The arduous task of cutting the roster from 80 players to 53 has begun for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as an even 10 players got the ax on Monday with more to follow in the coming days. Big names on both sides of the ball were relieved of their duties, and with 17 players left to be shown the door, tensions are sure to be high in Duval County for the rest of the week.
While Tyrell Adams, Laquon Treadwell, and Ryquell Armstead headlined the departures on Monday, the Jaguars also quietly parted ways with seven other players to bring the total number on their roster to 70.
The remaining casualties, in no particular order, were: Rudy Ford, Auzoyah Alufohai, Benjie Franklin, KC McDermott, Brandon Rusnak, Chapelle Russell, and Badara Traore. These players constituted the majority of the bottom-end of Jacksonville’s depth chart at their respective positions, leaving the red meat of their roster left to cut down.
With about a third of their cuts out of the way, some players can breathe a little easier, while others should still be looking over their shoulders until the week officially ends. Safties Daniel Thomas and Andrew Wingard are likely safe following the departure of Ford, but since no defensive ends were among the players cut on Monday, guys like Israel Antwine, Adam Gotsis, and Arden Key will likely be kept in suspense through the end of the week.
The 2022 Jaguars are loaded with defensive talent, and will likely look to part with a few more offensive players than usual to accommodate more players in the linebacker corps and secondary. Standout receiver Tim Jones seems to be safe following Treadwell’s release and the team’s decision to trade former second-round pick Laviska Shenault, but running backs Snoop Conner and Mekhi Sargent are likely to come down to a one-or-the-other type decision on the part of the coaching staff.
This Jacksonville team is in a full-on rebuild, so any move the front office decides might give them a better chance to win will be given priority over any other potential personnel call.
Stay tuned here on Jaguars Wire for all the breaking news this week, and keep your eye out for some more movement on Jacksonville’s roster as they finalize their depth chart ahead of the regular season.