Tag: Andre Cisco

Jaguars’ Andre Cisco calling the team out for quitting in London loss is bad omen for Doug Pederson

Doug Pederson really might get fired before the Jaguars leave London.

If Doug Pederson hoped to stay on as the Jacksonville Jaguars through their extended London trip, he might have to make some other arrangements very soon after their 35-16 blowout loss to the Chicago Bears.

Throughout the game, it was apparent the Jaguars were not bringing their best punch to the table. Caleb Williams more or less did whatever he wanted to the Jacksonville defense, while the elite Chicago defense flat-out bullied Trevor Lawrence without three of their five starting defensive backs.

After the game, Jaguars defensive leader Andre Cisco distilled Jacksonville’s current state of mind into a blunt assessment of their 1-5 start. At first, Cisco hesitated before saying that there was a “lot of quit” in the Jaguars.

Oof. That’s a horrible look for Doug Pederson and a clear shot across his bow:

Has an NFL team fired its coach while staying abroad for another game? In the coming days, the Jaguars and Pederson feel pretty likely to make a unique history in this regard.

ESPN insiders float five Jaguars in-season trade candidates

ESPN insiders float five Jaguars in-season trade candidates

The NFL trade deadline is over a month away, on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET.

But considering Jacksonville’s 0-4 start to the 2024 season, at least two NFL insiders believe the Jaguars are already nearing a position to sell.

In a Wednesday ESPN roundtable column discussing the trade market among other topics, insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano floated five players they could envision Jacksonville shipping away in the coming weeks if the Jaguars can not turn their campaign around.

Prompted by Graziano calling Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk a potential option for the pass-catcher-needy Pittsburgh Steelers, Fowler expounded on the possibility Jacksonville could deal players approaching the end of their rookie contracts to collect resources for the offseason.

Fowler had four players in mind, three starters and one key backup.

“Another loss or two could leave the 0-4 Jaguars trading away players. This roster is not barren. I could see teams inquiring on rookie-scale talent, such as linebacker Devin Lloyd, safety Andre Cisco and running back Travis Etienne Jr. I’m not saying Jacksonville wants to move marquee players, but we’ve seen this script before when a team implodes. The Jaguars have three starting-caliber offensive tackles, with Walker Little as the odd man out. Teams always need offensive line help and will make calls accordingly.”

Given the sky-high expectations Jaguars owner Shad Khan set for the club before the season and how Jacksonville has yet to get off the ground, it is fair to wonder if he would green-light a fire sale by general manager Trent Baalke at this point.

As Fowler alluded to, however, such situations have played out with struggling NFL teams before.

Kirk, Etienne, Lloyd and Cisco each occupy starting positions for the Jaguars.

Kirk is in the third season of a four-year, $72 million contract he signed with the club in 2022 and is set to account for $24.4 million against Jacksonville’s salary cap next year after restructuring his deal in 2023.

After a slow start to his 2024 campaign with two catches for 29 yards between Weeks 1-2, Kirk has caught 15 passes for 140 yards in Jacksonville’s last two games. He has 158 receptions for 2,064 yards and 12 touchdowns over 33 starts with the Jaguars.

Etienne, a first-round NFL draft pick by Jacksonville alongside his college quarterback Trevor Lawrence in 2021, is in his third season as the Jaguars’ starting running back after missing his rookie year with a Lisfranc injury. The fifth-year option on his rookie contract, for 2025, was picked up in April.

Etienne has logged 214 rushing yards and two touchdowns over 47 attempts this season, adding 10 receptions for 48 yards. He is up to 2,437 yards and 18 touchdowns over 534 rushes and 103 catches for 840 yards and one touchdown receiving.

Jacksonville’s second first-round pick in 2022, Lloyd has started in 33 of his 35 appearances with the Jaguars, recording 263 total tackles including three for loss, three interceptions, 17 defended passes and one forced fumble.

Lloyd posted 21 tackles, two pass breakups and the forced fumble between Weeks 1-3 this year, before missing Week 4 with a knee injury.

Cisco was a third-round pick by the Jaguars in Etienne’s draft class and emerged as a starting safety for the club in his second season, 2022.

After recording seven interceptions and 15 defended passes in 30 games over the last two seasons, Cisco is off to a slow start this season with only one pass breakup in four contests. He has logged 17 total tackles, though, increasing his career total to 178.

Of the quintet, Little arguably stands as the most reasonable trade candidate as he has yet to carve out a full-time starting role in four seasons with the Jaguars, despite his draft status.

The 2021 second-round pick has appeared in 44 games, though, making 17 starts and logging 1,145 offensive snaps in the roles of swing tackle and backup guard. He is in the final season of his rookie contract with Jacksonville.

X-Factor: Can the Jaguars’ secondary slow down the Dolphins?

X-Factor: Can the Jaguars’ secondary handle the potent Miami offense?

Jacksonville’s defense faces a tall task come Sunday: containing Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his two speedster receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

After ranking No. 26 in passing yards allowed per game (239.8) in 2023, the Jaguars look to limit the dynamic Dolphins offense and start their 2024 campaign on the right foot defensively.

Given Miami’s offensive potency, all eyes will be on Jacksonville’s secondary to see if those in black and teal can keep up with the weapons in the Dolphins’ arsenal, making the group the X-Factor for a Jaguars victory on Sunday.

Last season, the Dolphins wide receiver duo of Hill and Waddle combined for 2,813 receiving yards on 191 catches and scored 17 touchdowns. On the back of the offense, Miami finished the regular season 11-6 before being ousted in the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Newly extended cornerback Tyson Campbell and free agent addition Ronald Darby sit atop the Jaguars’ depth chart, likely seeing most snaps against Miami.

Behind Campbell and Darby, the Jaguars feel comfortable in their cornerback depth, comprised of third-year player Montaric Brown and rookies Jarrian Jones and De’Antre Prince.

Filling in at nickel, former Green Bay Packer Darnell Savage Jr. could play a pivotal role in his new position, as the Dolphins could work the slot to get their playmakers into middle-of-the-field space. Safeties Antonio Johnson and Andre Cisco will similarly have their hands full, attempting to halt the Dolphins’ vertical game.

The lone player on the injury report, safety Daniel Thomas, who has been on the mend from a hurt Achilles, could also be helpful. On Friday, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said he is “optimistic and hopeful” that Thomas can play Sunday.

While facing such a high-powered offense early in the season could be considered unlucky, the Jaguars’ staff embraces the challenge for first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s new-look 4-3 defense.

“We treat each game as one unit,” Nielsen said Thursday. “And so each game is going to present a different challenge and it’s really good that this team is, just how the schedule falls and we don’t pick it. We’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to play.”

Pederson highlighted the incessant speed of Miami’s pass-catchers this week, noting the fits it could cause for both Jacksonville’s coverage team and its run defense, as the threat of receivers pushing wide and deep can open the Dolphins’ explosive rushing attack by drawing attention elsewhere.

“Speed, speed, speed. And a lot of misdirection, a lot of motions and shifts,” Pederson described Miami’s offense Wednesday.

“Obviously, they do a great job with that in their run game as well and it kind of can cause you to just distort your eyes a little bit, and get off your cues. That’s where some of the big plays have come for them.”

Discipline and staying on assignment will be vital for the Jaguars’ secondary to keep their offense in the game and avoid explosive plays from Miami’s multiple explosive-play threats.

“Obviously, we know Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and the guys,” Pederson said. “There’s just a lot of speed and something that we’ve got to be able to at least try to match; otherwise, we’ll be in the right position.”

Should Jacksonville struggle to keep up with Miami on the backend, it will need production from its pass rush — headlined by edge-rushing tandem, Joshua Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, and former 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead — to remain competitive defensively.

Nielsen hopes the defensive front can generate enough pressure to disrupt Tagovailoa’s rhythm, leaving him uncomfortable in the pocket and allowing the Jaguars defensive backs to play more aggressively.

Yet, Nielsen is aware of Tagovailoa’s ability to quickly get the ball out of his hands, potentially putting Jacksonville’s defense on its back foot and opening up the deep ball.

“He gets the ball out. He knows where to go with the ball. The guy gets out the ball lightning-quick out of his hands,” Nielsen said of Tagovailoa Thursday. “We’ve got to do a really good job in our coverage and disrupting him in the pocket, things like that, things you’ve got to do every week.”

Nielsen understands his defense will face an immense challenge in his first game in Jacksonville, but he is confident in the Jaguars’ preparation ahead of the Week 1 AFC showdown.

“They’re well-balanced,” Nielsen said. “Obviously one of the high-power offenses of the league, No. 1 passing offense, things like that. It’ll be a really good test; our guys are going to be ready.”

NFL coordinator makes bold prediction for Jaguars’ Andre Cisco

NFL coordinator makes bold prediction for Jaguars’ Andre Cisco

Although he didn’t crack the top-10 safety in the NFL, anonymous executives, coaches and scouts voted enough for Jaguars’ defensive back Andre Cisco to place him in the honorable mention category entering the 2024 season, per polling conducted by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

One unnamed NFC coordinator sounded as though they had Cisco among his position’s best, predicting Jacksonville’s rising fourth-year safety could potentially go down as an all-time ballhawk.

“He can generate turnovers at an elite level,” the coach told Fowler. “He’ll be a 30-plus career interception guy.”

For reference, only one player in Jaguars history has reached 30 career interceptions, cornerback Rashean Mathis. Cisco’s seven career interceptions already rank No. 11 among the franchise’s leaders in the statistical category.

235 players have reached 30-plus interceptions in NFL history.

Jacksonville’s third-round selection in the 2021 NFL draft, Cisco took over as the Jaguars’ starting free safety in 2022 and has generated eight total turnovers and 15 defended passes over 30 games since.

In three seasons, Cisco has tallied 161 total tackles including two for loss, 1.5 sacks, seven interceptions, 17 defended passes and three forced fumbles.

Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. and edge rusher Joshua Hines-Allen were named among the top 10 players at their respective positions by ESPN’s polling of NFL personnel released earlier this week.

Andre Cisco is Jaguars’ ‘most compelling’ contract to keep an eye on

Athletic: Andre Cisco offers Jaguars’ ‘most compelling’ contract case

The Jaguars locked up their franchise quarterback and star edge rusher for the long haul this offseason. While contract extensions won’t often be more compelling than those for such premier positions, there remains intrigue regarding who Jacksonville will pay next.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, safety Andre Cisco’s contract situation is the one to watch next in Jacksonville.

The fourth-year pro has developed into one of the NFL’s top ballhawking defensive backs in recent seasons and became eligible for a new deal this offseason. His rookie contract will expire next March.

The Jaguars already have the big ones out of the way with Lawrence and linebacker Josh Allen, so Cisco is one to watch. Just 24 years old, Cisco is an ascending player who could be on the verge of a true breakout in his contract year. Now, after a tough offseason for the safety market, there’s added intrigue with how teams will choose to pay their safeties, which adds mystery to Cisco’s situation.

Cisco has tallied 161 total tackles (including two for loss), seven interceptions, 17 defended passes three forced fumbles 1.5 sacks. He accumulated all his interceptions over his two seasons in a full-time starting role (2022-2023) tied for seventh-most among NFL defensive backs in that span.

Jaguars Wire identified Cisco as one of the candidates for Jacksonville’s next contract extension in June.

But as Howe mentioned, the NFL safety market is in a weird spot, and that reality could impact Cisco’s negotiations with the Jaguars.

While Tampa Bay made Antoine Winfield Jr. the league’s highest-paid defensive back with a $21 million average annual value in May, at least seven starting safeties from 2023 were released this offseason, including Rayshawn Jenkins by Jacksonville.

Jenkins’ contract with Jacksonville had an average annual value of $8.75 million. The Jaguars signed safety Darnell Savage Jr. after Jenkins’ release on a deal worth $7.25 million annually.

“[It’s part of a] larger financial trend,” an anonymous NFL executive previously told The Athletic. “The market got too high for the position’s impact overall.”

Will the Jaguars continue following the trend when it comes to Cisco’s looming second contract, or buck it?

NFLN: Two Jaguars defenders on the cusp of breaking out

NFLN: Two Jaguars defenders on the cusp of breaking out

NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks believes not one, but two Jacksonville defenders are in for breakout seasons in 2024: Linebacker Devin Lloyd and safety Andre Cisco.

The duo of Jaguars made Brooks’ “All-Breakout” defensive team Friday, with Pittsburgh defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. representing the only other tandem from the same team on the list.

Players without All-Pro or Pro Bowl recognition in their career thus far were qualified to make the list, per Brooks.

Find Brooks’ reasoning for including Lloyd and Cisco below.

Lloyd could be the biggest benefactor of the Jaguars’ scheme change under new [defensive coordinator] Ryan Nielsen. The third-year pro could reprise his role as a [strong-side] linebacker, which helped him earn high marks as a prospect in the 2022 draft class. A unique playmaker with instincts, awareness and pass-rushing skills, Lloyd can make his mark as a linebacker who attacks from all angles. He thrived in a similar role at the University of Utah, which helped him walk away with a plethora of honors after dotting his résumé with splash play after splash play. Though the Jaguars haven’t been entirely open about Lloyd’s expected role, it’s not hard to envision the third-year pro crushing it as a DPR (designated pass rusher) with on- and off-ball linebacker skills.

[Cisco] has a chance to become an elite defender in a new defensive scheme that suits his talents as a ballhawk. Cisco already has logged seven interceptions over the past two seasons while playing as a center fielder in a system that lived and died with blitz pressure. Now, though, the Jaguars’ young standout could see his takeaway number spike as the designated deep-middle defender in a scheme designed to bait quarterbacks into mistakes. Cisco is a high-IQ player with a nose for the ball; his range and awareness could help him spark a defensive revival in Jacksonville.

Lloyd, Jacksonville’s second first-round pick alongside edge rusher Travon Walker (Jaguars Wire’s pick for the team’s breakout player this season) in 2022, has compiled 242 tackles including two for loss, three interceptions, 15 defended passes and four forced fumbles over 32 games with the Jaguars.

Cisco, a third-round selection by the Jaguars in 2021, has recorded 161 tackles with two for loss, 1.5 sacks, seven interceptions, 17 defended passes and three forced fumbles.

Jaguars’ Andre Cisco analyzes AFC South’s ‘biggest difference’ in 2024

Jaguars’ Andre Cisco analyzes AFC South’s ‘biggest difference’ in 2024

Andre Cisco is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

Jacksonville’s rising fourth-year safety and one of its top-performing coverage defenders over the last two seasons, Cisco has monitored the influx of pass-catching talent the AFC South has experienced this offseason and believes it could shake up the division’s power dynamic.

“The biggest difference I see is the quality of receivers in the division,” Cisco said Monday, via SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I think the receivers have taken a huge jump from what the past two years have been in the division.”

Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston and Indianapolis each made at least one change to its projected starting wide receiver lineup this spring, via free agency or the 2024 NFL draft if not both.

Perhaps no move shook up the AFC South more than Calvin Ridley’s parting with the Jaguars to sign with the Titans roughly an hour into free agency, considering the long-standing, heated rivalry between the clubs.

Ridley was widely believed to be leaning toward signing a new contract with Jacksonville before Tennessee snuck in with a four-year, $92 million offer. He even stated he “really wanted to, honestly, be with the Jags” during his first Titans’ press conference in March.

Ridley caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns during his lone season with the Jaguars in 2023, following his 2022 trade to Jacksonville from Atlanta.

Jacksonville was aggressive about upgrading its wide receiver room before and after Ridley withdrew himself from the team’s plans. The Jaguars agreed to terms with free agent receivers, Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay, prior to Ridley’s exit. They took receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the draft’s first round following Ridley’s departure.

In addition to acquiring Ridley, Tennessee signed fellow veteran receiver Tyler Boyd to pair with DeAndre Hopkins in the Titans’ primary pass-catching trio, offering quarterback Will Levis a stable of experienced contributors after his nine starts as a rookie.

If Ridley’s intradivisional jump wasn’t the biggest wide receiver shakeup in the AFC South, it was Houston’s trade with Buffalo for four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs, giving star Texans’ sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud a proven No. 1 receiver to pair with emerging young pass-catchers, Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

Indianapolis bolstered its receiving corps for Colts’ second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, too, by rewarding Michael Pittman Jr. with a three-year contract extension and taking Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the draft.

“Obviously, Rid going to Tennessee. I know the Colts drafted a kid from Texas [Mitchell]. The Texans already were really good at receiver but then they add Stefon Diggs,” Cisco recalled.

“The quality of receiver has taken a step forward. I think quarterbacks in the NFL, you’re not really gonna play too many duds, so for me, it’s kind of a regular day in the office in regards to who we’re playing. But the receivers could definitely make a big difference.”

As divisional foes, Cisco and Jacksonville’s retooled secondary are tasked with holding Tennessee, Houston and Indianapolis’ playmakers in check six times during the 2024 season.

Over three seasons, 47 games and 33 starts with the Jaguars, Cisco has accumulated 161 tackles with two for loss, 1.5 sacks, seven interceptions including one pick-six, 17 defended passes and three forced fumbles.

CBS: Jaguars’ Andre Cisco ‘primed for breakout season’

CBS: Jaguars’ Andre Cisco ‘primed for breakout season’

Entering his fourth season in the NFL and a contract year, CBS Sports believes Jacksonville safety Andre Cisco is in for a breakout 2024 campaign.

Analyzing his five top candidates for such a season, CBS Sports analyst Chris Trapasso included the Jaguars’ third-round selection from the 2021 NFL draft, predicting that Cisco is among those bound to ascend toward a big pay-day with strong play in 2024, after tallying seven interceptions over the past two years.

If you don’t pay close attention to the Jaguars, or maybe your favorite team isn’t in the AFC playing the Jaguars twice a year, the name Andre Cisco probably doesn’t mean much to you. But let me tell you, this is one of the premier young safeties in football.

The former Syracuse star, whose final season with the Orange was cut way short due to an early injury, has elite ball-tracking range. After experiencing the nightmarish Urban Meyer experiment that went about as well as the Stanford prison experiment, Cisco had three interceptions in 2022 and tacked on four last season.

And he just turned 24 in March. The 6-foot, 210-pounder is built like a stocky strong safety but glides to the football downfield like he’s making the transition from playing center field on a Major League Baseball team. Do not be surprised if Cisco’s interception total rises again, which then leads to a sizable new deal either during or after his fourth season in Jacksonville.

After making three starts over 17 appearances as a rookie, Cisco took on a starting role in the Jaguars’ defense in 2022 that he has not relinquished while Jacksonville has otherwise reconstructed its secondary this offseason.

Instead, he serves as one leaders of the unit, with ample production to validate his positioning.

Over 30 games in the past two seasons, in addition to his seven interceptions, Cisco has tallied 135 tackles including two for loss, 1.5 sacks, 15 pass breakups and one forced fumble.

Washington guard Samuel Cosmi, Dallas defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, Houston edge rusher Derek Barnett and New Orleans wide receiver Rashid Shaheed made the list alongside Cisco.

In which 2023 games did each Jaguars defensive star shine brightest?

The Jaguars’ defense tailed off late in the year, but it still had some impressive moments in 2023.

Before the 2023 season began, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive unit was expected to be a weakness. But there were a handful of weeks when defense won the game for the Jaguars.

When Jacksonville was at its best en route to an 8-3 start to the year, the defense was a key piece to the team’s success. The Jaguars’ played well as a unit, but the players stepped up individually at different points throughout the season.

While the defense eventually came unraveled and struggled down the stretch, here were the best single-game performances for each of the Jaguars’ key defensive players during the 2023 season:

Contract projections for 6 Jaguars in line to receive new deals

How much would it cost the Jaguars to keep Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, and a few other players with new contracts? Spoiler: a whole lot.

When Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke spoke to reporters at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, he revealed the team is in talks with three of its impending free agents — Josh Allen, Calvin Ridley, and Ezra Cleveland — to bring them back.

Later, in an interview with NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, he said the Jaguars have started talks with quarterback Trevor Lawrence too.

So how much would it cost to sign all four of those players to new contracts? Spoiler alert: a lot.

With the salary cap soaring, several Jaguars players are well-positioned to secure pricy contracts if the team hopes to keep them for the foreseeable future. Add defensive backs Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco to the mix (Baalke mentioned them in an interview as players who will “eventually need contracts”) and the Jaguars could be handing out several big deals to some of their key players.

Here’s a guess at how much it’d cost for the Jaguars to keep those six players if they signed new contracts this offseason: