Tag: Adam Gotsis

Jaguars claim linebacker off waivers, cut veteran defensive end Adam Gotsis

Gotsis’ contract was terminated on Thursday when the Jaguars claimed linebacker Caleb Johnson off waivers from the Chicago Bears.

The Jacksonville Jaguars continued their roster formation on Thursday, claiming second-year linebacker Caleb Johnson off waivers from the Chicago Bears, and releasing veteran defensive end Adam Gotsis. These moves mark a shift in the Jaguars’ 2022 strategy, especially after the release of a player like Gotsis, who had been a solid backup for the team since 2020.

Johnson is a gritty prospect who made a few plays for the Bears last season but is largely unproven heading into his second year in the NFL. He joins an elite linebacker corps in Jacksonville that has the potential to be one of the league’s best defensive units. He’ll be a long shot to see any significant action in Duval County this season but could play a factor for the Jaguars if injuries come to haunt the team this season.

Meanwhile, the veteran Gotsis was a second-round pick in the 2016 draft and was once considered a blue chip prospect as a member of the Denver Broncos before signing with Jacksonville in 2020. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket started 14 games for the Jaguars in his first year with the team but his usage saw a steep decline last season. He managed to register three sacks in his 2021 campaign, but only served as a starter in four games.

It is likely that Gotsis will catch on with another team before the regular season kicks off, but whether he’ll get the opportunity to see the field will be highly dependent on the situation he finds himself in. If his contract couldn’t be justified by general manager Trent Baalke in Jacksonville, Gotsis’ talent may not be enough to push for a significant role elsewhere.

For the Jaguars, though, these moves make sense. The team is leaning into their strength at linebacker and is set to find a replacement for Gotsis who they think might be able to out-produce him this season. Who that replacement might be is unclear, but with any luck, Jacksonville will find a capable young backup in the pool of talent that is currently available as teams around the NFL cull their rosters.

 

WATCH: Jags DL get in a beach workout during pre-training camp break

The #Jaguars DL has continued to get some work in together as the countdown to training camp continues.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars on their pre-training camp break, several players have started a new workout routine as they count down the days to their return to the field on July 24. Some players have even decided to work out in groups, like the defensive line, who will need to take another step in 2022.

On Thursday, Rise and Grind Training gave the fans a preview of the work the defensive line has been putting in during the break by posting a video of the unit getting in a beach workout. The players seen in the video were Josh Allen, Dawuane Smoot, Davon Hamilton, Jay Tufele, and Adam Gotsis.

The defensive line has worked with Rise and Grind Training in the past before, but our readers may recognize them from our story in May where we revealed that Devin Lloyd had been working out with them after he was drafted.

As for the defensive line, they should take a step forward this year as the group  of aforementioned players have been together for at least two seasons. The front office added some new faces to the unit, too, signing names like Arden Key and Foley Fatukasi in free agency, and spending the No. 1 overall pick on Travon Walker.

Last season, the Jags’ defense was ranked 20th overall and 23rd against the rush. Most believe those figures will improve this year if the defensive line takes a step under new defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell.

Devin Lloyd already working out in Jacksonville area alongside teammates

Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd seems to already be familiarizing himself with the Jacksonville area and his teammates.

The Jacksonville Jaguars shocked fans when they traded into the back of the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft to select Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd with pick No. 27. Once they turned in the card, it instantly became clear that the Butkus finalist was excited to be with the team and was ready to work.

Now, over a week later, Lloyd has wasted little time getting to the Duval area to get acquainted. Rise and Grind Training of Orange Park, Fla. posted a video of the rookie working out at their facility alongside veteran defensive lineman Adam Gotsis, who just re-signed with the Jags this week.

In the video, Lloyd is seen working on his agility and strength (NSFW warning for background music). And while he has yet to even put on pads for the Jags, it’s a video that fans couldn’t help but get excited about because it displays the potential he could bring to the middle of the defense.

Lloyd will join the Jags after being a dominant defender for the Utes last season. As a senior, he was able to accumulate 111 total tackles, with 22 of those tackles being for loss. He also was able to garner seven sacks and ended 2021 with a Pro Football Focus grade of 90.3.

The Jags’ offseason approach wasn’t perfect, but the team was able to bolster the interior of the defense this offseason, including their addition of Lloyd. They also signed Foyesade Oluokun and Foley Fatukasi in free agency, in addition to drafting Chad Muma two rounds after Lloyd.

At the very least, the aforementioned additions will make the Jags better against the run after they ranked 23rd in the category. Lloyd should play a key role in it all, as the team will need him to fill the shoes of former star linebacker Myles Jack.

Jacksonville’s highest graded players in Week 12, per Pro Football Focus

Here were the top-performing Jaguars players in Week 12, according to PFF.

Jacksonville is back in the loss column for the third-straight game after falling short in its comeback bid against the Atlanta Falcons. The Jaguars trailed 21-3 at one point, but 11 unanswered points cut that deficit to just seven. However, the Jags couldn’t get it done on their final drive, turning it over on downs to fall to 2-9 on the season.

It was another frustrating game, and injuries continue to prove costly for this team on both sides of the ball. But with that being said, a few players had very good games against Atlanta, with one in particular grading very highly according to Pro Football Focus.

Here were Jacksonville’s top five players in the loss to the Falcons, according to Pro Football Focus.

2021 NFL free agency: Jaguars bringing back DE Adam Gotsis

The Jags announced that they would be retaining defensive end Adam Gotsis to help bolster their defensive line.

The Jacksonville Jaguars prioritized bolstering the defensive line this free agency period and the move they made Thursday was further proof. The team announced that they would be retaining defensive end Adam Gotsis, adding another veteran to the defensive line rotation.

https://twitter.com/jaguars/status/1375176160292843535?s=21

Gotsis, 28, was a former second round pick for the Denver Broncos in the 2016 NFL Draft. At that time, he became the highest-drafted Australian-born player in the NFL.

Gotsis, who is an imposing figure at 6-foot-4, 287 pounds, was one of the players from last year’s team who could be identified as a fit for a multiple defense, so his return makes sense for the Jags. He played in every game for the team last season and was able to accumulate 37 tackles (four of which were for loss) and three passes defensed. When looking at his one season in Jacksonville and four in Denver, Gotsis will enter the 2021 season with 146 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and five sacks.

Gotsis will play defensive end in a rotation that includes Tyson Alualu, Jihad Ward, Doug Costin, and Roy Robertson-Harris amongst notables.

3 unrestricted free agents the Jags should retain on defense

The Jags will lead the league in cap space, which means they have a chance to keep contributors like Dawuane Smoot.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Urban Meyer have a huge offseason ahead of them and it’s safe to say it will be the most important in team history. There is a lot of work to be done to improve from a team-low record of 1-15 and several offseason additions will need to be made to get the team right.

While the results were forgettable last year, there are also some players with expiring contracts who will be worth keeping on the roster. Last month, we previewed three of those players on offense, now let’s look at three unrestricted free agents on defense who the Jags could look to bring back:

Ex-Broncos DE Adam Gotsis signs with Jaguars

Former Broncos defensive end Adam Gotsis has signed with the Jaguars.

Former Denver Broncos defensive Adam Gotsis has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team announced Sunday (via Jaguars Wire).

Gotsis (6-4, 287 pounds) is an Australian defender who was selected by the Broncos in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Georgia Tech. The 27-year-old defensive end played in all 16 games as a rookie and then served as a regular starter from 2017-18.

Last year, Gotsis started the first three games of the season before being benched. Broncos coach Vic Fangio didn’t see a place for Gotsis on the team’s defensive line and he was inactive for seven games.

Gotsis underwent knee surgery in December and finished the year on injured reserve. Denver opted not to re-sign him when he became a free agent in March.

There are still six ex-Broncos players who remain unsigned free agents.

In Jacksonville, Gotsis will be competing with Aaron Lynch and Cassius Marsh for rotational playing time on the Jags’ defensive line.

[vertical-gallery id=636551]

Jags sign former Broncos DE Adam Gotsis

The Jags have made an addition after two players opted out. They announced the signing of fifth-year DE Adam Gotsis, formerly of the Broncos.

With Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end and linebacker Lerentee McCray opting out due to concerns from the coronavirus, the team made a new addition in his place. The team announced the signing of fifth-year defensive end Adam Gotsis Sunday, putting their roster at 85 players.

Gotsis was a second-round pick for the Denver Broncos in 2016 out of Georgia Tech. He spent four seasons with them, accumulating 109 tackles, 13 pass breakups, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. Last season, he participated in nine games and was able to garner 16 tackles before missing the last few games of 2019 with a knee injury.

Gotsis, a native of Melbourne, Australia, will enter his Jags tenure as the highest-drafted Australian-born player in NFL history. Before coming to America, he competed in Australian Rules Football and American Rules Football (for the Monash Warriors of Melbourne).

Gotsis will now compete with players like Aaron Lynch and Cassius Marsh for positioning on the defensive end depth chart as Josh Allen, Rodney Gunter (on early downs), and rookie K’Lavon Chaisson look to be the top edge defenders on the team.

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.

[protected-iframe id=”2a02eb35d21632495dc62849efcacda1-105974738-159322853″ info=”https://art19.com/shows/bleav-in-the-jacksonville-jaguars/episodes/1029cafa-0f10-4518-9562-84fab2f0fa06/embed” scrolling=”no”]

Broncos hope Adam Gotsis is last in long line of bad second-round picks

The Denver Broncos will not re-sign former second-round pick Adam Gotsis.

Adam Gotsis, once selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Denver Broncos, is going to be done with the team following four unproductive seasons.

The Broncos have reportedly decided that they will not re-sign the 27-year old Gotsis who is coming off a season where he didn’t register a sack and ended with him tearing his ACL.

Gotsis will have to rehab the injury over the summer and then hope to catch on with a different team.

For the Broncos, it is clearly time to wash their hands of Gotsis. Taken with the No. 63 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Gotsis tallied 109 total tackles and just five sacks during his time in Denver. He was an average player who had likely realized his full potential.

The team hopes that he will be the last second-round pick that doesn’t pan out, at least for a while.

Since drafting Gotsis in the second round, the Broncos have taken DeMarcus Walker, Courtland Sutton, Dalton Risner and Drew Lock in the second round of the three subsequent drafts.

Lock appears to be the future at quarterback, Sutton had a huge year in 2019 and Risner was probably the team’s best offensive lineman as a rookie. There is still hope for Walker.

That all sounds much better than the second-round picks taken in the four drafts prior to the year that Gotsis came aboard.

2015- Ty Sambrailo

2014- Cody Latimer

2013- Montee Ball

2012- Brock Osweiler

Derek Wolfe was also chosen in the early portion of the second round in 2012 after the Broncos traded out of the first round, but not much more needs to be said about the other four guys here. Unfortunately, none of them worked out and in the case of everyone but Osweiler, they were complete busts.

Since selecting Gotsis, John Elway has been able to hit on a much higher percentage of his second-round picks than he did with him and before him.

Hopefully, for Gotsis, he catches on somewhere and becomes an integral part of a team’s defense, but he was never a good pick for the Broncos, who really reached on him in 2016.

Report: Broncos won’t re-sign DE Adam Gotsis

The Broncos are moving on from defensive end Adam Gotsis.

The Denver Broncos will let defensive end Adam Gotsis hit free agency, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Denver is “moving on” from the 27-year-old defender, Klis reports.

Gotsis (6-4, 287 pounds) was selected by the Broncos in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Georgia Tech. He was born in Melbourne, Australia and played Australian rules football growing up.

Gotsis transitioned to American football in high school and went on to commit to Georgia Tech as a defensive end. He struggled to live up to his draft status in Denver, totaling just 109 tackles and five sacks in four years.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio benched Gotsis last season, which might have been an early sign that he didn’t have a future with the team. After suffering an ACL injury late in the year, Gotsis underwent knee surgery.

The “best-case scenario” for Gotsis would be a return in August, according to Klis. He might end up missing the first month of the season, which won’t help his chances of signing with a new team this spring.

[vertical-gallery id=632585]