Tag: Josh Wells

Jaguars release OT Josh Wells with injury settlement

Josh Wells is now a free agent after reaching an injury settlement with the Jaguars.

Offensive tackle Josh Wells is reportedly a free agent after negotiating an injury settlement with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to multiple reports.

The veteran lineman who began his career with the Jaguars in 2014, re-joined the team as a free agent earlier this year after spending the last four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While he was listed as the second-team right tackle through camp and preseason, Jacksonville placed him on the season-ending injured reserve just before the end of August.

There was writing on the wall that he’d be released from the IR when rookie offensive tackle Anton Harrison switched his jersey from No. 76 to Wells’ No. 77 last week.

Wells is the third player, along with defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux and wide receiver Jaray Jenkins, to be released from the IR with a settlement in recent weeks.

After joining the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent, Wells appeared in 39 games and started nine over four seasons with the team. He played in 56 games with the Buccaneers and started 15.

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Jaguars’ Anton Harrison, Christian Braswell change jersey numbers

Jaguars rookies Anton Harrison and Christian Braswell are changing their jersey numbers with the regular season on deck.

Jacksonville Jaguars first- and sixth-round rookies Anton Harrison and Christian Braswell will wear different jersey numbers this season than they did through camp and preseason.

On Thursday morning, the Jaguars announced Harrison will wear No. 77 this year and Braswell will wear No. 21. The team also said newly added Angelo Blackson will take No. 90.

Harrison, the No. 27 overall pick in April, previously wore No. 76 this offseason. The No. 77 jersey was owned by offensive tackle Josh Wells, who landed on the season-ending injured reserve Tuesday. There’s been no announcement of a move to release Wells from the IR with a settlement, but Harrison’s jersey swap may indicate that’s coming soon.

Braswell previously wore No. 36 while fellow rookie Latavious Brini, who was waived Tuesday, had No. 21.

Players who once wore the No. 77 jersey in Jacksonville included guard Uche Nwaneri and guard/tackle Zach Wiegert. The Jaguars’ No. 21 jersey once belonged to cornerbacks Aaron Beasley, A.J. Bouye, and Derek Cox. Current Jaguars cornerback Darious Williams was No. 21 for a stretch before switching to No. 31.

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How Jaguars’ injuries could affect the 53-man roster

The Jaguars’ offensive and defensive line injuries could have an impact on the final 53-man roster.

With the preseason coming to a close, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ injuries, especially on the offensive and defensive lines, could influence the 53-man roster.

The Jaguars will play their final preseason game on Saturday against the Miami Dolphins. Jacksonville’s starters are mostly healthy, but some of the rotational players are less than 100 percent.

The Jaguars have already dropped one player due to injury on the defensive line. They reportedly released 27-year-old Henry Mondeaux on Tuesday from the injured reserve with a settlement.

He was set to handle second-team nose tackle duties behind DaVon Hamilton before he suffered an undisclosed injury — presumably during Jacksonville’s first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Hamilton is also out of action while he deals with a “non-football related medical issue” that’ll keep him out Saturday. Head coach Doug Pederson said Hamilton is “doing extremely well” and could be back in the building as early as next week, but it’s unclear when he’ll return to the field.

While Pederson spoke positively about Hamilton’s recovery, if the tackle is out for an extended period, other players could sneak into the 53-man roster. Seventh-round pick Raymond Vohasek may be in position to play himself into a roster spot with a strong performance Saturday.

The offensive line has also faced issues staying healthy. Another seventh-round rookie, Cooper Hodges, suffered a patella injury, which Pederson said will cause him “to miss a little time.” He said Hodges won’t need surgery, but a spot on the injured reserve could be a real possibility.

Veteran tackle Josh Wells is also set to miss time. Pederson didn’t have a timetable for return for the offensive lineman, but said he’ll miss some time, as well.

Wells’ injury could have an impact on the offensive line rotation. Blake Hance is currently the most likely winner of the swing tackle position, but Wells could be in the conversation, if healthy. Pederson recognized the unfortunate timing of the team’s offensive and defensive line injuries.

“If these injuries were going to happen, you’d love for them to be at the beginning of camp, and now they’re getting healthy,” Pederson said.

Wells and Hodges could be candidates for the physically unable to perform list or injured reserve, which would provide an opening for someone else on the roster.

Pederson also acknowledged the waiver wire as a possible resolution to the team’s injury troubles.

“That all factors into this, so we’ll take a look at it and see if someone is available to help you out whether it’s short-term or long-term,” he said.

After the Jaguars’ final preseason game on Saturday, the roster will need to be cut down to 53 players by Tuesday afternoon.

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Jaguars 2023 roster review: OT Josh Wells

Nine years after making the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie, Josh Wells is back.

The brunt of the offseason is in the books and training camp is underway. Join us for a player-by-player review of the Jaguars roster ahead of the 2023 season.

Nearly a decade ago, undrafted rookie Josh Wells earned a spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster. Nine years later, the offensive tackle is back where his career began.

After spending the first five years of his career in Jacksonville, Wells joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019 after getting cut by the Jaguars.

Now he’s back with 95 career games and 24 starts under his belt.

With Cam Robinson set to miss the first four games of the year due to a suspension, Wells’ experience and consistency could prove useful to the Jaguars.

Contract (2023): $1,165,000 base salary, $50,000 signing bonus, $102,500 roster bonus, $1,092,500 cap hit.

Acquired: The Jaguars signed Wells as a free agent on April 4, 2023.

PFF grades:

  • 66.5 (2022 – TB)
  • 64.6 (2021 – TB)
  • 65.1 (2020 – TB)
  • 39.0 (2019 – TB)
  • 62.1 (2018 – JAX)
  • 65.5 (2017 – JAX)
  • 67.2 (2016 – JAX)
  • 69.1 (2014 – JAX)

Highlight:

Quote: “This is a huge blessing for me, and for my family. I’m at my house, the city I love, the city I played in for a while, the city where I’m raising my family. There are all those emotions, all positive. It’s definitely a lot to take to in.” – Wells

Calvin Ridley (No. 0) Travis Etienne Jr. (No. 1) Rayshawn Jenkins (No. 2) C.J. Beathard (No. 3) Tank Bigsby (No. 4) Andre Cisco (No. 5)
Chris Claybrooks (No. 6) Zay Jones (No. 7) Logan Cooke (No. 9) Parker Washington (No. 11) James McCourt (No. 12) Christian Kirk (No. 13)
Kendric Pryor (No. 14) Tim Jones (No. 15) Trevor Lawrence (No. 16) Evan Engram (No. 17) Nathan Rourke (No. 18) Sammis Reyes (No. 19)
Daniel Thomas (No. 20) Latavious Brini (No. 21) JaMycal Hasty (No. 22) Foyesade Oluokun (No. 23) Snoop Conner (No. 24) D’Ernest Johnson (No. 25)
Antonio Johnson (No. 26) Divaad Wilson (No. 27) Tevaughn Campbell (No. 29) Montaric Brown (No. 30) Darious Williams (No. 31) Tyson Campbell (No. 32)
Devin Lloyd (No. 33) Gregory Junior (No. 34) Ayo Oyelola (No. 35) Christian Braswell (No. 36) Tre Herndon (No. 37) Qadree Ollison (No. 38)
Jamal Agnew (No. 39) Erick Hallett (No. 40) Josh Allen (No. 41) Andrew Wingard (No. 42) Kaleb Hayes (No. 43) Derek Parish (No. 43)
Travon Walker (No. 44) K’Lavon Chaisson (No. 45) Ross Matiscik (No. 46) De’Shaan Dixon (No. 47) Chad Muma (No. 48) Shaquille Quarterman (No. 50)
Ventrell Miller (No. 51) DaVon Hamilton (No. 52) Willie Taylor III (No. 53) DJ Coleman (No. 54) Dequan Jackson (No. 55) Yasir Abdullah (No. 56)
Caleb Johnson (No. 57) Raymond Vohasek (No. 59) Darryl Williams (No. 60) Samuel Jackson (No. 62) Coy Cronk (No. 64) Chandler Brewer (No. 67)
Brandon Scherff (No. 68) Tyler Shatley (No. 69) Cole Van Lanen (No. 70) Walker Little (No. 72) Blake Hance (No. 73) Cam Robinson (No. 74)
Cooper Hodges (No. 75) Anton Harrison (No. 76) Josh Wells (No. 77) Ben Bartch (No. 78) Luke Fortner (No. 79) Kevin Austin Jr. (No. 80)
Seth Williams (No. 81) Elijah Cooks (No. 84) Brenton Strange (No. 85) Gerrit Prince (No. 86) Jaray Jenkins (No. 87) Oliver Martin (No. 88)
Luke Farrell (No. 89) Henry Mondeaux (No. 90) Dawuane Smoot (No. 91) Jordan Smith (No. 92) Tyler Lacy (No. 93) Folorunso Fatukasi (No. 94)
Roy Robertson-Harris (No. 95) Adam Gotsis (No. 96) Michael Dogbe (No. 98) Jeremiah Ledbetter (No. 99) Brandon McManus Jacob Harris
Josh Pederson

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Cam Robinson’s days with Jaguars numbered after Anton Harrison pick

The selection of Anton Harrison likely means Cam Robinson’s time with the Jaguars is approaching its end.

The Jacksonville Jaguars fought hard to keep Cam Robinson from reaching free agency. The team used the franchise tag on the offensive tackle in 2021 and then again in 2022 before finally signing him to a three-year, $54 million extension.

A year later, things have changed.

Robinson, 27, ended the 2022 season on the injured reserve after suffering a torn meniscus late in the year. In his absence, Walker Little took over at left tackle and the Jaguars offense didn’t miss a beat.

Now, Robinson is expected to be suspended for the beginning of the 2023 season due to a violation of the performance-enhancing drug policy.

With the veteran offensive tackle out of commission, the likely Week 1 starters at tackle are Little and the newest member of the Jaguars, first-round pick Anton Harrison. While the latter may have to beat out veteran Josh Wells for the role, it seems Jacksonville decided Thursday night that its starting duo of the future is Little and Harrison.

But what really signals the end of Robinson’s time in Jacksonville is the deal he signed last offseason. The veteran offensive tackle is due to count $22.75 million against the Jaguars’ salary cap in 2024, third most on the team. By parting with Robinson, Jacksonville could recoup $17.75 million of that total.

That’s a savings that’ll essentially be impossible for the Jaguars to ignore, especially now that it has a pair of young players at the position who were both early draft picks.

Perhaps that means a trade is coming for Robinson, or maybe it means that his final year in Jacksonville will be the 2023 season. Either way, the selection of Harrison appears to solidify that his time with the Jaguars is approaching its end.

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Jersey numbers revealed for newly signed Jaguars players

The Jaguars have revealed what numbers the team’s newly added free agents will wear in 2023.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t make much of a splash in free agency, but the team did add a few players ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Now the team has revealed what numbers those recently signed veterans will wear when they put on teal jerseys for the first time. Earlier in April, the Jaguars announced wide receiver Calvin Ridley — who was acquired during the 2022 season, but was ineligible to play due to a suspension — will wear the newly allowed No. 0 jersey.

Nathan Rourke, a former Canadian Football League quarterback who signed with the Jaguars in January, will be the first quarterback in team history to wear the No. 18 jersey. Only wide receivers previously donned the number, including Matt Jones, Chris Conley, and Ace Sanders.

Running back D’Ernest Johnson will inherit the No. 25 jersey that was left available after its previous owner, James Robinson, was traded to the New York Jets.

Offensive tackle Josh Wells wore No. 72 during his first stint with the Jaguars, but that number now belongs to presumed starting right tackle Walker Little.

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Tampa Bay free agent Josh Wells signs with Jaguars

Wells played in all four of the Bucs’ playoff games that resulted in their 2020 Super Bowl win.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done much to retain depth on the offensive line, but it seems they weren’t able to re-sign everyone on that front.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Tuesday that they signed offensive lineman [autotag]Josh Wells[/autotag], bringing him back to the team he had played for prior to coming to Tampa Bay back in 2019. He previously played for the Jaguars for four years prior to his stint with the Bucs.

Wells was mainly a backup lineman in Tampa Bay, but he still managed to find playing time during his career with the Bucs. He played 13 games in 2019 and played in the four playoff games that resulted in the Bucs winning Super Bowl LV. He played in all 17 games in 2021, but he suffered a calf injury in 2022 that kept him in and out of the lineup.

With Wells gone, it may seem as if the Bucs are thin on backup linemen— however, the team will also have two players as quality backups, since only two of Robert Hainsey, Aaron Stinnie, Luke Goedeke and Nick Leverett will be able to play both guard positions. The Bucs will also likely draft multiple linemen, so Wells may not have been as needed as he used to be — he was still able to contribute to Tampa Bay’s success in the time he was there, though.

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Jaguars bring back offensive tackle Josh Wells

The Jaguars are bringing back a familiar face to add offensive line depth.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed free agent offensive tackle Josh Wells, the team announced Tuesday.

Wells, 32, began his career with the Jaguars after signing as an undrafted free agent following the 2014 NFL Draft. In five seasons with the team, Wells made nine starts. While he re-signed with the team ahead of the 2019 season, he was released in final cuts and landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In four seasons in Tampa Bay, Wells made 15 starts, most recently starting seven games for the Buccaneers in 2022. He was credited with allowing only one sack in 326 offensive snaps last season and received a 66.5 grade from Pro Football Focus.

Earlier this offseason, the Jaguars lost starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor in free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs. While the team has 2021 second-round pick Walker Little set to fill the void left by Taylor’s departure, the team is in desperate need of depth along the offensive line.

Wells has experience on both sides of the line and will provide the team with some valuable depth at the offensive tackle position. The addition of Wells comes a day after the team hosted free agent tackle Cameron Fleming on a visit.

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12 free-agent OL the Colts could consider in 2023

Taking a look at 12 free-agent offensive line options for the Colts in 2023.

After a tumultuous campaign, the Indianapolis Colts will have their eyes on adding some depth and talent to the offensive line through the free-agent market during the 2023 offseason.

While Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith are expected to be the starting tackles, adding depth behind them is crucial. The Colts also will be in the market to add a starting-caliber right guard and depth at the interior spots.

We took a look at the following positions for the Colts to consider adding to in free agency:

We shouldn’t expect the Colts to go on a wild spending spree in free agency. It’s not their M.O., and Chris Ballard isn’t working with the same amount of salary-cap space as he’s used to.

Now, it’s time to take a look at the free-agent options along the offensive line for the Colts to consider:

14 free agents the Colts should watch during wild-card playoffs

Here are 14 pending free agents the Colts should watch during wild-card weekend.

The Indianapolis Colts will be watching the playoffs unfold from their couch this offseason, and it begins Saturday with the start of the wild-card games.

While the Colts won’t be leading the NFL in salary-cap space like we’ve been used to seeing, they should be a bit more active than they have been in the past.

We shouldn’t expect general manager Chris Ballard to completely change his ways regarding free agency, but it’s reasonable to believe he may be a bit more aggressive when it comes to adding depth, especially to the offensive line.

We’re taking the list of unrestricted free agents, according to Spotrac, for the teams playing in the wild-card games. So there won’t be any Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles players on this list. We’ll save that for next week.

As wild-card weekend gets underway, here are 14 pending free agents the Colts should keep an eye on: