Tag: Ben Bartch

Report: 49ers re-sign interior OL Ben Bartch

The #49ers bolstered their interior OL depth by bringing back Ben Bartch:

The 49ers are bringing back interior offensive lineman Ben Bartch according to Matt Barrows of the Athletic. Bartch, 25, will get an opportunity to compete for a roster spot and potentially a starting job in 2024.

San Francisco acquired Bartch last season when the team signed him from the Jaguars practice squad. He was with Jacksonville for three-plus seasons after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

In his three-plus years with the Jags, Bartch played in 41 games with 20 starts. He appeared in five games for the 49ers last season and played 28 offensive snaps.

He’ll at least provide some versatility and depth for the 49ers up front, but he’ll also be in the running for a starting guard job as the team looks to shore up its offensive line.

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7 former Jaguars set to play in Super Bowl LVIII

The Jaguars still haven’t played in a Super Bowl, but a handful of their former players are set to play in the big game in two weeks.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are still one of 12 teams that have never won a Super Bowl and one of four that have never reached the big game.

On Sunday, the Detroit Lions spoiled their chance to scratch themselves from at least one of those lists when they blew a 24-7 halftime lead against the San Francisco 49ers. Instead, it’ll be the five-time champion 49ers meeting the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas in two weeks.

While the Jaguars will hope for better results in the future, a handful of former members of the team are set to compete for a chance at a Super Bowl ring.

Here are seven former members of the Jaguars who are set to play in Super Bowl LVIII (plus another two on the Chiefs’ practice squad):

49ers add new offensive lineman with injuries piling up

The #49ers are adding an OL to fill Talanoa Hufanga’s roster spot.

The 49ers are dealing with some injury issues on their offensive line, leading them to add a new member of the OL to their roster. Mia O’Brien of 1010 XL in Jacksonville reported OL Ben Bartch is joining San Francisco’s roster from the Jaguars’ practice squad. Matt Barrows of the Athletic confirmed the report.

Bartch will took the roster spot vacated by Talanoa Hufanga when the safety went on IR with a torn ACL on Tuesday afternoon.

The Jaguars selected Bartch in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. He played in 41 games with 20 starts across three-plus seasons with them.

Both of the 49ers’ interior offensive linemen, Aaron Banks and Spencer Burford, are hurt heading into Week 12. Neither player would have practiced Monday per a projected participation report. Banks is still working through a toe injury he sustained in Week 8, and Burford has a knee issue that cropped up after Week 11.

There’s a real chance Bartch could play Thursday in the 49ers’ game against the Seahawks. Their own practice squad options include undrafted rookie Corey Luciano, who was elevated for Week 11. They also have UDFA Ilm Manning and journeyman veteran Jesse Davis in the building who could be elevated for Thursday’s game.

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49ers reportedly signing Ben Bartch off Jaguars practice squad

The Jaguars’ 2020 fourth-round pick is headed west, according to a report.

The San Francisco 49ers are signing guard Ben Bartch off the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad, according to Mia O’Brien of 1010XL.

Bartch, a fourth-round selection in the 2020 NFL draft, worked his way into the starting lineup early in his career and won the left guard job in training camp ahead of the 2022 season. However, he suffered a knee injury early in the year that ended his season and caused him to miss much of training camp in 2023.

The Jaguars re-inserted Bartch into the Week 1 starting lineup this season, but benched him in favor of Tyler Shatley after three games. He was eventually waived after a trade to acquire Ezra Cleveland and landed on the practice squad.

As an addition from another team’s practice squad, Bartch will now be on the 49ers’ active roster. San Francisco has been without starting guard Aaron Banks in the last two weeks and right guard Spencer Burford suffered an injury in the team’s Week 11 win.

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5 Jaguars players who underachieved in the first half of 2023

These five Jaguars players are off to a slower start in 2023 than expected.

The way the Jacksonville Jaguars ended last season, it wasn’t hard to understand why there were high expectations in Duval — for both the team and several individual players, alike.

The Jaguars ended the regular season with five straight wins and beat the Los Angeles Chargers in dramatic fashion in the playoffs. Going into the 2023 season, more of the same was expected.

The Jaguars have started the season with a 6-2 record, but despite the impressive record, they haven’t gotten what they were expecting from a few players.

Here are the Jaguars’ five biggest underachievers through the first half of 2023:

Jaguars bring back OL Ben Bartch as practice squad addition

The Jaguars brought back Ben Bartch to the practice squad after he cleared waivers.

Veteran offensive lineman Ben Bartch was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad Friday, the team announced.

Bartch, a 2020 fourth-round pick, was waived by the Jaguars earlier this week after the team traded to acquire Ezra Cleveland from the Minnesota Vikings. The fourth-year lineman cleared waivers freeing him up to return on the practice squad.

To make room for the return of Bartch, the Jaguars released Coy Cronk, an offensive lineman who first joined the team in October 2021 and appeared in three regular season games with the team during the 2022 season.

Bartch, 25, started 11 games for the Jaguars in 2021 and earned the starting left guard job to begin the 2022 season. But he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5 and was on the PUP list to begin training camp this year. After returning to the starting lineup to start the 2023 season, Bartch was benched after three starts.

While the Jaguars now have Bartch back in the locker room, his time with the franchise could be approaching its end with his rookie contract set to expire after this season.

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Jaguars waive OL Ben Bartch to make room for OL Ezra Cleveland

The Jaguars cut ties with 2020 fourth-round pick Ben Bartch to make room for their newest addition.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a trade for the Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland official Tuesday and announced that offensive lineman Ben Bartch will be waived to make room for the new addition.

Bartch, 25, was a fourth-round pick for the Jaguars in the 2020 NFL draft and made 20 starts in four seasons with the team. After earning the starting left guard job in training camp last season, Bartch suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5.

After beginning camp and preseason on the PUP list this year, Bartch re-assumed his starting role, but the return to the lineup lasted for only three games. He was eventually benched in favor of Tyler Shatley and the team has also turned to Blake Hance before Bartch at times this year.

In each of his three starts this season, Bartch was credited with allowing three pressures. Bartch’s 55.5 grade from Pro Football Focus so far in the 2023 season is a career low.

Bartch would be eligible to join the Jaguars’ practice squad, but he’d first have to go unclaimed on the waiver wire.

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5 Jaguars players most likely to get moved at the 2023 trade deadline

The Jaguars won’t be big sellers at the trade deadline, but there are a few players on the roster that the team might not mind moving.

There’s no reason for the Jacksonville Jaguars to be sellers before the NFL’s Oct. 31 trade deadline.

Still, if a team comes calling it never hurts to listen. And while the Jaguars won’t be interested in parting with any players who could play an integral role in the team making a postseason run, there are a few players on the roster who they could do just fine without.

It’s unlikely that Jacksonville will want to part with players from its AFC South-leading roster. But if the team does make a deal that sends someone elsewhere, here are five Jaguars players who are the most likely to get traded ahead of the deadline:

Tyler Shatley starts at left guard ahead of Ben Bartch in Week 4

The Jaguars tweaked their offensive line Sunday, inserting Tyler Shatley into the starting lineup.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a change to their offensive line Sunday, inserting veteran Tyler Shatley into the starting lineup at left guard ahead of Ben Bartch.

The decision comes after Jaguars coach Doug Pederson all but called Bartch the weak link on the line through the first three weeks.

“[Anton Harrison] is still learning, just getting a feel and a sense of playing at this level and all the different rushes that he’s seeing,” Pederson said Monday. “Ben [Bartch] is still working through getting back into playing and he got beat a few times. I think Luke [Fortner] and Brandon [Scherff] and Walker [Little] are the three consistent guys right now.”

While that set the stage for Shatley to take over starting duties, Bartch was still listed as the first-team left guard on the depth chart all the way up to kickoff Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Bartch suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the 2022 season and was replaced by Shatley who started the last 12 games of the season as well as the Jaguars’ two postseason games.

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Ben Bartch feels ‘free again’ after returning to practice field

More than 10 months since suffering a season-ending knee injury, Jaguars guard Ben Bartch is finally back on the practice field.

The 2022 season ended for Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Ben Bartch on Oct. 9 when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. When the team began training camp more than nine months later, Bartch still wasn’t quite ready to hit the practice field.

After a stint on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, Bartch was finally added to the active roster early last week and rejoined the team fully this Monday.

“It’s exciting,” Bartch told Mia O’Brien of 1010XL on Wednesday. “You feel like you’re free again and you can join your brothers and play football. It’s such a tease being right on the side doing bags and them taking your helmet away. Now I’m able to practice and get to work and help us get better.”

Bartch, 25, earned the starting left guard job in camp a year ago and was replaced in the lineup by Tyler Shatley after suffering his knee injury. With both Bartch and Shatley sidelined for much of camp (the latter was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation earlier in August), the starting left guard has been an unsolved mystery.

Blake Hance sits at the top of the depth chart for now, and there have been talks of Walker Little stepping in to the role after Cam Robinson returns from suspension. But Bartch may be in line to reclaim his spot in the lineup now that’s healthy again.

“[I’m] coming back, feeling stronger in some areas than pre-surgery,” Bartch told O’Brien. “Coming back with a new mindset and a little bit of reset. A different lens [I’m] looking through now.”

Bartch was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft and is entering the final year of his rookie contract with the Jaguars.

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