With the preseason officially in the books, the Jacksonville Jaguars will now begin the arduous process of cutting their roster down to 53 players from the 80 they carried into their last game. The formalities began on Monday morning when the team cut veteran running back Ryquell Armstead, who had hoped to make the Jaguars roster in his second stint with the team after they drafted him in the fifth round of the 2019 draft.
The move was first reported by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.
When Jacksonville relieved themselves of his contract, they effectively committed to backup running backs Mekhi Sargent and rookie Snoop Conner as the team’s depth options behind James Robinson and Travis Etienne. Armstead will go on waivers but might be a likely candidate to sign back with the Jaguars on a practice squad deal that would keep him in Duval County this season.
Armstead played his college ball at Temple as a three-year starter for the Owls where he became a star in The American Conference before entering into the draft process in 2019. He showed great speed at the combine, posting a 4.45-second 40-yard dash that raised his draft stock. His first career touchdown came on a pass from then-Jaguars quarterback Garner Mishew as a rookie, but he only managed to gain 108 yards on 35 carries on the season.
The team initially parted ways with Armstead in May of last year before re-signing him to a new deal last December. He spent time with the Giants, Saints, and Packers before re-signing in Jacksonville, so he is likely to have several potential suitors ahead of the regular season.
Stay tuned to Jaguars Wire for news on all the roster moves the team makes to cut their roster down to the 53-man limit this week as they prepare to play the Washington Commanders in Week 1.