Jarvis Landry is attempting a return to the NFL after taking 2023 off.
After being out of the league in 2023 as he rehabbed an ankle injury, [autotag]Jarvis Landry[/autotag] is looking to make his return to the NFL.
Landry was invited to join the Jacksonville Jaguars for their rookie minicamp, where he will work out with the team and hope to land a spot on the roster, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The 31-year-old is a five-time Pro Bowler but hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2019.
A former second-round pick by the Dolphins, Landry spent the first four seasons of his career in Miami before spending the next four in Cleveland. He signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2022, appearing in nine games with three starts.
He totaled 272 yards and a touchdown on 25 catches before he was placed on injured reserve in December.
He’ll get the chance to work alongside former LSU players [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag], who were all drafted by Jacksonville this past weekend.
Now finally healthy, Landry will hope to make an impression on the Jaguars’ brass when he participates in the rookie minicamp, which will take place next month.
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Stats, facts and fit: New Jaguars CB Deantre Prince
Jacksonville sought multiple contributors at two defensive positions in the 2024 NFL draft.
Following its day two selections of lineman Maason Smith and cornerback Jarrian Jones, on day three it returned to those spots by taking lineman Jordan Jefferson in the fourth round and, with its first of two fifth-round picks, Ole Miss cornerback Deantre Prince.
Jaguars Wire analyzes Jacksonville’s selection of Prince below, reviewing his background, college stats, NFL combine results, projected fit in Jacksonville’s defense and what he said after being picked.
Deantre Prince, CB, Ole Miss
Sep 6, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive back Deantre Prince (5) returns a ball against the Louisville Cardinals in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Background
Prince followed a unique path in college. While transfers have become commonplace in college football, few prospects leave their original university with intentions to return.
But Prince did just that. The consensus three-star prospect from Charleston, Miss., started two games as a freshman with Ole Miss but left the program after one season, transferring to Northeast Mississippi Community College for the 2020 campaign.
“I kind of just was immature my freshman year, off the field type of things. Not properly knowing how to be a man and communicate the way I needed to get things off my chest, going through problems and things like that,” Prince recalled on Saturday, acknowledging he desired to return to Ole Miss to set an example for younger players in the state of Mississippi.
“I reset myself back, took myself two steps back so I can get two steps forward and finish the journey out the right way.”
Prince quickly regained his momentum with the Rebels and returned to the starting lineup in seven of 13 appearances in 2021, before locking down a full-time first-team role between 2022-23.
He posted 121 tackles, four interceptions and 23 defended passes during his second stint with the Rebels and entered the 2024 NFL draft upon exhausting his collegiate eligibility. He participated in February’s East-West Shrine Bowl alongside Jones.
College stats and accolades
via Ole Miss Sports and Pro Football Focus
146 tackles
One sack
Six tackles for loss
Six interceptions
27 defended passes
Two forced fumbles
36 defensive stops (tackles that constitute a failed play for the offense)
84-of-161 (52.2%) completions allowed in coverage
2024 East-West Shrine Bowl invitation
NFL combine results
via MockDraftable
6-foot (61st percentile among cornerbacks at the NFL combine since 1999)
183 pounds (14th percentile)
30 and 3/4-inch arm length (26th percentile)
73 and 3.4-inch wingspan (20th percentile)
4.38-second 40-yard dash (89th percentile)
1.47-second 10-yard split (97th percentile)
34 and 1/2-inch vertical jump (29th percentile)
125-inch broad jump (69th percentile)
Projected fit
While Jones is expected to begin his career in Jacksonville as a nickel cornerback, Prince will align outside, offering not-so-youthful depth as a rookie considering he turns 24 years old in October. His experience should allow him to contribute in the pros sooner rather than later.
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke believes Prince will compete for playing time at the spot and believes Jacksonville’s fifth-round selection of his talent was a steal.
“The guy can run, he can cover, he’s got instincts. There’s a lot to like,” Baalke said. “We had him higher on the board than where he fell to us. We really like a lot of things about him. We feel he can come in here and compete.”
Baalke mentioned Prince and Jones as potential special teams contributors, specifically with the punt and coverage units. Prince profiles well as a gunner, considering his elite speed and explosiveness.
Quotable
“I learned that’s a great community, great environment, very loving environment, very beautiful environment as well. I’m from Mississippi, all I see is crop fields and crop dusters and stuff like that. So going out and seeing palm trees and things like that, that calms a man down that comes from Mississippi of course. I feel like I fit in the scheme, they told me just basically they like to play man and I’m a man corner. I think there’s a lot of things that I can do better to better my game, always looking to improve. But at the end of the day, I feel like I’m a man corner to the fullest for sure.” — cornerback Deantre Prince on his pre-draft visit with the Jaguars
After a year away from football, Jarvis Landry gets a tryout.
A former Cleveland Browns wide receiver is set to look to earn a spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars as Jarvis Landry will work out for the team during their rookie minicamp.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the 31-year-old wide receiver has received a clean bill of health after going unsigned and sitting out the entire 2023 season. After getting snubbed by Calvin Ridley this offseason, the Jaguars addressed the wide receiver position by taking LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
They could be, however, looking to add a veteran presence to the room.
Since his release from the Browns during the 2022 offseason, Landry has played just nine games with the New Orleans Saints, accumulating just 272 yards and one touchdown.
Spending four seasons with the Browns, Landry was named to two Pro Bowls and amassed 3,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. His numbers, however, declined each year he was in Cleveland. This led to his release in 2022.
Can Landry make his way back to the NFL after a year off? Jacksonville is giving him a shot.
Report: Jaguars hosting five-time Pro Bowl WR for rookie minicamp
Nine-year veteran and five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry is expected to participate in Jacksonville’s rookie minicamp in May, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Landry, 31, was a free agent throughout the 2023 season and did not appear in a game. He signed a one-year contract with New Orleans before the 2022 season and appeared in nine games, starting three, before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in late December, likely leading to his year out of football.
Before his stint with the Saints, Landry was one of the NFL’s more productive receivers over eight seasons.
He spent four with Miami, the team that drafted him in the second round in 2014 out of LSU, and another four with Cleveland, where was traded and signed a five-year, $75.5 million contract in 2018.
In his nine-season NFL career, Landry has hauled in 713 receptions for 7,870 yards and 38 touchdowns, adding 233 yards and five touchdowns rushing.
Landry posted single-season career-highs of 112 receptions and nine touchdowns in 2017, the former stat leading the NFL that year, and 1,174 receiving yards in 2019. He was a Pro Bowl selection in five consecutive seasons, from 2015-19.
Although he has not signed with Jacksonville, Landry is the second former LSU wide receiver the Jaguars have coveted in some form over the past week. The club selected Tigers pass-catcher Brian Thomas Jr. with the No. 23 pick in the 2024 NFL draft’s first round on Thursday.
Additionally, the Jaguars took former LSU defensive linemen, Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson, in the second and fourth rounds between Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Jacksonville will host its rookie minicamp May 9-11.
Lorenzo Lingard spent three seasons in Florida’s running backs room before transferring to Akron. He signed a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday.
Former Florida running back Lorenzo Lingard is getting his shot in the pros after signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
A consensus five-star recruit out of high school, Lingard only played eight games over two injury-plagued seasons at Miami before transferring to Florida. He saw action 32 games over three seasons in Gainesville, primarily in a special teams and reserve running back role.
He left UF with 150 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. He also added 31 receiving yards on three catches.
Lingard put up decent numbers at Akron, earning him the opportunity with Jacksonville. He ran for 641 yards and four touchdowns on 143 carries and hauled in 38 passes for 368 yards and two more scores.
At his pro day, he ran a 4.49 40-yard dash and hit 16 reps on the bench press. NFL.com ranked him 25th among running backs in the draft class this year.
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Stats, facts and fit: New Jaguars DL Jordan Jefferson
Jacksonville double-dipped on the defensive line class — taking two trench prospects from the same school, specifically — of the 2024 NFL draft. After selecting Maason Smith in the second round, the Jaguars picked fellow former LSU lineman Jordan Jefferson at No. 116 overall.
Jaguars Wire analyzes Jacksonville’s selection of Jefferson below, reviewing his background, college stats, NFL combine results, projected fit in Jacksonville’s defense and what he said after being picked.
Jordan Jefferson, DL, LSU
Sep 18, 2021; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson (95) celebrates after a defensive stop during the first quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Background
A Sunshine State native from Navarre (Fla.) High, Jefferson signed with West Virginia in the 2019 recruiting class and spent four seasons with the Mountaineers before transferring to LSU.
Jefferson’s first two seasons with West Virginia were quiet before he exploded between 2021-22, compiling 13.5 tackles for loss, 48 total tackles and six pass breakups.
He paired with Smith and Mekhi Wingo, a sixth-round pick by Detroit on Sunday, to form the Tigers’ primary defensive front in 2023, appearing in all 13 games and starting in six. He totaled 36 tackles with seven for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass breakup with LSU, in his final season of college eligibility.
College stats and accolades
via LSU Sports and Pro Football Focus
55 appearances
23 starts
90 tackles
Six sacks
21.5 tackles for loss
One forced fumble
Eight passes defended
28 quarterback pressures
44 defensive stops (tackles that constitute a failed play for the offense)
2024 Senior Bowl invitation
NFL combine results
via MockDraftable
6-foot-2 and 3/4-inch (36th percentile among defensive tackles at the NFL combine since 1999)
313 pounds (71st percentile)
33 and 1/8-inch arm length (48th percentile)
79 and 1/4-inch wingspan (43rd percentile)
31-inch vertical jump (71st percentile)
104-inch broad jump (40th percentile)
34 bench press reps (87th percentile)
Projected fit
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke confirmed that Jefferson profiles as a nose tackle in Jacksonville’s defense. The position should allow him to slide between the zero-to-two techniques in coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s multiple defensive front.
“Power. He’s a guy that consistently had great knockback at the point of attack, uses his hands extremely well, dominates his area at the point,” Baalke described Jefferson’s skill set. “A lot to like and see a big upside in that player.”
Jefferson will likely back up DaVon Hamilton at the spot, who started 14 games in 2022 but was limited to eight appearances in 2023 due to a non-football-related back injury suffered before the season. Hamilton signed a three-year, $34.5 million extension with Jacksonville last April.
Quotable
“They are getting two dominant dogs. They are getting two guys that are going to cause disruption not only in the run game but also the pass game. They are getting just all-around, quality guys. They are getting some hard-working guys, guys that are going to show up to work every day and put forth all their effort.” — defensive lineman Jordan Jefferson on Jacksonville selecting him and fellow LSU defensive lineman Maason Smith
Rutgers football tight end Shawn Bowman signs an undrafted free agent deal.
Following one season at Rutgers, Shawn Bowman fulfilled a lifelong goal on Sunday, signing a rookie free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He is the second Rutgers football player to become a Jaguar in the last two years, joining Christian Braswell, who was drafted in the sixth round by Jacksonville last year.
After transferring to Rutgers from Maine, Bowman appeared in 13 games for the Scarlet Knights during the 2023 campaign. In his limited opportunities, Bowman added four receptions and 24 receiving yards to his resume. His best game for Rutgers game against Maryland in November when he caught three passes.
Although Bowman’s statistics don’t jump off the board, he was a valuable blocking tight end for Rutgers. At Maine, he was much more involved in the passing game. In his senior season, Bowman hauled in 31 receptions for 377 yards.
As Bowman looks to make an impact in Jacksonville, he will not be the only Scarlet Knight trying to prove himself. His former teammates Isaiah Iton (Tennessee Titans), JaQuae Jackson (Atlanta Falcons), Isaiah Washington, and Deion Jennings (Baltimore Ravens) were also signed as undrafted free agents.
While Bowman’s NFL career is just starting, he held his own as a blocking tight end in the Big Ten. That is one part of his game that could benefit a talented Jaguars offense which includes Trevor Lawrence and Christian Kirk.
In search of offensive line depth, the Jaguars took Missouri offensive tackle Javon Foster with their first of two fourth-round picks on Saturday during the 2024 NFL draft.
Jaguars Wire analyzes Jacksonville’s selection of Foster below, reviewing his background, college stats, NFL combine results, projected fit in Jacksonville’s offense and what he said after being picked.
Javon Foster, OT, Missouri
Feb 3, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; American offensive lineman Javon Foster of Missouri (75) sets up on the line during the second half of the 2024 Senior Bowl football game at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Background
Javon Foster, the son of former NFL defensive lineman Jerome Foster, grew up playing basketball in Detroit, Mich. but moved toward his father’s game during his junior year of high school. He wasn’t highly-coveted as a recruit, accordingly, but secured a scholarship offer from Missouri in the class of 2018, his lone Southeastern Conference opportunity.
Foster made the most of it. He redshirted as a freshman and appeared in two games the following season, but emerged as a reliable depth and rotational piece as a redshirt sophomore in 2020.
It led to his placement on the Tigers’ first-team offensive line in 2021, a spot he wouldn’t relinquish for three years. Foster accrued over 3,000 total snaps in college, significantly aiding his development and ascension toward an NFL draft selection.
College stats and accolades
via Missouri Tigers and Pro Football Focus
50 appearances
41 starts (39 at left tackle, two at right tackle)
2,939 offensive snaps logged
2023 Third-Team All-America (Associated Press)
2023 First-Team All-SEC (AP and Coaches)
2024 Senior Bowl invitation
Eight career sacks allowed
85.8 out of 100 peak single-season run blocking grade (2023)
NFL combine results
via MockDraftable
6-foot-5 and 1/2 inch (46th percentile among offensive tackles at the NFL combine since 1999)
313 pounds (49th percentile)
34 and 5/8-inch arm length (71st percentile)
83 and 3/8 inch wingspan (76th percentile)
5.3-second 40-yard dash (42nd percentile)
32 and 1/2-inch vertical jump (90th percentile)
106-inch broad jump (65th percentile)
Projected fit
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said Foster would begin in a swing tackle role with the Jaguars, and that Jacksonville’s coaching staff would determine his best long-term positional fit.
“We view him as [a] swing tackle, a guy that can play left and right. He played primarily on the left side in college obviously, but went to the Senior Bowl and proved he could line up on the right side,” Baalke said on Saturday.
“Really like the size, the length, two-time captain, leader in the SEC, 31-game starter, a lot of things that played into the pick.”
Should Foster progress nicely, he’ll be a candidate to step into the lineup in the event of an injury to starting tackles, Cam Robinson and Anton Harrison. Walker Little, Jacksonville’s 2021 second-round pick and a hybrid tackle/guard, is also experienced in the role.
Robinson and Little are scheduled to become free agents next offseason.
Quotable
“I started off my whole career just playing left tackle. I felt a little bit more comfortable there. I have been training for both tackles, so I feel like I’m getting a lot more comfortable at my right stance and it just really helps me out a lot, being versatile and just able to help the organization however I can.” — offensive tackle Javon Foster on his experience playing left and right tackle in college
Jaguars reveal option decisions for Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne Jr.
The Jaguars intend to pick up the fifth-year options for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke said Saturday.
“Before I do that, I’m going to look to have a beer,” Baalke said with a laugh when asked about each player’s contract option immediately following the 2024 NFL draft. “I’m joking. Yes.”
The deadline for teams to pick up fifth-year options for 2021 first-round picks is May 2. According to Over the Cap, Lawrence’s option would be worth $25,664,000 fully guaranteed in 2025. Etienne’s would be worth $6,143,000.
Lawrence was Jacksonville’s clear option with the No. 1 selection in the 2021 NFL draft, considering the Jaguars’ extended need for a franchise quarterback and his pedigree as one of the better passing prospects to come out of college in recent years.
Thus far, Lawrence has lived up to the billing.
Through 50 regular-season games with the Jaguars, each of which he’s started, Lawrence has completed 63.8% of 1,750 passes for 11,770 yards with 58 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He’s added 964 yards and 11 scores on the ground.
Following the disaster that was Urban Meyer’s lone year as Jacksonville’s head coach, the Jaguars clinched back-to-back winning seasons in 2022 and 2023 for the first time since 2004-2005, including the team’s run to the AFC divisional round in January 2023.
Accordingly, Jacksonville initiated conversations regarding a long-term contract extension for Lawrence this offseason, as he became eligible to sign one in March.
“We’re working at it, we’ll continue to work at it,” Jaguars general manager Baalke said on April 18. “Ownership is involved, obviously. Coach [Doug Pederson] is involved; we’re going to put our best foot forward and hope to get something accomplished here.”
Etienne, Lawrence’s six-year teammate dating back to Clemson in 2018, missed his entire rookie season in 2021 with a Lisfranc injury.
But he returned to the form Jacksonville expected of him in the two seasons to follow, churning out 2,133 yards and 16 touchdowns over 487 rushing attempts and 792 yards and one touchdown over 93 receptions.
While Etienne’s rushing efficiency took a step back in 2023 compared to 2022 — down to 3.8 yards per carry from 5.1 — his 12 total touchdowns scored last season led the Jaguars.
Josh Proctor will have to try and make an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. #GoBucks
Former Ohio State safety, Josh Proctor, is the latest Buckeye to sign with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. There were some mock drafts that had him going in the late rounds of the 2024 NFL draft, but it ultimately didn’t happen.
As a result, Proctor will have to try and make an NFL team the hard way, through all the muck and hard work at a rookie mini camp. But hey, at least he gets a chance, and he’ll do it with the Jacksonville Jaguars according to sources.
Proctor struggled with injury through much of his career but put had plenty of highlight tape to show NFL scouts and executives last season. He’s rangy, physical, and has the athletic skill to shine if given the chance, and that’s exactly what he’ll get down in the sunshine state.
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