Tag: jaguars news

Former Georgia S J.R. Reed’s new number on Jacksonville Jaguars

Here’s what number for Georgia football safety JR Reed will wear for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Former Georgia safety J.R. Reed surprisingly did not get selected in the 2020 NFL Draft but quickly signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Reed wore #20 during his years at Georgia, and according to the Jaguars’ official website, he will don #30 in Jacksonville.

The fact Reed went undrafted was a huge head scratcher. He started every game at safety for Georgia from 2017-2019 and was named to the Associated Press All-SEC second team (2017) and Walter Camp All-America first team (2019).

Apparently, the reason Reed went undrafted was thanks to a torn ACL he suffered while at Prestonwood Christian High School in Plano, Texas.

His father, Jake Reed (former Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints WR), told Vikings writer Chris Tomasson that Reed was medically flagged as a result of that injury.

I’d expect Reed to earn a roster spot despite going undrafted and being medically flagged. If not in Jacksonville, then somewhere else.

Reed transferred to Georgia following his freshman season at Tulsa. After sitting the 2016 season, he became a staple on the Bulldogs’ 2017 Rose Bowl championship team.

In 2019, Reed was named one of four permanent team captains.

Reed made a number of big plays during his career as a Bulldog, with big interceptions against Alabama, Florida and two career touchdowns as well.

Reed is also the nephew of Dale Carter, a four-time pro bowler and two-time All-Pro.

Official uniform numbers for the Jaguars’ 2020 draft class

The Jags’ 2020 rookie class uniform numbers have been made official!

The Jacksonville Jaguars used all 12 of their draft selections during the 2020 NFL Draft, bringing in seven players on defense and five on offense.

Here are the uniform numbers each player will wear as they begin their journey in the NFL:

What the nation’s top analysts said about the 2020 Jaguars’ draft class

For the most part it looks like the nation’s journalists like what the Jags did in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books and it certainly has been one for the ages.

This year provided an interesting spin on the draft. Due to the social distancing guidelines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the draft was done virtually with the coaches and player personnel of all 32 teams making their selections from their respective homes. Once the picks were in NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell would then read them off from his home and the rest is history.

The new format didn’t deter viewers as the 2020 NFL Draft would go on to be the highest watched in history as Day 1 and Day 2 would go on to average 11.6 million views, according to Grant Gordon of NFL.com.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were a part of this historic affair as they put together a solid draft that could see them build very well towards the future. While some teams missed the mark with their selections, here is how the nation’s best draft analysts viewed the Jags draft.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com

Overall grade: A

“Jacksonville picked up two star SEC defenders (Henderson and Chaisson) to meet critical needs in the first round, then selected worthwhile prospects in the second (Shenault) and third rounds (Hamilton) to sew up a nice first two days of the draft. They started Day 3 with Bartch, who I thought was worthy of a top-75 selection. He plays with a nasty demeanor, and should be able to line up at tackle or, eventually, slide inside if needed. Scott provides more depth in the secondary. Quarterman’s just a great football player who will start in the middle at some point in his pro career (with the Jags or someone else). Thomas is a better athlete than football player at this point, and is likely a special teamer. Johnson is a nice outside complement to Shenault. Luton will compete for playing time if Gardner Minshew falters in 2020 and should at least be a solid backup in the league for a few years.”

Ryan Dunleavy, New York Post

Grade: A-

“Tear-down-and-rebuild of an elite defense starts with the two first-rounders. Shenault is a creative play-caller’s dream and Bartch is a high-ceiling developmental project.”

Mark Maske,  Washington Post

Grade: B+

“The Jaguars seem firmly in rebuilding mode, and they pushed that process along. They landed the draft’s second-best CB, CJ Henderson, and its second-best pass rusher, K’Lavon Chaisson, in the first round. They participated in the run on WRs with the second-round choice of Laviska Shenault Jr. About all that went wrong is that the Jaguars did not find a team willing to trade for RB Leonard Fournette or pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue.

Justin Leger of Yahoo Sports writes


Grade: B

 “Henderson is a perfect pick for Jacksonville after parting ways with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. Combine that with Chaisson at No. 20, and those are two huge additions to the Jags defense. Taking Shenault on Day 2 filled another need at wide receiver, and Hamilton bolsters their run defense. One of the better picks for Jacksonville on Day 3 was Scott, another nice addition to the secondary. Overall, a busy and effective draft for a rebuilding Jaguars squad.”

Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com (grade on Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson)

Jacksonville Jaguars: B+

“I love him because he can cover. There are so many guys in the NFL that I talked to leading up to the draft that thought he was better than Okudah.”

Nate Davis, USA TODAY

Grade: C+

“Seems they’re building toward 2021 – Trevor Lawrence? – but nevertheless picked reputable players, including first-round CB C.J. Henderson, who should address a glaring need following Ramsey’s departure. Pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson (Round 1) – taken with a pick obtained for Ramsey – and WR Laviska Shenault Jr. (Round 2) could need a transition year, which isn’t a knock but adds to the feel that this club is in a weird limbo. Speaking of which, disgruntled DE Yannick Ngakoue remains.”

Overall, the media received the Jaguars selections very well which could be an encouraging sign for things to come. It has been a tumultuous few weeks in Jacksonville with disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue battling with management and numerous accusations of the organization tanking for current Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

However, the Jaguars can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they did a solid job putting together a good, young team that could potentially compete sooner than people may think.

Highlights of every Jaguars selection in 2020 NFL draft

With the 2020 NFL Draft wrapped up, here are highlights of each selection.

Seven draftees on defense and five on offense. That’s the ratio the Jacksonville Jaguars finished with when all of their 2020 NFL Draft selections were made.

To open the draft on Day 1, the Jags selected two Southeastern Conference defenders in C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chaisson. On Day 2 they finally went offense by taking receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. but ended the day by going back to the defensive side with defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton.

In round four the acquired some help on the offensive line by selecting Ben Bartch, then closed the round with two more defensive selections in linebacker Shaq Quarterman and cornerback Josiah Scott. In round five they added a player on each side of the ball by taking safety Daniel Thomas, then receiver Collin Johnson.

In the sixth round, they finally went all offense by snagging quarterback Jake Luton and tight end Tyler Davis and their last selection, taking in round seven, was another defensive back in Chris Claybrooks.

Here’s a set of highlights for all 12 picks made by general manager Dave Caldwell on Thursday and the weekend:

1.9: CB C.J. Henderson, Florida

1.20: EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, Louisiana State

2.42: WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado

3.72: DT DaVon Hamilton, Ohio State

4.116: OL Ben Bartch, St. John

Report: Why Georgia S JR Reed did not get drafted

Twitter reactions to Georgia S JR Reed signing UDFA deal

Georgia safety JR Reed did not get picked in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he did sign an undrafted free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the moments following the draft.

The fact that Reed went undrafted was a huge head scratcher. He started every game at safety for Georgia from 2017-2019, being named to the Associated Press All-SEC 2nd Team (2017) and Walter Camp All-America First Team (2019).

He has some of the best instincts I’ve seen from a collegiate defensive back, does not miss tackles and has a nose for the football.

Apparently, the reason Reed went undrafted is because of a torn ACL he suffered while at Prestonwood Christian High School in Plano, Texas.

His father, Jake Reed (former Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints WR), told Vikings beat writer Chris Tomasson that Reed was medically flagged as a result of that injury.

Tomasson writes for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, a newspaper based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

 

 

Reed transferred to Georgia following his freshman season at Tulsa. After sitting out the 2016 season, he became a staple on the Bulldogs’ 2017 Rose Bowl championship team.

In 2019, Reed was named one of four permanent team captains.

Reed made a number of big plays during his career as a Bulldog, with big interceptions against Alabama, Florida and two career touchdowns as well.

Reed is also the nephew of Dale Carter, a four-time pro bowler and two-time All-Pro.

Jacksonville Jaguars sign former Georgia WR

A former Georgia Bulldog has a not-so-new home in the pros.

Former Georgia Bulldog Terry Godwin has a not-so-new home in the pros.

Godwin was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round of last year’s NFL Draft but was among the final roster cuts prior to the beginning of 2019 season. He was quickly signed by the Jaguars, uniting in Jacksonville with fellow former Bulldog receiver Chris Conley.

The 2019 draftee wasn’t able to break into the team’s 53-man roster and spent fourteen weeks on the Jags’ practice squad. Godwin’s season ended in late December due to a minor injury.

His contract with Jacksonville expired three weeks later.

Following a recovery, the second-most famous T.G. in recent Georgia football history has re-signed with the Jaguars as a free agent.

In his four years at the University of Georgia, Terry Godwin caught 134 passes totaling to an even 1,800 yards and resulting 11 touchdown receptions, including his famed one-handed score at Notre Dame in a mutchup that resulted in a one-point Bulldog victory.

Godwin has yet to see regular season action in the NFL. His original rookie contract awarded him $2.6M over four years.

Joe Schobert’s contract details: Jags to take a cap hit of only $5.4 million in 2020

In 2020 Joe Schobert’s deal is a cap friendly one for the Jags, who will look to spend wisely in free agency.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars making their first splash signing of the tampering period when they agreed to terms with inside linebacker Joe Schobert, many fans were concerned about the deal’s structure. That’s mostly because of two players who may not be on the roster this regular season in Nick Foles and Yannick Ngakoue, who are set to be cap hits of $22.1 million and  $17.7 million (non-exclusive franchise tag), respectively.

However, as we expected, Schobert’s contract won’t hurt the Jags much at all as his cap hit for the upcoming season will be $5.4 million, according to Spotrac. The database also has him down for a base salary of $2.5 million, a $2.4 million signing bonus, a $300K roster bonus, a $200K workout bonus, and a $5.4 million cap hit. After 2020, he’ll also be down for cap hits of $9.9 million and $11.6 million in the years of 2021 and 2022 with a potential out coming in between.

When looking at the Jags’ cap hits for 2020, Schobert’s contract is ranked 10th, which isn’t bad at all for a free agent of his status. Additionally, it appears the Jags are being wise with the money recouped from trading veteran Calais Campbell ($15 million), which helped make Schobert’s addition possible.

With the Jags’ other new addition from Tuesday, Darqueze Dennard, not having his numbers confirmed yet, Schobert’s cap hit subtraction put the Jags at $19.1 million in available cap space. The team’s rookie pool (projected to cost $13.2 million) will have to be deducted from that total after April but the team will cross that bridge later and will probably dive into the money for the time being. However, if you took that total away from the Jags today, they would be at $5.9 million, but again, they likely are going to continue as if they have $19.1 million.

Of course, trading Foles and Ngakoue would add over $20 million, but it’s unclear when/if those moves will happen. The Jags could also release veteran receiver Marqise Lee and possibly defensive tackle Abry Jones, which would free up amounts of $5.2 million and four million, respectively.

The bottom line is that the Jags will be under the cap by the time the new league year starts Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, which is required by all teams. However, the key to getting more wiggle room will be unloading Ngakoue.

Jaguars make decision on former Georgia football WR

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made their decision on former Georgia football wide receiver.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have exercised their team options for fifth-year wide receiver Chris Conley, the club recently announced.

Conley, a former Georgia standout who was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, is now under contract with the Jaguars through the 2020 season.

Conley, who came to Athens as a 4-star wide receiver out of North Paulding High School, signed with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2019 season. This year, his first with the Jags, he set a career-high for receptions (47), receiving yards (775) and receiving average (16.5). He made 14 starts and appeared in all 16 games, catching five touchdowns passes, which includes a 70-yarder in a victory against the Jets, the Jaguars’ longest TD of the 2019 season.

From 2011 to 2014, during his time at Georgia, he had 1,938 yards and 20 touchdowns.

He turned heads when he produced some of the most impressive NFL Combine numbers we have ever seen, running the 40 in 4.35 seconds and then following that up with a 45 inch vertical jump.

Calais Campbell wins defensive MVP award at Pro Bowl

The Jacksonville Jaguars were represented well in the Pro Bowl as DJ Chark Jr., Josh Allen, and Calais Campbell made impact plays. Of the three, Campbell had the best day, accumulating a tackle, a sack, and a crucial forced fumble late in the game. …

The Jacksonville Jaguars were represented well in the Pro Bowl as DJ Chark Jr., Josh Allen, and Calais Campbell made impact plays. Of the three, Campbell had the best day, accumulating a tackle, a sack, and a crucial forced fumble late in the game. That helped him to ultimately win the Defensive MVP award alongside quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won the Offensive MVP award.

Campbell’s key strip-sack came around the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter. He was able to get to Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to jar the ball loose and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman T.J. Watt scooped it up for an 82 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. That play put the AFC up by a score of 38-27.

Campbell played in his fifth Pro Bowl Sunday, with two other appearances occurring with the Jags. He was voted into the annual game after racking up 56 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and 6.5 sacks in the regular season.

As for Chark, he was able to score a 60-yard touchdown while Allen blocked a field goal. Sunday’s game marked the first Pro Bowl for both players as Chark registered just over 1,000 yards in 2019 and Allen led all rookies in sacks with 10.5.

Winners and Losers from Jaguars vs. Falcons

In another disappointing defeat here are the winners and losers from the Week 16 match-up against the Falcons.

After coming off of an intense come from behind victory last week in Oakland, fans thought maybe this was the turning point for the Jacksonville Jaguars to get back on track the last two weeks of the season. This unfortunately was not the case as the team lost another game by a double-digit margin, as they fell to the Atlanta Falcons 24-12.

In another disappointing defeat here are the winners and losers from the Week 16 matchup against the Falcons:

Winners

Leonard Fournette

I’ve got to give it to Leonard Fournette, he has been nothing but reliable, consistent and productive in 2019. This offseason, Fournette took a look at himself in the mirror and dedicated himself to the game. He spent some time in Wyoming, preparing himself mentally and physically for the upcoming season and it has worked wonders for the star running back. In 2019, Fournette has gone on to lead the team both in receptions and total yardage.

He’s simply been remarkable. From the talk of much frustration from fans to a fan-favorite, Fournette certainly has put his money where his mouth is. Despite the issues of the Jags’ offensive line Fournette currently is fourth in the league in total yardage, with an astounding 1,674 yards from scrimmage. Against the Falcons, he was once again electric as the back totaled 105 yards on 18 touches. He’s been arguably the team’s best offensive player and figures to be a focal point of the offense going forward.

Tre Herndon

Once again, I have to give credit where credit is due. Herndon hasn’t been a top tier cornerback this season and the Jags can’t expect that out of a player  rushed into a starting line-up after replacing one of the best in the game. However, Tre Herndon has exceeded all expectations set for him. Against 2016 All-Pro Matt Ryan and future Hall of Famer Julio Jones, Herndon was able to nab an under thrown deep ball from Ryan, recording his third pick of the year.

Amazingly, Herndon currently leads the team in interceptions and has proved he deserves a shot to be the team’s No. 2 corner going forward. He still has a lot to learn, but I truly believe Herndon can be a impactful long-term starter for this team.

Losers

Gardner Minshew II

Following the conclusion of the game, I was surprised I was able to come up with two deserving winners from such a disappointing game against the Falcons. The scary part is that the three most important figures in the Jacksonville franchise are listed as losers this week.

In a seemingly never-ending prove it game for Gardner Minshew II, the young gun-slinger was only able to connect on just 13 of his 31 passes for under 200 yards. And while the offensive line play wasn’t the best, he’s found ways to be more productive in the past.

The passing game never seemed to get going and it led to a dismal 12-point performance from the offense. Minshew has certainly played better than we all could have ever hoped for in 2019, however, Minshew must show enough to warrant the spot as the 2020 starting quarterback for Jacksonville. Sunday, he wasn’t able to do that.

Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell

This one had to sting for Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell. Before the game, it was reported that both were likely to retain their jobs with the franchise, but a sixth double-digit loss in the last seven weeks certainly doesn’t help their cause. The team is struggling mightily and the staff and front office have one game left to show that they deserve to be spared by owner Shad Khan.

Admittedly, Marrone has been dealt a difficult hand this season no doubt. Some of his best players have been missing for a large part of the season and his quarterback went down in the first ten plays of the season, but that doesn’t mean this season should be dismissed. The team has struggled and there must be accountability for the poor play that the fans have witnessed all season long.