the Nittany Lions, Washington caught 146 passes for 1,920 receiving yards with 12 touchdown receptions.

While the Jaguars have a clear top three on the wide receiving depth chart in Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, and Zay Jones, as well as a roster spot essentially reserved for return specialist Jamal Agnew, the last spots on the roster are likely up for grabs. Washington’s competition for a spot include Tim Jones, Kendric Pryor, and undrafted rookie Jaray Jenkins.

The collective 2023 draft class for the Jaguars is expected to eat about $3 million in cap space in the upcoming season. Washington is the first of the team’s 13 picks to reportedly sign a rookie deal.

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Jaguars reveal jersey numbers for 2023 draft picks

The Jaguars announced Thursday what numbers their 2023 draft picks will wear in the NFL.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Thursday the jersey numbers for the 13 players they picked in the 2023 NFL draft.

The team tweeted that first-round pick Anton Harrison, who wore No. 71 in college will switch to become No. 76 with the Jaguars.

Here are the jersey numbers for the Jaguars’ 2023 draftees:

  • OT Anton Harrison – No. 76
  • TE Brenton Strange – No. 85
  • RB Tank Bigsby – No. 4
  • LB Ventrell Miller – No. 51
  • DL Tyler Lacy – No. 93
  • OLB Yasir Abdullah – No. 56
  • S Antonio Johnson – No. 26
  • WR Parker Washington – No. 11
  • CB Christian Braswell – No. 36
  • CB Erick Hallett II – No. 40
  • OL Cooper Hodges – No. 75
  • DL Raymond Vohasek – No. 59
  • FB Derek Parish – No. 43

Among the most interesting choices is Miller wearing the No. 51 jersey, which has been unoccupied since Paul Posluszny left the team after the 2017 season. Washington will take over the No. 11 jersey that was previously owner by Marvin Jones Jr.

The undrafted additions to the roster will wear the following numbers:

  • DT Jayson Ademolia – No. 66
  • OLB D.J. Coleman – No. 54
  • WR Elijah Cooks – No. 84
  • CB Kaleb Hayes – No. 43
  • LB Dequan Jackson – No. 55
  • OL Samuel Jackson – No. 62
  • WR Jaray Jenkins – No. 87
  • CB Oliver Martin – No. 88
  • TE Leonard Taylor – No. 49
  • CB Divaad Wilson – No. 27

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Eagles to sign former Jaguars TE Dan Arnold to 1-year deal

Former Jaguars tight end Dan Arnold is reportedly joining the Eagles

Former Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Dan Arnold reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Arnold, 28, was acquired by the Jaguars in a 2021 trade that sent former first-round pick C.J. Henderson. In eight games immediately after the trade, Arnold caught 28 passes for 324 yards.

After the Jaguars added Evan Engram during the 2022 offseason, Arnold had a smaller role with the Jaguars and caught only nine passes for 135 yards in his first full season with the team.

Jacksonville used the franchise tag to retain Engram and allowed both Arnold and fellow tight end Chris Mahertz to reach free agency. Manhertz signed with the Denver Broncos in March to a two-year deal. The Jaguars addressed their lack of tight end depth by drafting tight end Brenton Strange in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Jaguars aren’t eligible to receive a compensatory pick for the loss of Arnold, as any player signed after May 2 doesn’t count toward the awarding of those selections.

Jaguars’ Tank Bigsby to attend NFLPA Rookie Premiere

The Jaguars’ Tank Bigsby is one of 45 draftees set to participate in the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles.

Jacksonville Jaguars third-round pick Tank Bigsby is one of 45 draftees set to attend the NFL Players Association’s annual Rookie Premiere event in Los Angeles.

The event — which is set to happen May 18-21 — almost exclusively features rookies at skill positions. Top 10 picks Jalen Carter, Tyree Wilson, and Will Anderson Jr. are the only players set to attend the event who don’t play quarterback, running back, wide receiver, or tight end.

The rookie premiere is a marketing event that connects rookies with brands to kick start the endorsement side of their professional sports career. A highlight of the event is that players in attendance are typically the first to wear their new team’s full uniform for photo shoots.

Bigsby was drafted with the No. 88 overall pick by the Jaguars and is set to compete for touches in a crowded backfield that also features Travis Etienne Jr., D’Ernest Johnson, and JaMycal Hasty.

During his time as a member of the Auburn Tigers, Bigsby earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2020 and finished his collegiate career with 3,351 total yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns.

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Ex-Jaguars DE Austen Lane to make UFC debut in Jacksonville

Austen Lane’s first UFC fight will be against veteran Justin Tafa in Jacksonville.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Austen Lane will make his UFC debut in front of many of the same fans who cheered for him during his NFL career.

Lane revealed that his first fight in the premier mixed martial arts organization will happen on June 24 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena against veteran Justin Tafa.

The Jaguars drafted Lane in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL draft and he spent three seasons with the team, recording three sacks and 66 tackles during his time in Jacksonville. He later had brief stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears before retiring and transitioning into a career in MMA.

In September 2022, Lane knocked out Richard Jacobi at Dana White’s Contender Series to improve his record to 12-3 as a pro and earn a contract with the UFC. While he was due to make his debut in February against Junior Tafa, Lane pulled out of the fight because of a bicep injury.

Instead Lane will face the elder Tafa brother, who is 6-3 as a pro and 3-3 in the UFC. Justin Tafa won each of his last two fights by first round knockout.

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Trent Baalke: ‘We’re not done putting this team together’

The Jaguars are still a work in progress.

The brunt of the NFL offseason is over now that the draft is in the rear view mirror. Free agency has been open for seven weeks and the list of intriguing names left on the market is dwindling.

The Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t done yet, though. According to general manager Trent Baalke, the team is still a work in progress.

“There’s always time to add,” Baalke said Saturday after the draft. “We’re in a good situation with a cap perspective. We’re a lot less tight on the cap than we were a year ago. There’s room to work here.

“Coach [Doug Pederson] and I talked about this right after the draft. We’re not done putting this team together. We’re going to take a hard look at what we have. We’ve got a great chance with these young guys coming in in a couple of weeks and over the next month or so watching them as they go through the offseason program and really kind of assess where we are.”

After restructuring several deals and dishing out a couple strategic extensions, the Jaguars currently have a little over $14 million in cap space. While about $3.1 million of that needs to be reserved for the 13-player draft class, that still leaves room for the Jaguars to make a veteran addition or two.

“I would expect us to continue to make some moves,” Baalke said. “How big they are, how small they are, that remains to be seen. But we’re not done. We’re going to continue to work to build this team and make it as potent as we can going into the regular season.”

Any free agents signed after May 1 do not count against the team’s compensatory formula. The Jaguars are expected to get two picks next year, at minimum.

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Ex-Jaguars returner Reggie Barlow named XFL Coach of the Year

Former Jaguars return specialist Reggie Barlow led the D.C. Defenders to a 9-1 record during the XFL regular season.

Reggie Barlow earned XFL Coach of the Year honors Tuesday after leading the D.C. Defenders to a league-best 9-1 record and a trip to the XFL Championship Game, which is set to be played on May 13.

Barlow, 51, was picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL draft and starred as a return specialist for the team. In five seasons in Jacksonville, he returned two punts for touchdowns and one kickoff for a touchdown.

He also contributed sparingly on offense, catching 33 passes for 472 yards during his time with the Jaguars. Barlow later played two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning a Super Bowl ring with the team during the 2002 season.

Barlow entered the coaching ranks in 2005 as an assistant at Alabama State and was the school’s head coach by 2007. He later coached Virginia State for five seasons before resigning to take the job coaching in the XFL.

The Defenders led the league in scoring with 29.6 points per game during the regular season.

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Jaguars decline fifth-year option for OLB K’Lavon Chaisson

Former first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson is now set to become a free agent in 2024.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made the unsurprising decision to decline the fifth-year option on K’Lavon Chaisson’s rookie contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Chaisson, 23, was the No. 20 overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft, but has recorded just one sack in each of his three seasons in Jacksonville. With Josh Allen and Travon Walker holding down the two starting spots at outside linebacker, Chaisson has settled into a rotational role and was on the field for 109 defensive snaps and 108 special teams snaps during the 2022 season — although, he missed eight games due to injury.

The fifth-year option on his deal would’ve meant Chaisson received a fully guaranteed $12.141 million salary for the 2024 season. Instead, he’s now due to become a free agent after 2023.

While the Jaguars declined the option, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson told reporters over the weekend that the team is optimistic Chaisson will be more productive in 2023.

“We are expecting Josh Allen to take the lead and of course Travon [Walker]’s there and K’Lavon Chaisson to take a step,” Pederson said Saturday. “They’re all guys that have been here, the second year in the defense.”

Chaissson was the second of two first-round picks made by the Jaguars in 2020. The first was cornerback C.J. Henderson, drafted with the No. 9 overall pick. He was traded to the Carolina Panthers during his second season along with a fifth-round draft pick for a third-rounder and tight end Dan Arnold.

The Panthers decided Monday not to pick up the fifth-year option on Henderson’s deal.

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Jaguars announce 10 undrafted free agent additions

The Jaguars’ list of 10 undrafted signings includes three receivers, two players named Jackson, and two players from UCF.

Update: After announcing Eastern Kentucky linebacker Matthew Jackson as one of their signings, the Jaguars have since removed him from the list. He is reportedly set to join the Tennessee Titans instead.

The Jacksonville Jaguars added 13 players during the 2023 NFL draft and rounded out the roster with 10 more rookies signed in undrafted free agency.

The list, which was mostly reported immediately after the draft ended Saturday, includes three wide receivers, three linebackers, two players named Jackson, and two from UCF:

  • Jayson Ademilola, DT, Notre Dame — 6’3, 285
  • D.J. Coleman, OLB, Missouri — 6’5, 263
  • Elijah Cooks, WR, San Jose State — 6’4, 215
  • Kaleb Hayes, CB, BYU — 6’0, 195
  • Dequan Jackson, LB, Colorado State — 6’1, 225
  • Samuel Jackson, OL, UCF — 6’6, 325
  • Jaray Jenkins, WR, LSU — 6’2, 200
  • Oliver Martin, WR, Nebraska — 6’1, 200
  • Leonard Taylor, TE, Cincinnati — 6’5, 255
  • Divaad Wilson, CB, UCF — 6’0, 195

To make room for the 10 additions, the Jaguars released safety Tyree Gillespie and offensive lineman Jimmy Murray. Gillespie was on the field for 28 special teams snaps with the Jaguars during the 2022 season. Murray spent the year on the practice squad.

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Jaguars reportedly considering back-to-back London games in 2023

The Jaguars may play back-to-back games in London during the 2023 season, according to team president Mark Lamping.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been the NFL’s quasi-ambassador in the United Kingdom for a decade now, and that international effort may ramp up in 2023.

On Friday, Jaguars team president Mark Lamping told the Florida Times-Union that there’s a possibility the team will play back-to-back games in London during the upcoming NFL season.

“The stars are aligning with the Jaguars’ home schedule and the NFL schedule of London games for the first time,” Lamping told the Times-Union’s Gene Frenette. “There’s a much greater likelihood this year we could be asked to play as a visitor.

“The NFL knows who our road opponents are. We knew there was a possibility we could be asked to play [a second game in London].”

The Jaguars have played one home game in England in nine of the last 10 NFL seasons. The only exception was 2020 when the league’s international slate of games was scrapped due to COVID-19. The Jaguars will again play one home game overseas in 2023 and will reportedly only consider a second game in London if it’s as a visitor.

In January, the NFL announced that the Jaguars would host a game at Wembley Stadium in 2023 and both the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills would play games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. With both the Titans and Bills on the Jaguars’ list of road opponents in 2023, the possibility of consecutive games in London makes sense for Jacksonville.

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