Tag: Jaguars

Jaguars reportedly met with LSU receiver Malik Nabers before pro day

Could the Jaguars be interested in trading up high enough in the draft order to land LSU’s Malik Nabers?

The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of a handful of teams that met with LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers a day before his pro day workout Wednesday, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.

Nabers is widely expected to be a top 10, perhaps even a top five, selection in the 2024 NFL draft. The other five teams listed by Wolfe that met with Nabers — the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, and New York Jets — all own top 10 selections.

For the Jaguars, owners of the No. 17 pick in the first round, to land Nabers, they would likely need to make a big trade to move high up the draft order.

It’s not a far-fetched scenario for Jacksonville, which has been aggressive in its efforts to turn a roster with back-to-back 9-8 seasons into a Super Bowl contender. The Jaguars made several moves in free agency, including the addition of former Bills receiver Gabe Davis, but was unable to retain wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

That has left the receiver position in need of some additional work and hunting for a mid-round player to fill that void might not do the trick.

The Jaguars’ interest in Nabers isn’t the first indication that the team could be interested in a big swing to upgrade their receiving corps. Earlier in March, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Jaguars were showing interest in Washington’s Rome Odunze, another receiver expected to land in the top 10 selections.

Nabers finished the 2023 season with 1,569 receiving yards and 14 touchdown receptions.

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Devin Duvernay was a wise investment for Jaguars with new kickoff rule

Devin Duvernay stands to get a ton of opportunities to make big plays for the Jaguars thanks to the NFL’s new kickoff rules.

Just a couple weeks ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars wasted no time signing former Baltimore Ravens return specialist Devin Duvernay to a two-year, $8.5 million contract. It wasn’t exactly a costly addition, but it already looks like a wise and prescient investment.

On Tuesday, the NFL passed a new kickoff rule with two key goals: less injuries and more returns. Here’s everything you need to know:

  • The kicking team will kick off from its own 35-yard line.
  • 10 members of the kicking team will line up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line (25 yards in front of their kicker).
  • A minimum of nine members of the receiving team will line up between their own 30- and 35-yard lines (five-to-10 yards in front of the 10 members of the kicking team).
  • The receiving team can have zero, one or two players inside their own 30-yard line to receive the kickoff.
  • The play begins when the ball is either caught, hits the ground in the landing zone (inside the 20-yard line before the goal line) or is returned from the end zone. That’s when players can begin moving.
  • Any kick that hits the landing zone must be returned.
  • Any kick that bounces from the landing zone into the end zone must be returned or kneeled for a touchback (with possession going out to the 20-yard line).
  • If a kick doesn’t reach the landing zone, the receiving team gets possession at its 40-yard line.
  • If the ball enters the end zone in the air, the receiving team can return it or kneel it for possession at its 30-yard line.
  • If the ball is kicked out of bounds, the receiving team gets possession at its 40-yard line.
  • There are no fair catches.
  • Onside kicks are only permitted in the fourth quarter and must be declared to officials.

All of that translates to a play that looks a little something like this:

There’s not much incentive for kicking teams to boot it into the end zone and there’s every reason to expect Duvernay to get a ton of opportunities to make plays.

In Baltimore, Duvernay twice earned Pro Bowl honors and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. For the relatively low cost of $4.25 million per season, the Jaguars added arguably the best player in the NFL at a position that suddenly looks significantly more valuable.

Jacksonville’s moves to bring back special teamers Daniel Thomas and Caleb Johnson also aged well, as it’ll be important to have gunners capable of getting down the field and bottling up opposing returners.

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D.J. Chark details ‘toxic’ environment that doomed the 2018 Jaguars

Former Jaguars receiver DJ Chark shared a couple stories about the “toxic” locker room he walked into in 2018.

When DJ Chark was picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2018 NFL draft, he joined a team fresh off a trip to the AFC Championship. But in his four seasons with the Jaguars, the team won just 15 combined games.

So how did a team loaded with talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, fall apart so fast?

In an appearance on a podcast hosted by Marlon Humphrey of the Baltimore Ravens, Chark said things were a mess behind the scenes in Jacksonville.

“When I first got there, there was times where — this might be like OTAs — the d-line would be beefing with the corners,” Chark said. “The linemen are like ‘we’re getting all these picks and takeaways because we’re getting to the quarterback.’ And the corners are like ‘Y’all getting these sacks, because we’re covering everybody.'”

Perhaps the biggest personality in the locker room at the time, Jalen Ramsey, took to social media to deny Chark’s claim.

Later, Chark detailed another small issue that snowballed into something more in the locker room.

“I remember two people arguing over who uses the handicap shower,” Chark said. “The handicap shower always had a little seat you can shower in, you can take the seat. A player claimed that, ‘This is my shower.’ So when somebody else used it, it was a problem.”

After the 2018 season, the Jaguars parted with Malik Jackson and Tashaun Gipson, Ramsey was traded during the 2019 season, and A.J. Bouye, Calais Campbell, and Yannick Ngakoue were all traded in 2020.

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Ranking all 32 teams by 2024 projected win totals

We’re looking at a ranking of all teams including the Philadelphia Eagles by 2024 win total predictions

We’re about 45 days from the 2024 NFL schedule reveal, but the world and Eagles fans already know who their opponents will be.

The league uses multiple factors to determine the year’s game schedule.

There’s a cycle of inter-conference faceoffs; each NFC division rotates through each AFC division every four seasons and the other NFC divisions every three seasons.

In addition, where a team finishes within their division dictates a same-finish matchup with one team from the opposite conference and whichever divisions aren’t in the rotation for that season.

Philadelphia previously had one of the more difficult schedules over the past two years, but 2024 will see the Eagles among the top ten easiest schedules based on win-loss percentages from last year.

Offering an early glimpse into where the Eagles could finish this season, DraftKings revealed a 2024 win total prediction for all 32 teams, and Philadelphia landed at No. 6 on the list.

Doug Pederson: ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever get over’ 2023 collapse

The late-season collapse that cost the Jaguars a spot in the playoffs won’t be forgotten any time soon.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2023 season ended in Nashville in January when a 28-20 loss to the Tennessee Titans left the AFC South open for the Houston Texans to take the division.

With just over seven minutes left in that Week 18 loss, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence lunged for the goal line, but came up about a foot short. One last possession for Jacksonville ended with three straight incompletions. It was a frustrating end to a season that once looked promising for the Jaguars.

“Well for me, it’s not so much that loss as much as it is the last six games,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Monday at the NFL’s annual meeting. “When we were sitting there at 8-3 and we had everything going for us and right in front of us. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it. I think for me it’s going to be my motivation, my fuel, moving forward. I’m not going to let it cloud the vision but at the same time it’s going to be close in my mind as I move forward with the team this spring.”

Jacksonville lost five of its last six games, including the Week 18 defeat that proved to be a nail in the coffin.

“As a coach, you’re hopeful that’s the motivation,” Pederson said. “The way we finished the last month and a half is not our standard and it’s not what we talk about. It goes against everything we talk about, really. We still had opportunities all the way to the 18th week of the regular season. We’re there at the end, we just got to figure out a way to push through that.”

Injuries played a big factor in that slide with Lawrence struggling through knee, ankle, and shoulder issues as well as a concussion. The team also lost wide receiver Christian Kirk late in the year and was missing offensive lineman Cam Robinson for a stretch.

But the team’s inexperience proved costly too. In free agency, the Jaguars added veterans with leadership credentials and postseason experience to provide a boost.

“These guys have been captains on their teams and they’ve been to Super Bowls, they’ve been to AFC championship games,” Pederson said. “These guys know how to win and that’s the influx of talent that we want to bring onto our young roster. Guys that have been there, done that.”

Those players include former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead, former Buffalo Bills center Mitch Morse, and former Baltimore Ravens cornerback Ronald Darby. The Jaguars hope that’ll be enough to avoid a similar fate in the future.

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Trent Baalke cancels his UF Pro Day trip after Ricky Pearsall opts out

The Jaguars’ general manager reportedly planned to visit the UF Pro Day to take a closer look at Ricky Pearsall.

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke planned to attend the Florida Gators’ Pro Day on Thursday, according to Mark Long of the Associated Press, but cancelled his trip after wide receiver Ricky Pearsall opted out of the workout.

Wide receiver jumps out a logical top priority for the Jaguars after the team attempted, but failed to bring back Calvin Ridley after signing Gabe Davis in free agency. It’s no surprise that Jacksonville is interested in finding more top talent at the position and Pearsall could fit the bill.

Pearsall, a former Arizona State receiver, finished with 1,547 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns in two seasons at Florida. At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Pearsall measured in at 6’1, 189 pounds and ran a 4.41 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical jump.

In a draft class loaded with receiver talent, Pearsall is largely expected to be a Day 2 selection in April.

Baalke’s planned attendance that was reportedly contingent on Pearsall’s participation suggests the Jaguars are keeping a close eye on the Gators receiver.

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Georgia State OT Travis Glover visiting Jaguars, per report

Travis Glover, a five-year starter at Georgia State, is reportedly set to visit the Jaguars ahead of the draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will host Georgia State offensive tackle Travis Glover on a pre-draft visit, according to Tony Pauline of SportsKeeda.

Glover was a five-year starter for the Panthers, earning experience at both left and right tackle during his time with the team. In 2023, he earned First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors and helped clear the way for the conference’s leading rusher, Marcus Carroll.

While Glover wasn’t invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, he earned some positive reviews during his time at the 2024 Senior Bowl.

Just three Georgia State players have ever been picked in the NFL draft since the program was founded in 2010. GSU alumni Wil Lutz, Albert Wilson, and Chandon Sullivan all earned starting roles in the NFL after going undrafted, though.

The Jaguars are allowed to bring in 30 non-local prospects for pre-draft visits. It was previously reported that Western Michigan edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland is one of those 30 players, and Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network said that Oregon linebacker Jamal Hill is expected to be another.

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Mel Kiper, Daniel Jeremiah predict same prospect to Jaguars

Two of the leading NFL draft experts think the Jaguars will add to their defense in the first round.

After a flurry of moves in free agency, wide receiver and cornerback look like the two areas that the Jacksonville Jaguars will likely address early in the 2024 NFL draft.

While replacing the production lost when Calvin Ridley joined the Tennessee Titans will be a challenge, both ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah think the Jaguars will use the No. 17 overall pick on the other side of the ball. And both draft experts have the same player in mind for Jacksonville.

In Kiper’s latest mock draft, he says Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold would help the Jaguars at a position that “could still require reinforcements.”

The Jaguars have been busy in free agency, adding defensive tackle Arik Armstead, center Mitch Morse, safety Darnell Savage and wideout Gabe Davis, among others. The position they haven’t addressed enough? Cornerback, where they added veteran Ronald Darby but could still require reinforcements to play on the other side of Tyson Campbell. I like the fit of Arnold in Jacksonville, as he took a major step forward in 2023, developing into a shutdown corner. He picked off five passes and allowed only four receptions of 20-plus yards as the nearest defender in coverage.

In Kiper’s mock, Arnold is the second cornerback off the board after the Indianapolis Colts took Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell at No. 15 overall.

Jeremiah agrees with both of those predictions. After sending Mitchell to the Colts with the No. 15 pick, he also forecasted Arnold to the Jaguars.

Arnold plays much faster than he timed at the NFL Scouting Combine (4.50 40-yard dash). He can line up inside and outside for Jacksonville.

Both Kiper and Jeremiah had three wide receivers — Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze — off the board in the top 10.

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Arik Armstead looking to help the Jaguars get ‘over the hump’ in 2024

Arik Armstead says he can provide his Jaguars teammates advice on how to handle the Super Bowl stage “when we get there.”

After nine seasons with the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, Arik Armstead hit free agency for the first time in his career last week when he was released by the San Francisco 49ers.

So what did the 30-year-old defensive lineman with two career Super Bowl appearances hope to find in his hunt for a new team?

“My goal was to find the next stage of my career in some place that I feel comfortable, that valued me as a player as well too, and a place I can take the next step and grow in,” Armstead said Monday. “A place that’s competitive and that I feel I can come in and help get them over the hump.

“The Jags were a good team before me and whenever I enter a situation, not just in football but in life in general when I’m meeting people and when I’m entering situations working with people, I want to make the place better than when I found it. I want to a positive impact in. I think this team was already a phenomenal team and I think I can help get them to the next level.”

Jacksonville finished each of the last two seasons with 9-8 records. That was enough for an AFC South title in the 2022 season, but it left the Jaguars on the outside this January.

The Jaguars hope that their new additions, headlined by the 6’7 defensive lineman, will be enough to turn the team into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. And Armstead is mincing no words: he envisions being on that stage with the Jaguars.

“This team has Super Bowl aspirations and when we get there, I’ve already been through that, and I know what it’s going to look like and what to expect,” Armstead said.

The Jaguars have been to the AFC Championship three times (1996, 1999, 2017) in the franchise’s three-decade history, but have never reached the Super Bowl.

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Jaguars sign former Bears, Titans OLB Trevis Gipson

Trevis Gipson, who was once a fast rising star in the Bears defense, will look to get his career back on track with the Jaguars.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed former Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Trevis Gipson, the team announced Monday.

Gipson, 26, was a fifth-round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2020 NFL draft and played the first three seasons of his career with the team. While he recorded seven sacks and five forced fumbles in a breakout second season in 2021, Gipson struggled to make the transition to the Bears’ new defensive scheme under Matt Eberflus in 2022.

After recording only three sacks in 2022, Gipson was granted permission to search for a trade ahead of the 2023 season and was eventually released by the team in final cuts. He signed with the Titans in August, but was a healthy scratch in nine games and finished with only one sack.

In Jacksonville, Gipson will try to rediscover the momentum he had early in his career when he was seen as a fast rising and promising young pass rusher. The Jaguars could certainly use the edge rushing depth after getting very little out of K’Lavon Chaisson and Dawuane Smoot in 2023 and allowing both to reach the free agency market.

Terms of Gipson’s contract with the Jaguars haven’t yet been revealed.

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