Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars

Jags to cut QBs Mike Glennon and Josh Dobbs, clears path for Jake Luton to make final roster

With the Jags filing their roster down, it appears they are going to keep their youngest QB, Jake Luton, over two veteran QBs (for now).

In their process of filing the roster down to 53-players, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be cutting quarterbacks Mike Glennon and Joshua Dobbs. With both now being free-agents, that means the Jags are currently down to two quarterbacks. The first, of course, is starter Gardner Minshew II and the second is a surprise in rookie Jake Luton.

It’s not exactly a surprise to see Luton make the team as offensive coordinator Jay Gruden praised him just a few weeks ago during training camp. In a nutshell, Gruden stated that the rookie was the biggest “pleasant surprised” of camp while pointing out some aspects of his game that the staff had taken note of.

“Yes, I think that’s been the biggest pleasant surprise, I would say is his ability to come in here and learn,” Gruden said when asked if Luton was ahead of expectations. “He plays with great poise and confidence for a young player. We put him in the number one huddle a couple times, and he has shown no sign of being intimidated. He fits right in there, like I said, he’s got great accuracy, he’s got great arm strength, so we’ve been very impressed with him.”

The Jags took the Oregon State signal-caller with the 189th overall pick of April’s draft as many scouts liked his size, accuracy, arm strength, and upside and it appears Gruden was able to tap into his potential. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to take the field for any preseason games due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the fact that the Jags are keeping him over two veterans (for now) says a lot.

With the Jags having only two signal-callers, they undoubtedly will add one to two more quarterbacks (one for practice squad and one for the final 53). It’s also not a given they would go back to Glennon or Dobbs, either, but could look at some others on the free-agent market instead.

A name to monitor is that of Alex McGough, who spent last preseason with the Jags, but was picked up by the Houston Texans after 2019’s series of final cuts. Many felt the Jags might have been aiming to place him on their practice squad, but the Texans came in and prevented fans from ever knowing.

Podcast: Jags Wire discusses Fournette trade, training camp standouts, Dabo Lawrence package deal

Check out the latest “Bleav in the Jags” episode where the Jags Wire crew tackles Leonard Fournette’s trade, the stars of Jags camp and more.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have wrapped up training camp and once final cuts are made it’s on to the regular season. Jags Wire Phil Smith and I reflected on the whole process and more in our latest episode of the “Bleav in the Jags Podcast.”

Joined by college coach and occasional Jags Wire contributor, Nick Trist, of the “Bleav in the Gameplan Podcast” we first visited the latest rumors which speculated the reasoning behind the Jags abruptly moving on from running back Leonard Fournette.

Afterward, we evaluated the players who’ve stood out in camp for the Jags on both the defensive and offensive ends. Nick added his perspective as a coach and discussed what he’s seen on film from each standout.

Lastly, we discussed the rumors of the Jags’ chances of acquiring Trevor Lawrence and Dabo Swinney of Clemson University as a package deal. With Nick being very familiar with Clemson’s staff, he brought some solid takes that fans don’t want to miss.

Feel free to listen to the archived episodes of “Bleav in the Jags,”too, and subscribe via Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify.

Jags 53-man roster cuts tracker 2020: Live updates

Keep track of the Jags’ roster decisions up until the league’s mandated deadline.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ staff will be utilizing the next 20 hours trimming their roster down to 53 players as the league’s final roster deadline of Sep. 5 (4:00 p.m. EST) is quickly approaching. After that, fans can begin focusing on the regular season as the Indianapolis Colts will be coming into town on Sept. 13.

The Jags made 11 moves Friday to trim their roster down and will be looking to pick up where they left off Saturday morning. Of course, all of the reported moves won’t officially be confirmed until the team names their 53-man roster, which we’ll be posting as soon as possible.

Here’s a running list of the players who’ve been cut by the team. As we inch closer to the deadline, be sure to refresh the page as we’ll be adding in more names as they come in.

>>>READ: Jags final 53-man roster projection<<<

Reported cuts

7:37 PM: The Athletic’s Greg Auman reports that the Jags have cut nine players, RB Nathan Cottrell, WR Marvelle Ross, TE Matthew Flanagan, OL Ryan Pope, OL Austin Pleasants, OL K.C. McDermott, OL Garrett McGhin, OL Blake Hance, LS Matthew Orzech.

With Orzech being cut, the Jags pretty much have confirmed that rookie long snapper Ross Matiscik will be their guy after going undrafted this year out of Baylor.

The Jags also place RB Ryquell Armstead on their Reserve/COVID list, per ESPN’s Field Yates.

11:12 AM: The Jags released DL Caraun Reid this morning, per Adam Schefter

Gardner Minshew reflects on progress he’s made since his rookie season

Heading into his second season, Gardner Minshew believes he’s where he should be in terms of progress and is eager to how he’ll fare in 2020.

Last year around this time, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew was learning the ropes in the 2019 preseason not knowing he’d have to see a bulk of the snaps in the team’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Once that moment came, however, it changed his life forever and was the start of his journey to eventually become the Jags’ guy in 2020.

Since that moment against the Super Bowl champions, Minshew has let the thought of relinquishing the Jags’ starting quarterback job fuel him and prepare him for what will be an interesting year. After Thursday’s practice, he got to sit down with the media and reflect on how far he’s come, and as expected, he stated he was grateful for the opportunity to live out his dream.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Minshew said of his journey so far. “But you know what, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’m super grateful for the people I’ve had around me, that have gotten me to this point, that have helped me prepare for this. And I’m appreciative for the faith that people have put into me, to give me this position. It’s a responsibility that I don’t take lightly and it’s something that I look forward to earning every day, every week.”

It’s been clear of how serious Minshew takes his work since the first day he hit the practice field for the Jags, and that was even before the Jags knew what they had in him. The opportunity to become the Jags’ guy probably became especially clear to Minshew when the Jags traded veteran Nick Foles, and he’s probably never looked back from that moment on.

As for training camp, Minshew has been solid for the most part and does look like he’s put in the necessary work to be successful in 2020. Now, it’s a matter of transferring it to the field as the Jags brought in a new offensive coordinator to the mix in Jay Gruden and several new weapons at receiver. All have seemingly helped  him and the first test to gauge him will occur in just over the week as they host their divisional rivals in the Indianapolis Colts.

Report: Jags ‘monitoring’ free-agent Jadeveon Clowney’s situation

Per ESPN’s Dianna Russini, the Jags have checked in on Jadeveon Clowney’s situation as the free-agent is looking for a new team.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost a lot on their defensive line and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make some moves to add players to the unit, whether is for a starter or depth purposes. One name that fans have brought up who could help is pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who is the hottest name on the free-agent market right now.

Those same fans may be happy to know that the Jags just might be interested as ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported that the Jaguars are monitoring his situation.

Clowney is a player the Jags and their fans know all too well as he spent several years in the AFC South after being drafted by the Houston Texans (No. 1 overall) in 2014. However, just last year he was traded out of the division (to the Seattle Seahawks) for Barkevious Mingo, Jacob Martin, and a 2020 third-round pick.

Of course, the Jags aren’t alone for his services, however, as Russini also reported that the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints are making strong pushes for him.

Simply put, both teams are more desirable situations for Clowney because they are playoff caliber teams. However, if there is a glimmer of hope for Jags fans to hang on to it’s the fact that they have more cap space than both teams with a projected amount of just under $35 million.

The New Orleans Saints have a projected amount of almost $7 million, which will make it a hard task for them, too. The Titans on the other hand may have a better chance, as they have a projected total of $22.1 million. That said, of the three teams, Tennessee may have the best shot if it’s about a combination of money and winning. However, the Jags could construct a better deal with more wiggle room in terms of the salary cap.

Clowney will enter 2020 with 236 career tackles and 32 career sacks. With the Jags losing Yannick Ngakoue, he’d bring a veteran presence for the Jags’ defensive line room and could make a dangerous trio when combining his abilities with that of Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson.

AFC South over/unders: Did Bill O’Brien ruin the Texans division hope?

The Texans will try to defend their AFC South crown without DeAndre Hopkins but Desean Watson is still around.

The Texans will try to defend their AFC South crown without DeAndre Hopkins but Desean Watson is still around. He’ll have competition with Philip Rivers joining the Colts and Ryan Tannehill emerging as Tennessee’s franchise QB. And the Jaguars … well, they certainly are a football team. This division is always a wild one and that probably won’t change in 2020. We had For the Win’s Charles Curtis and Steven Ruiz try to sort things out by picking the over or under for each team’s expected win total.

You can find picks for the other AFC divisions below:

AFC East | AFC North | AFC West

Teams are listed with their listed 2020 win total, per BetMGM, along with their under/over odds, listed in that order.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Jags trade Ronnie Harrison to Browns

The Jags have trade yet another player. This time it’s Ronnie Harrison who will be heading to the Cleveland Browns.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made yet another unsuspected move by trading safety Ronnie Harrison to the Cleveland Browns Thursday. This comes after the team waived Leonard Fournette Monday and traded Yannick Ngakoue Sunday.

According to reports, the Jags will be receiving a 2021 fifth-round pick in exchange for Harrison.

The Browns’ interest in safety help comes as no surprise after they lost second-round rookie Grant Delpit last month to a torn Achilles. With that being the case, their search for a replacement led them to Jacksonville where the Jags were seemingly open to doing business for Harrison who has 22 career starts.

Harrison was entering his third season with the Jags after the team selected him out of Alabama in the third-round (No. 93 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. He had his moments with the Jags but really didn’t become a standout like many had hoped and battled injuries as well. Additionally, the Jags had some players like Josh Jones, Andrew Wingard, and Brandon Watson emerge during training camp, which is something coordinator Todd Wash spoke about Wednesday.

“I think we’re about four or five deep there, to be honest with you. B-Wat [Brandon Watson], this is really the first time that he’s played Safety coming in,” Wash said. “At Michigan, he played corner, he’s playing free safety for us. So, early on, there’s a lot of stuff new to him, but you really see him execute now. I think I call him Kid Rock [Andrew Wingard], our young man out of Wyoming, he’s had a good camp along with Josh [Jones].”

Harrison will enter his career in Cleveland with 103 career tackles, three picks, and 12 pass breakups. He’ll join a secondary that includes Carl Joseph and Denzel Ward among notables.

Browns acquire Jaguars safety Ronnie Harrison via trade

Harrison started 14 games for the Jaguars in 2019

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The Cleveland Browns have themselves a new addition to the defensive backfield, according to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport indicates the Browns have made a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to acquire safety Ronnie Harrison.

The price tag is reported to be a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Harrison is entering his third NFL season. He was Jacksonville’s third-round pick in the 2018 draft out of Alabama. Harrison, 6-3 and 214 pounds, started 14 games for Jacksonville last season, recording 71 tackles, two sacks and one INT. He missed two games with a concussion.

The Jaguars are dismantling their team and the Browns appear to be the beneficiary, picking up much-needed young depth with starting potential in Harrison.

UPDATE: Browns have made the transaction official:

Previewing Jags’ RB group after Leonard Fournette’s departure

The Jags will be proceeding through this season without Leonard Fournette, but love the talent they had behind.

The Leonard Fournette era is officially over in Jacksonville as the Jags waived him Monday morning. After clearing waivers, the former first-round selection joined the Tampa Bay Bucs and will now have the chance to compete for a Super Bowl title with veterans like Tom Brady, Mike Evans, and Rob Gronkowski on the roster.

As for the Jags, Fournette’s departure has left many fans wondering about the running backs who remain on the roster and what they bring to the table. That said, after previewing the running backs before camp, we’ve decided to go back and look at the group for evaluations.

Here is our best guess as to how the depth chart will look come Week 1:

RB1: Devine Ozigbo

The Jags rarely used Divine Ozigbo last season after picking him up before Week 1 of the 2019 season. He only was able to register nine carries for 27 yards but that will change this season as he’s received solid reviews in camp.

It’s unknown who will be the Jags’ true “starting” running back, but it feels as though Ozigbo is the top candidate. He’s arguably had the best camp of any running back on the roster and Doug Marrone recently said he’s one of the running backs on the team who is a three-down rusher. That said, with James Robinson being a rookie and Ryquell Armstead missing various days of practice, the signs point to Ozigbo being atop the depth chart for Week 1.

RB2: James Robinson

Earlier this season, we predicted that James Robinson would make the team, and losing Fournette only helps his case more. Additionally, he’s received great reviews like Ozigbo, and veteran Chris Thompson even went on to say the rookie has the best vision of the running backs group as a whole.

Sure, it would be nice to see Robinson take the field in some preseason but the staff likes what they’ve seen in practice as he brings a nice blend of power and patience in addition to the vision Thompson mentioned. With those traits, one can see why the team is high on him as CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco pointed out this week.

RB3: Ryquell Armstead

Like Ozigbo, Armstead will definitely be getting his share of carries with Fournette gone. That’s a good thing because he was underutilized in 2019, only accumulating 35 carries for 108 yards.

The reason we didn’t put Armstead down as the No. 2 is due to him missing a lot of camp on the Reserve/COVID-19 though he was eventually removed. He’s also missed the last few practices with a non-COVID related illness, which is giving Robinson ample opportunities to continue to impress.

RB1 (third-downs): Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson is the most experienced running back in the locker room and he also has a big chance to make an impact from the backfield. Unfortunately, he’s battled with injuries and only has one career start to his name. For both of those reasons, it seems that it’s unlikely he’ll start and will be utilized more as a third-down rusher.

Thompson’s strength is pass-catching as he will come into 2020 with 1,772 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, much of which came while being paired with offensive coordinator Jay Gruden in Washington. His  presence as a receiver out of the backfield will be key because Fournette was a huge contributor in that department. In fact, in 2019, Fournette had a career year as a receiver, garnering 522 yards through the air — a total good for fifth in the NFL among running backs.

RB4: Nathan Cottrell

Like Robinson, Nathan Cottrell was a part of the Jags’ 2020 undrafted rookie class. Of course, with him coming in at the bottom of our list he hasn’t been nearly as impressive but could be an option for practice squad.

FB1: Bruce Miller

The Jaguars appear to be on the verge of bringing the fullback position back after going through 2019 without one. However, the team seemingly wanted someone with more experience at the position, so they added former San Francisco 49ers fullback, Bruce Miller, on Aug. 15 and waived undrafted rookie Connor Slomka.

Miller hadn’t played since 2015 so it will be interesting to see if the Jags keep him. He was one of the better fullbacks in football before an alleged off-the-field incident where he was accused of assault derailed his career. However, the charges were dropped and the Jags decided to give him another chance.

If the Jags feel he’s close to being the player he was before 2015, he could make the team, but if not — they could go in another direction.

Leonard Fournette to make his Superdome debut — with the Buccaneers

The Buccaneers reached an agreement with ex-Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette, who will play his first game in the Superdome against the Saints.

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LSU Tigers product and former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette is set to open the 2020 NFL season from inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, playing against his hometown New Orleans Saints as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fournette, a free agent, reached an agreement with the Buccaneers late Wednesday evening on a one-year contract after weighing offers from several teams.

Fournette joins a backfield also featuring second-year pro Ronald Jones, rookie draft pick Ke’Shawn Vaughn, and LeSean McCoy, the latest past-his-prime star to team up with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in Tampa Bay. How the running back rotation may shake out is anyone’s guess, but it’s hard to believe the Buccaneers moved so quickly to acquire Fournette only to keep him on the sidelines in Week 1.

If he does play against the Saints in the 2020 season opener, this will be Fournette’s first game in the Superdome at any level of football. He didn’t make the trip from Baton Rouge with LSU in college, and came up just short of a high school championship game in the Superdome while starring at St. Augustine in New Orleans.

Fournette played against the Saints for the first time in his NFL career last season, hosting them in Jacksonville. He was limited to 72 rushing yards on 20 attempts (3.6 yards per carry) but did catch all 6 of his targets in the passing game, gaining 46 receiving yards in a 13-6 loss.

He’ll have a shot at payback in just 10 days, but the Saints defense has shown before they’re up to the task of containing him. The challenge just may be slightly more difficult this time with Brady throwing to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. That sort of threat could be distracting.

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