Following Jacksonville’s fifth loss in six games, the Jaguars shipped defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick, allowing a fresh start to both parties.
After a productive first four seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Robertson-Harris signed a free-agent deal with Jacksonville in March 2021 and earned a three-year contract extension from the club in 2023. He played in black and teal for over three seasons and saw varying levels of success with the Jaguars.
According to Pro Football Focus, Robertson-Harris posted ten sacks, 18 quarterback hits, 81 hurries, 77 tackles and 64 run stops across 1,944 snaps in his first three seasons with Jacksonville. Robertson-Harris graded out best as a Jaguar in 2022, his second season with the team, with a 63.9 defensive score out of 100.
In the first six games of 2024, Robertson-Harris recorded four tackles, two sacks, two quarterback hits and seven pressures over 210 snaps, 140 of which came against the pass, per PFF.
Robertson-Harris’ impact along the interior has largely declined, which led to his rotational role in Jacksonville’s lackluster defense under first-year coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
The Jaguars rank No. 31 in the NFL in touchdowns allowed (21), only to be outdone by Carolina, which has allowed 24 touchdowns in six games.
Jacksonville’s defensive issues stem in part from its inconsistent pass rush, which has helped cause the Jaguars to rank dead last in passing touchdowns allowed in the NFL with 14 through six games. Their 14 sacks are tied with four other teams for 12th-fewest in the league.
With Robertson-Harris gone and interior snaps to fill, the Jaguars could deploy 30-year-old lineman Arik Armstead, who has struggled in his move to defensive end, back to the position he played and thrived at with the San Francisco 49ers, tackle.
162 of Armstead’s 198 defensive snaps have come at defensive end this year.
While the Jaguars’ coaching staff was adamant about moving Armstead around the front this past offseason, the veteran has yet to produce to the tune of his three-year, $43.5 million price tag.
So far this season, Armstead’s play has been rather unnoticeable. He recorded one sack against Miami in Week 1, but has logged just seven tackles in his five games since, with none in the backfield.
While Armstead could be dealing with lingering effects from his 2023 meniscus injury, which prevented him from playing in the preseason, and aging in general, his drop-off in production as a defensive end compared to when he primarily played defensive tackle is clear.
Upon signing with Jacksonville in March, Armstead said he was “very confident” in his body to hold up, explaining to reporters that he could continue to play at a high level for the foreseeable future.
“Injuries are a part of sports and I have my plan together in place to make sure I’m putting my body and myself in the best position to be out there for my team. I’m going to do that, and I think it’s going to go very well,” Armstead said at the time.
“I plan to have a long career; I think I got a good five or six more years in me. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.”
Yet, six games into his new contract, Armstead has recorded a 57.7 grade, the second-worst season by PFF’s metric of his ten-year NFL career.
Given his inefficiency on the edge, the Jaguars should explore moving Armstead back inside to help the prized free-agent addition contribute to the defense, which gave up 226 passing yards and four touchdowns to rookie Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams in Week 6.
But if Armstead isn’t the answer at defensive tackle, the Jaguars will need their second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Maason Smith, to emerge as one.
Smith recorded one of Jacksonville’s three sacks against Chicago on Sunday, the first of his career. He has had a relatively quiet rookie season otherwise, however, with five total tackles. He has averaged just over 27 snaps per game over his five appearances.
Jacksonville could also turn to second-year defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo, who started the last two games and accumulated two tackles, two quarterback hits and half a sack against the Colts and Bears.
Ahead of another London matchup this week, against the Patriots, there is no better time than now to shake things up as the Jaguars continue to search for answers on defense.
While Robertson-Harris was once a steady contributor to the unit, the Jaguars ultimately viewed him as expendable. They have options to replace him at defensive tackle, but it remains to be seen if the team will deploy them and if the players are up to the task.
