Jaguars reportedly re-sign special teams ace Daniel Thomas

The Jaguars are keeping core special teamer Daniel Thomas with a new contract just before he was set to become a free agent.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are re-signing safety and special teams ace Daniel Thomas, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, it’s a two-year, $4 million deal for Thomas that could be worth as much as $6 million.

Thomas, 25, was a fifth-round pick in 2020 and played out the final year of his rookie contract in 2023. While he’s seen his defensive snaps dwindle during his time with the Jaguars, Thomas has emerged as a leader and a star on the special teams unit.

During the 2023 season, he even earned a bit of national spotlight after Sunday Night Football cameras showed him beat a double team to make an open-field tackle on a punt.

In four seasons with the Jaguars, Thomas has 61 total tackles and an interception that he recorded during his rookie season. While he played 365 defensive snaps in his first two seasons, Thomas saw the field for just 14 defensive snaps last year.

His year ended with a broken forearm suffered in the Jaguars’ Week 16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Jaguars have made special teams an emphasis during Doug Pederson’s time as head coach and they’re keeping their stellar unit in tact by retaining Thomas.

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Studs and duds in Jaguars’ 23-7 loss vs. Ravens

Which Jaguars players stood out most to you Sunday night?

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to 8-6 on Sunday night when the Baltimore Ravens handed them a third consecutive loss.

It was an all too familiar formula that doomed the Jaguars in the 23-7 loss. Despite finding 333 yards of offense, Jacksonville’s only points came on one 65-yard touchdown.

The Jaguars drove inside the Ravens’ 40-yard line five times and the red zone three times, but somehow finished with zero points to show for it. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence fumbled away one of those possessions, made a crucial error that ran out the clock on another, and turned the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter. The other two were missed field goals.

Jacksonville had its opportunities and simply didn’t come nearly close enough to capitalizing on them. Here are the players who struggled most Sunday as well as those who stood out in the losing effort:

4 Jaguars questionable, Zay Jones ruled out vs. 49ers

The Jaguars will officially be without Zay Jones and they listed four players as questionable for Sunday against the 49ers.

Not long after Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said that Zay Jones was a “long shot” to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, the wide receiver’s absence was made official in the final injury report.

Jones is the only player who was ruled out by the Jaguars with another four listed as questionable.

“Tyson [Campbell] is doing well, he had a good week of practice, him and [Andre] Cisco are really good, Walker [Little] is really good, so they should be fine,” Pederson said during his Friday press conference.

Daniel Thomas is primarily a special teamer and the newly acquired Ezra Cleveland is expected to be a backup, so it wouldn’t be devastating if the Jaguars were without either or both of those players.

The bigger question mark Sunday is the availability of San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave who were both listed as questionable Friday.

Williams missed the 49ers’ last two games due to his ankle injury and only returned to practice Thursday. Hargrave wasn’t on the report at all Wednesday, but popped up Thursday with a knee issue.

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5 Jaguars players limited, none absent in Thursday practice

On Thursday, the Jaguars had their entire active roster at practice for the first time this season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had their entire active roster on the practice field Thursday for the first time this season.

While the team’s injury report didn’t have any “did not participate” designations for the first time in 2023, there were still five Jaguars players who were limited. That included wide receiver Zay Jones, who continues to work his way back from a knee injury that has sidelined him since Week 5.

Cornerback Tyson Campbell, safety Andre Cisco, offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland, and special teamer Daniel Thomas were the other four players limited Thursday.

The only change on the report from Wednesday to Thursday was the return of Yasir Abdullah, who was absent earlier in the week due to an illness.

On Wednesday, Zay Jones told reporters that he was making progress in his recovery. Still, it would be a surprise if he was available to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.

For the 49ers, all eyes are on offensive tackle Trent Williams, who missed practice Wednesday due to the same ankle injury that kept him out for two games before the team’s Week 9 bye. On Thursday, he returned to the practice field, but was limited.

The addition of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave with a knee injury is also notable.

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Jaguars 2023 roster review: S Daniel Thomas

Former Auburn safety Daniel Thomas has settled into a role as a reliable special teamer for the Jaguars.

The brunt of the offseason is in the books and training camp is still off on the horizon. Join us in the NFL’s dead zone with a player-by-player review of the Jaguars roster ahead of the 2023 season.

The NFL career of Daniel Thomas has mirrored the one of his fellow Jacksonville Jaguars gunner, Chris Claybrooks.

Both are defensive backs picked late in the 2020 NFL draft who have seen their snaps on defense dwindled through the first three seasons of their career. But both have established themselves as elite special teamers.

Thomas was on the field for just 32 defensive snaps during the 2022 season, but 237 snaps on special teams.

Contract (2023): $1.01 million base salary, $79,279 prorated signing bonus, $1,089,279 cap hit.

Acquired: Jaguars drafted Thomas in the fifth round with the No. 157 overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft.

PFF grades

  • 56.6 (2022)
  • 51.9 (2021)
  • 90.0 (2020)

Statistics:

  • Eight tackles (2022)
  • 27 tackles (2021)
  • One interception, 18 tackles (2020)

Highlight:

Quote: “You can make an argument that the gunners on the punt team are the best tandem going in the NFL. Claybrooks, one of the fastest gunners in the NFL, and Daniel Thomas is proven.” – Houston Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross

Calvin Ridley (No. 0) Travis Etienne Jr. (No. 1) Rayshawn Jenkins (No. 2) C.J. Beathard (No. 3) Tank Bigsby (No. 4) Andre Cisco (No. 5)
Chris Claybrooks (No. 6) Zay Jones (No. 7) Logan Cooke (No. 9) Parker Washington (No. 11) James McCourt (No. 12) Christian Kirk (No. 13)
Kendric Pryor (No. 14) Tim Jones (No. 15) Trevor Lawrence (No. 16) Evan Engram (No. 17) Nathan Rourke (No. 18) Sammis Reyes (No. 19)
Daniel Thomas (No. 20) Latavious Brini (No. 21) JaMycal Hasty (No. 22) Foyesade Oluokun (No. 23) Snoop Conner (No. 24) D’Ernest Johnson (No. 25)
Antonio Johnson (No. 26) Divaad Wilson (No. 27) Tevaughn Campbell (No. 29) Montaric Brown (No. 30) Darious Williams (No. 31) Tyson Campbell (No. 32)
Devin Lloyd (No. 33) Gregory Junior (No. 34) Ayo Oyelola (No. 35) Christian Braswell (No. 36) Tre Herndon (No. 37) Qadree Ollison (No. 38)
Jamal Agnew (No. 39) Erick Hallett (No. 40) Josh Allen (No. 41) Andrew Wingard (No. 42) Kaleb Hayes (No. 43) Derek Parish (No. 43)
Travon Walker (No. 44) K’Lavon Chaisson (No. 45) Ross Matiscik (No. 46) De’Shaan Dixon (No. 47) Chad Muma (No. 48) Leonard Taylor (No. 49)
Shaquille Quarterman (No. 50) Ventrell Miller (No. 51) DaVon Hamilton (No. 52) Willie Taylor III (No. 53) DJ Coleman (No. 54) Dequan Jackson (No. 55)
Yasir Abdullah (No. 56) Caleb Johnson (No. 57) Raymond Vohasek (No. 59) Darryl Williams (No. 60) Samuel Jackson (No. 62) Coy Cronk (No. 64)
Chandler Brewer (No. 67) Brandon Scherff (No. 68) Tyler Shatley (No. 69) Cole Van Lanen (No. 70) Walker Little (No. 72) Blake Hance (No. 73)
Cam Robinson (No. 74) Cooper Hodges (No. 75) Anton Harrison (No. 76) Josh Wells (No. 77) Ben Bartch (No. 78) Luke Fortner (No. 79)
Kevin Austin Jr. (No. 80) Seth Williams (No. 81) Elijah Cooks (No. 84) Brenton Strange (No. 85) Gerrit Prince (No. 86) Jaray Jenkins (No. 87)
Oliver Martin (No. 88) Luke Farrell (No. 89) Henry Mondeaux (No. 90) Jordan Smith (No. 92) Tyler Lacy (No. 93) Folorunso Fatukasi (No. 94)
Roy Robertson-Harris (No. 95) Adam Gotsis (No. 96) Nick Thurman (No. 97) Michael Dogbe (No. 98) Jeremiah Ledbetter (No. 99) Brandon McManus
Jacob Harris

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Jaguars announce inactives for Week 1 tilt vs. Washington

These players will have to wait another week to make their regular season debut for the #Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off their 2022 season today against the Washington Commanders at 1 p.m. ET at FedEx Field in the rain. Both teams are in search of their first win in their new campaigns and have rebuilt their rosters in the offseason to get off to a fast start this year.

Jacksonville announced their inactives for the Week 1 matchup on Twitter Sunday morning:

Their decision to leave three defensive players inactive heading into the scrum is a testament to the faith they have in their depth on that side of the ball. Linebacker De’Shaan Dixon and rookie cornerback Montaric Brown were quiet stars of the Jaguars’ preseason but will have to wait until next week to see their first action in a game that counts.

With a stable of solid skill position players on offense, their decision to deactivate their newest receiver, Kendrick Pryor, is a sound strategic move. The choice to carry JaMycal Hasty over Snoop Conner as their third running back won’t make much of an impact on the outcome of the game and is likely to give Jacksonville their first glimpse of Hasty in the teal and black.

All of the players on the Jaguars’ list are rookies, with the exception of Daniel Thomas, who is in his third professional season. Dixon and Pryor were undrafted free agents back in April, while Conner and Brown were fifth and seventh-round selections respectively.

None of the players that were set as inactive were slated to be starters, nor were they included on the Jaguars’ injury reports earlier in the week. With these moves, head coach Doug Pederson has effectively revealed the core group of players he thinks will give Jacksonville the best chance to win games in 2022.

Stay tuned to Jaguars Wire as we bring you all the action from the team’s season opener today in Washington.

WATCH: Jaguars off to a hot start after Daniel Thomas interception

This clutch pick set the #Jaguars on the right track to get their first preseason win against the #Falcons.

On the first play from scrimmage against the Atlanta Falcons, the Jacksonville Jaguars forced an interception on a sweet play by third-year safety Daniel Thomas. His sweet pick set the Jaguars up to take a quick lead with a field goal on the ensuing drive off the foot of rookie kicker James McCourt.

Check out the play here via Tweet from Jacksonville’s official account:

This play could end up being a key factor in the Jaguars’ hopes of securing their first preseason win heading into the regular season in September. The team hopes to bring a full head of steam into their Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders, and this clutch interception certainly has them on track to stay competitive in this matchup.

Thomas, the player who came down with the interception, is fighting for a spot on Jacksonville’s 53-man roster, currently listed as the team’s second-string free safety behind Andre Cisco. With any luck, he’ll maintain that spot next week when the Jaguars cut their roster down from 80 players to get under the maximum threshold for the regular season.

McCourt’s field goal following the interception was another good sign for the Jaguars, who have struggled to find a consistent kicker to this point in the preseason. He was claimed off waivers by Jacksonville this week and nailed a deep field goal for a go-ahead score in the first quarter that could prove to be a key moment in this matchup.

Jags activate safety Daniel Thomas from Reserve/COVID-19 list, waive CB Luq Barcoo

Thomas, who was a fifth round pick who flashed for the Jags last season, now has a chance to play in the team’s second preseason game against the Saints.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made some roster moves Thursday by activating safety Daniel Thomas from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The team also waived cornerback Luq Barcoo alongside the decision.

Thomas was placed on Reserve/COVID-19 on Aug. 6, so he’s been on the list for nearly two weeks. Now, with his activation, he has a chance to play in Monday’s game against the New Orleans Saints and push for a roster spot.

At the moment, the Jags have Thomas as their No. 3 safety behind Rayshawn Jenkins and Andrew Wingard. He’s there at the No. 3 spot alongside Brandon Rusnak, so it appears a good performance could be needed to stick around through the next wave of cuts.

The Jags drafted Thomas last season in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He registered two starts and played in 10 games before going on injured reserve last November. He exited his rookie season with 18 combined tackles, and blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.

As for Barcoo, the Jags signed him as an undrafted free agent out of San Diego State last season. He played in three games for the Jags and started in one and was able to accumulate 10 total tackles as a rookie.

Jags 2021 training camp: 5 under-the-radar names to watch on defense

Jags safety Daniel Thomas made some plays at OTAs and could be looking to pickup where he left off when training camp arrives.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars set to take the field for training camp at the end of the month, we’ve begun looking over the roster to get fans prepared for what should be an exciting summer. Earlier in the week, we looked at five under-the-radar names to watch on offense, and now it’s time to switch to the defense.

Here are the five low-key players we think could turn heads on Joe Cullen’s unit, which will be looking to improve in 2021.

New Jags safety Rudy Ford discusses reunion with Daniel Thomas and more

One of the Jaguars’ latest free-agent additions, Rudy Ford, talked about what brought him to Jacksonville.

One of several free-agent signings in the secondary, former Eagles safety Rudy Ford comes to Jacksonville looking for a new beginning. After being selected in the sixth round by Philadelphia back in 2017, he’s totaled just 34 tackles in 41 appearances over the last four seasons, with most of his impact coming on special teams.

At his press conference on Monday, Ford said that he’ll play on the special teams unit with the Jags, as well as wherever else the team needs him to play. In deciding to sign with Jacksonville, he said he wanted to be a part of what the franchise is building.

“I feel like just the culture, you want to change the culture around here and [I’m] just happy to be a part of something different,” he said. “I got a great feel [for the team], just the energy and the vibes here. I feel like everything is going on the up so that’s why it was really like a no-brainer for me.”

An added benefit to coming to the Jaguars is a reunion with his college teammate Daniel Thomas, who Jacksonville drafted last season. Ford said the two were close while playing together at Auburn.

“Daniel [Thomas] was like my little brother at Auburn,” he said. “He was a freshman, I was a senior, so just being able to reconnect is always great. He just got into the league this past year so it’s awesome. I’ve been in the league for a few more years than him. I was able to be around older guys, so I know how it is sometimes when you’re around just some familiar faces and things.”

With the addition of Rayshawn Jenkins, as well, Ford likely won’t see significant playing time at safety next season. But he could see a lot of special teams action in 2021, and he’s another depth piece in an area where the team had very little margin for error in 2020.