Jags reunite with RB Ryquell Armstead by signing him off Packers’ practice squad

With Carlos Hyde now on IR, the Jags turned to a familiar face for running back depth.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made multiple transactions on Wednesday and among them was the signing of running back Ryquell Armstead off the Green Bay Packers practice squad.

The signing marks a reunion for the Jags who drafted Armstead in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Armstead played in all 16 games with the Jags and started in one. He was able to accumulate 35 carries for 108 yards in the process.

Armstead, unfortunately, missed last season after battling COVID-19. He had to be hospitalized twice in the process and battled “significant respiratory issues” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, he’s back and has recovered and spent time on the practice squads of the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, and the Packers this season.

The Jags’ decision to bring back Armstead comes after the team placed Carlos Hyde on injured reserve Wednesday with a concussion. It was an injury he sustained two Sundays ago against Tennessee after taking a big hit from linebacker Derick Roberson in the second half. He missed Week 15’s game against Houston as a result and the Jags decided to shut him down for the season.

Giants claim former Jaguars RB Ryquell Armstead

New York claimed Jacksonville’s fifth-round pick in 2019 after he was waived by the Jaguars on Monday.

After just two days on waivers after Jacksonville let him go on Monday, Ryquell Armstead has found a new home. The New York Giants claimed the third-year running back off waivers on Wednesday, waiving quarterback Joe Webb to make room for him.

Armstead was originally a fifth-round pick for the Jaguars out of Temple in 2019, and though his production on the ground was limited to just 108 yards on 35 carries, he made a much bigger impact in the passing game. Though he only had 14 catches that season, he had 144 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Unfortunately, those positive strides were put on pause in 2020. Armstead was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list on Aug. 2 and returned to it on Sep. 4. After not appearing in any games, it was announced on Oct. 25 that Armstead would miss the remainder of the season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he had dealt with serious respiratory issues as a result of the virus and had to be hospitalized twice.

This offseason, Jacksonville largely carried out its plans at running back without considering Armstead’s place. It added Carlos Hyde in free agency and Travis Etienne in the draft, so the decision to waive him was far from a surprise.

Armstead may have an uphill battle to make the Giants’ roster considering it already has starter Saquon Barkley and backups Devonta Booker and Corey Clement, but Armstead will hope his unique skill set is enough to set himself apart and claim a spot on the depth chart.

Jaguars waive RB Ryquell Armstead

After spending the 2020 season on COVID-19/reserve, the Jags have waived RB Ryquell Armstead.

The Jacksonville Jaguars waived running back Ryquell Armstead the team announced on Monday. The decision came after Armstead missed the 2020 regular season battling with COVID-19.

Armstead, 24, was drafted out of Temple by the Jags in the fifth round of the 2019 draft by former general manager Dave Caldwell. During that season, he was able to register 35 carries for 108 yards and two touchdown receptions. 

Armstead was placed on the Jags’ COVID-19/ reserve list last August and had to be placed on their again weeks later. Late in October, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that Armstead had a rough year battling COVID-19, which caused him to be hospitalized twice as he dealt with “significant respiratory issues.” Schefter also stated that Armstead was expected to make a full recovery. 

The Jags’ decision comes after they were extremely busy this offseason at the running back position. With James Robinson needing some help, the team signed Carlos Hyde in free agency and added a slash weapon in running back Travis Etienne. That gave the Jags seven players at the position, which is a significant number for a 90-man roster.

With Armstead being waived, the Jags’ roster sits at 89 players. Many have speculated that the Jags’ one remaining roster spot would be used on Tim Tebow, who the Jags have been tied to a worked out as a tight end. During rookie mini-camp, coach Urban Meyer said a decision would be made on Tebow this weekend, so they may have agreed to bring him in as a staff. 

“I’ve leaned on my staff for that, and I imagine a decision is going to be soon, ” Meyer said.” We wanted to have them, because I have a new tight end coach as well, watch a guy like Luke [Farrell] and just get a feel for it because they’re the ones who put him through a tryout a couple times and see if he can help us win.

“We have not had that — I imagine Sunday, we’ll come in — all our focus is on the guys right now, and then we’ll have a chat Sunday.”

Calais Campbell speaks on reaching out to Ryquell Armstead during COVID-19 battle

Calais Campbell revealed that he’s spoken with former Jags teammate Ryquell Armstead, who has been dealing with complications from COVID-19.

ESPN insider Adam Schefter was able to provide an update on Jacksonville Jaguars running back Ryquell Armstead, who initially went on the team’s COVID-19/ Reserve list in early August, then again weeks later.

Per Schefter’s sources, Armstead is expected to make a full recovery after having to be hospitalized twice with “significant respiratory complications” from the coronavirus. As a result, he’s expected to miss the remainder of the season.

On Monday it was revealed that at least one player in the NFL has heard from Armstead and that was former Jags defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who is now with the Baltimore Ravens. In a recent interaction with the media, Campbell revealed that Armstead “sounded like he was in good spirits” and felt pretty good about the progress that he’s made with the complications.

This is certainly great to hear from the perspective of Jags fans as coach Doug Marrone revealed that Armstead could be out for “a while” before Week 1 of the regular season. It’s also great to see the Jags’ former team captain reach out to his old teammates from time to time to check on them.

Armstead was a player in line to see significant playtime with former first-round pick Leonard Fournette being waived. However, due to his unfortunate circumstances and Devine Ozigbo (hamstring) going on injured reserve, James Robinson was thrust into the starting role at running back.

As for the Jags, Armstead’s battle with COVID-19 isn’t the first reported occurrence that linked the team with the coronavirus. They also had to place 13 players on their Reserve/ COVID-19 list (12 of which were from their practice squad) over a week ago, starting with offensive lineman KC McDermott. Contact tracing revealed that 11 others from the practice squad needed to join McDermott on the list, however, all of them have returned to the facility while he remains away.

Defensive lineman Josh Mauro, who was suspended, also joined the aforementioned players on the Reserve/ COVID-19 list, but was released last week.

Report: Jags RB Ryquell Armstead expected to miss season due to COVID-19

Adam Schefter provided the NFL community with an update on Jags RB Ryquell Armstead, who has been dealing with complications from COVID-19.

It can’t be said enough that the 2020 NFL season will be one for the ages due to COVID-19. The dangerous coronavirus pandemic is one that has not only changed how all 32 teams operate, but is one that’s changed the world in general.

When looking league-wide, every sports organization has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, just as every American has, including the Jacksonville Jaguars. Over a week ago, there was a positive test occurrence on practice squad, which caused the team to move to remote operations for the day and place 13 players on Reserve/ COVID-19. Thankfully, a majority of those players have returned to the facility aside from offensive lineman KC McDermott, who many fans are hoping to hear good news about in the near future.

Another Jags player who could use some positive vibes from the NFL community is second-year running back Ryquell Armstead, who had been placed on the Reserve/ COVID-19 list all the way back in early August. He had to be placed back on the list in late August after a brief return, which caused concerns from many in the fanbase after coach Doug Marrone declared that the young running back would be out for “a while.”

However, ESPN insider Adam Schefter finally provided the public with an update on Armstead’s situation Sunday. Unfortunately, it appears he may be out for the rest of the season because of symptoms from the coronavirus.

Schefter also revealed that Armstead was hospitalized twice (with the last being in early September). Of course, the time spent at the hospital stemmed from complications of the coronavirus, including “significant respiratory issues.”

Thankfully, Schefter’s sources noted that Armstead is expected to make a full recovery and also stated that he will return next season. Of course, despite James Robinson holding it down, his teammates will undoubtedly welcome him back with open arms when that time comes.

In the meantime, we’ll be sure to update the fan base on any other news concerning Armstead. We’d also like to echo the sentiments of Jags Nation in wishing him a speedy recovery.

Previewing Jags’ RB group after Leonard Fournette’s departure

The Jags will be proceeding through this season without Leonard Fournette, but love the talent they had behind.

The Leonard Fournette era is officially over in Jacksonville as the Jags waived him Monday morning. After clearing waivers, the former first-round selection joined the Tampa Bay Bucs and will now have the chance to compete for a Super Bowl title with veterans like Tom Brady, Mike Evans, and Rob Gronkowski on the roster.

As for the Jags, Fournette’s departure has left many fans wondering about the running backs who remain on the roster and what they bring to the table. That said, after previewing the running backs before camp, we’ve decided to go back and look at the group for evaluations.

Here is our best guess as to how the depth chart will look come Week 1:

RB1: Devine Ozigbo

The Jags rarely used Divine Ozigbo last season after picking him up before Week 1 of the 2019 season. He only was able to register nine carries for 27 yards but that will change this season as he’s received solid reviews in camp.

It’s unknown who will be the Jags’ true “starting” running back, but it feels as though Ozigbo is the top candidate. He’s arguably had the best camp of any running back on the roster and Doug Marrone recently said he’s one of the running backs on the team who is a three-down rusher. That said, with James Robinson being a rookie and Ryquell Armstead missing various days of practice, the signs point to Ozigbo being atop the depth chart for Week 1.

RB2: James Robinson

Earlier this season, we predicted that James Robinson would make the team, and losing Fournette only helps his case more. Additionally, he’s received great reviews like Ozigbo, and veteran Chris Thompson even went on to say the rookie has the best vision of the running backs group as a whole.

Sure, it would be nice to see Robinson take the field in some preseason but the staff likes what they’ve seen in practice as he brings a nice blend of power and patience in addition to the vision Thompson mentioned. With those traits, one can see why the team is high on him as CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco pointed out this week.

RB3: Ryquell Armstead

Like Ozigbo, Armstead will definitely be getting his share of carries with Fournette gone. That’s a good thing because he was underutilized in 2019, only accumulating 35 carries for 108 yards.

The reason we didn’t put Armstead down as the No. 2 is due to him missing a lot of camp on the Reserve/COVID-19 though he was eventually removed. He’s also missed the last few practices with a non-COVID related illness, which is giving Robinson ample opportunities to continue to impress.

RB1 (third-downs): Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson is the most experienced running back in the locker room and he also has a big chance to make an impact from the backfield. Unfortunately, he’s battled with injuries and only has one career start to his name. For both of those reasons, it seems that it’s unlikely he’ll start and will be utilized more as a third-down rusher.

Thompson’s strength is pass-catching as he will come into 2020 with 1,772 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, much of which came while being paired with offensive coordinator Jay Gruden in Washington. His  presence as a receiver out of the backfield will be key because Fournette was a huge contributor in that department. In fact, in 2019, Fournette had a career year as a receiver, garnering 522 yards through the air — a total good for fifth in the NFL among running backs.

RB4: Nathan Cottrell

Like Robinson, Nathan Cottrell was a part of the Jags’ 2020 undrafted rookie class. Of course, with him coming in at the bottom of our list he hasn’t been nearly as impressive but could be an option for practice squad.

FB1: Bruce Miller

The Jaguars appear to be on the verge of bringing the fullback position back after going through 2019 without one. However, the team seemingly wanted someone with more experience at the position, so they added former San Francisco 49ers fullback, Bruce Miller, on Aug. 15 and waived undrafted rookie Connor Slomka.

Miller hadn’t played since 2015 so it will be interesting to see if the Jags keep him. He was one of the better fullbacks in football before an alleged off-the-field incident where he was accused of assault derailed his career. However, the charges were dropped and the Jags decided to give him another chance.

If the Jags feel he’s close to being the player he was before 2015, he could make the team, but if not — they could go in another direction.

Jags activate RB Ryquell Armstead, OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms from Reserve/COVID-19 list

Ryquell Arstead and Tre’Vour Wallace Simms were activated off the Jags’ Reserve/COVID-19 Thursday, allowing both to now take the field.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster has gone through an unfortunate shrink as of late, losing tight end Josh Oliver to injury (broken foot) and defensive linemen Rodney Gunter (heart condition) and Aaron Lynch (personal reasons) to retirement. On Thursday, however, they were able to gain two players back as running back Ryquell Armstead and guard Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms were activated from the Jags’ Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Armstead, 23, went on the Jags’ Reserve/COVID-19 list on Aug. 2 alongside tight end Charles Jones, quarterback Gardner Minshew II, receiver Michael Walker, and safety Andrew Wingard. Of that group, Armstead was the only one who hadn’t been cleared, but even with his late clearance, he’ll be a welcomed addition to the running backs room.

Wallace-Simms, 22, had been on the list since late July and was among the first group the Jags placed on their Reserve/COVID-19 list alongside fellow rookies Luq Barcoo, DaVon Hamilton, and Josiah Scott (false negative). Like Armstead, Wallace-Simms was the only player to remain on the list from the group he joined it with.

Armstead will enter 2020 after a rookie campaign where he accumulated 35 carries for 108 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Wallace-Simms, on the other hand, just joined the team after April’s draft as an undrafted player after spending time as a starter on the Missouri Tigers’ offensive line.

With both players off the Reserve/COVID-19 list, only offensive tackle Ryan Pope remains on the list. He went on the list on July 28 alongside Jawaan Taylor.

As we mentioned last month, the reserve/COVID-19 list is a new category made this year for players who either test positive for the coronavirus or is being quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or more. However, to respect the privacy of the players listed, the Jags and NFL aren’t permitted to disclose a player’s reason for being placed on the list.

Jags depth chart prediction: Running back

The Jags weren’t able to trade Leonard Fournette this offseason which mean he’ll likely be the guy leading their group of tailbacks in 2020.

With our depth chart predictions for the quarterback position out of the way, it’s time to move on to the running backs.

Here’s how we see things shaking out at what could be the second most important position for the Jags’ offense this regular season:

RB1: Leonard Fournette

This offseason the Jags at least were open to trading Leonard Fournette but we’re now past the draft and he’s still on the roster. Simply put, that means he’s going to be a Jag in 2020 in all likelihood and will also be their top running back.

Fournette will enter 2020 as one of the Jags’ top weapons after accumulating career-highs in rushing yards (1,152) and yards per carry (4.3) in 2019. He only had three touchdowns on the season, however, so hopefully coordinator Jay Gruden can help him find the end-zone more.

RB2: Ryquell Armstead

Just as he was in 2019 during his rookie campaign, Ryquell Armstead could enter 2020 as the Jags No. 2 running back. Unfortunately, he received limited carries (35) and only registered 108 yards on the ground as a result.

Granted his history with injuries, Fournette could benefit from sharing the load with Armstead but it’s unknown if the Jags will reduce his carries and utilize the second-year tailback more. Additionally, Fournette’s future with the team past 2020 is murky so it’s clear Armstead needs more snaps on the field.

RB3: Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson could be the No. 2 behind Fournette just as Armstead could, but I gave the edge to Armstead because Thompson is more of a threat in the passing game with 1,194 career receiving yards. He does know the system better than any running back on the team, however, as he spent several years under Jay Gruden in Washington so he has the edge over Armstead in that regard.

RB4: Devine Ozigbo

The Jags barely used Devine Ozigbo last season after acquiring him off the waiver wire after final cuts. He only registered nine carries for 27 yards and was only active for 10 games. He’ll be fighting to make the roster this year as a bubble player and will be the tailback who has to fend off the new incoming rookies.

RB5: James Robinson

This young undrafted rookie is a sleeper to make the roster in my opinion. He was a player who some scouts felt was a draftable prospect out of Illinois State as he was ultra-productive for the Redbirds, garnering 4,444 rushing yards and 44 touchdowns.

RB6: Tavien Feaster

Tavien Feaster is a Southeastern Conference product from South Carolina, so he’s played against the highest level of competition available. Before that, he spent three years with the Clemson Tigers. He’ll enter his rookie year with 2,002 career rushing yards and 20 touchdowns and could be a practice squad candidate with a good preseason.

RB7: FB Connor Slomka

Connor Slomka is listed as a fullback on the Jags’ site but Gruden hasn’t carried a fullback on his roster in recent years. That said, the Jags might be looking at Slomka more as an H-back. Regardless, he’s a long shot to make the final roster though practice squad is a possibility.

RB8: Nathan Cottrell

Nathan Cottrell was a teammate of sixth-round pick Tyler Davis at Georgia Tech. While there he wasn’t super-productive, garnering only 640 career yards and four touchdowns throughout four seasons. For that reason, it’s hard to see him making the final roster, but again, practice squad could be an option for him like the other undrafted running backs.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

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5 Jaguars to watch vs. Colts

The Jags and Colts will duke it out on last time in 2019, and as underdogs, the Jags will need DJ Chark and several other players to step up.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have almost arrived to the most important offseason in franchise history, but before they get there, they must take care of business in their 2019 season finale against the Indianapolis Colts. As the underdogs for Sunday’s game, they will need several players to step up and here are the five we think could play a big role in Week 17’s AFC South battle:

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

RB Ryquell Armstead

Saturday afternoon, running back Leonard Fournette announced that he wouldn’t be playing against the Colts after he was downgraded to doubtful on the final injury report with the flu. With that being the case, rookie tailback Ryquell Armstead will get his first career start.

With or without Fournette, the key for the Jags will be to control the clock, which means offensive coordinator John DeFilippo should make him the biggest part of the game plan. In the limited time Armstead has seen on the field, he’s also been a solid receiver, so that may be an asset in which DeFilippo may want to consider using as the Colts’ passing defense (No. 22) is significantly worse than their rush defense (No. 8).