The time has arrived for teams to pick up the fifth-year options of their 2018 first-round draft picks, and many have elected to do so. However, the Jags aren’t among those teams and will be doing the opposite for defensive tackle Taven Bryan, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Jaguars declined the fifth-year option for defensive lineman Taven Bryan, per source. He’s set to be a 2022 free agent.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 3, 2021
While Bryan did flash a little in 2017, he’s been largely unimpressive since entering the league, so the Jags’ decision comes as no surprise. Overall he’s manage to accumulate 71 tackles and 3.5 sacks over 17 starts, and 48 appearances. In his first three seasons, he was able to register grades of 69.4, 75.5, and a 59.0, respectively, on Pro Football Focus.
Bryan has the first fifth-year option the Jags’ new regime has had to make a decision on from the Tom Coughlin and Dave Caldwell era. Earlier in the week, Jags coach Urban Meyer told the media that they wanted the young defensive tackle on the team. And while he still has a chance to impress the new staff, it may be hard to do with all of the players who could be in front of him on the depth chart at this point.
Bryan’s base salary figure for 2021 is set at $1,864,767 per Spotrac. However, if he’s cut this offseason, they would save over $1.1 million, but would eat a dead cap hit of over $2 million.