Tag: Josiah Deguara

Jaguars signing former Packers TE Josiah Deguara to 1-year deal

The Jaguars are adding former third-round pick Josiah Deguara to their tight end room.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are adding former Green Bay Packers tight end Josiah Deguara on a one-year deal, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

Deguara, a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, caught 47 passes for 436 yards and two touchdowns in his four seasons with the Packers.

While he may not offer the Jaguars much help as a receiver, he could earn a spot on the roster for his prowess as a run blocker and a special teamer. More than half of Deguara’s 212 offensive snaps in 2023 were on run plays (117) and he was a core special teamer for the Packers.

With a new kickoff rule in place, it will be important for NFL teams to find players capable of bottling up opposing returners and the Jaguars will want to find players who can help spring Devin Duvernay free.

As a tight end, Deguara will have a hard time climbing up the depth chart. The Jaguars have a star at the top in Evan Engram and invested a second-round pick into Brenton Strange. There’s also Luke Farrell, who similarly contributed most often as a run blocker and special teamer.

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Former Packers TE Josiah Deguara signing with Jaguars

The Packers are losing free agent TE Josiah Deguara to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Former Green Bay Packers tight end Josiah Deguara is signing a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

Deguara was a third-round pick of the Packers in the 2020 draft. He played in 50 games (10 starts) and was on the field for 832 offensive snaps and 559 special teams snaps across four seasons with the Packers.

Deguara suffered a season-ending knee injury after only two games as a rookie. He returned and played in 48 games over the last three seasons, but his impact — both as a blocker and receiver — never really blossomed.

In Matt LaFleur’s offense, Deguara operated mostly as a hybrid fullback/tight end, or H-back. He caught 47 passes on 58 targets for 436 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2023, Deguara caught only eight passes and was on the field for fewer than 20 percent of the offense’s snaps. He did finish third on the team in special teams snaps (219).

Deguara joins safety/slot cornerback Darnell Savage as the second Packers free agent to sign with the Jaguars this offseason.

The Packers developed undrafted free agent Henry Pearson in the H-back role last season. Brian Gutekunst is returning Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft and Ben Sims at tight end, and Tyler Davis re-signed on a one-year deal.

Packers TE Josiah Deguara’s role shrinking on offense

Josiah Deguara has been on the field for only 23 offensive snaps over the last three weeks.

Over the last three weeks, Josiah Deguara’s role on the Green Bay Packers offense has been dwindling, and following the Pittsburgh game, is nearly non-existent.

Through the first six games of the Packers season, Deguara was averaging 20.5 snaps per game. In the last three, he has a grand total of only 23 offensive snaps, including just five this past Sunday.

To a degree, I would guess that Deguara somewhat being phased out of the offense as the season progressed may have always been a part of the plan with the Packers spending a second-round pick on Luke Musgrave, a third-round pick on Tucker Kraft, and claiming rookie Ben Sims off waivers following roster cutdowns.

However, I’m not so sure that it was part of the plan to have Deguara’s playing time fall of cliff so quickly either. This result is likely a partial product of the progression that the team has seen from both Musgrave and Kraft, but also the play of Deguara.

For the most part, Deguara has been a non-factor in the passing game, catching eight targets, four of which came in one game, at 8.1 yards per catch. As a blocker, which is his primary responsibility, Deguara ranks 50th out of 83 eligible tight ends in PFF’s run-blocking grade, while in pass protection, he ranks 81st.

On special teams, he ranks 44th out of 51 Packers players in overall grade, and a missed blocking assignment that led to Anders Carlson’s extra point attempt being blocked in Pittsburgh.

“We gotta get our eyes on our work and make sure that we punch the near shoulder of the widest rusher,” coach Matt LaFleur said about the blocked extra point.

No, PFF’s grades are not the be-all-end-all, but if a player is performing well, they often reflect that. And the same can be said for poor performances as well. Deguara’s main playing time now comes when the Packers want a fullback on the field.

With such a young group of tight ends, a position that comes with a steep learning curve, Deguara was never going to be the answer for the Packers this season. It’s clear, that they wanted Musgrave and Kraft to see as much playing time as possible and were going to live with the inconsistencies that came with relying on so much inexperience at this position. With that said, I’m sure that there was some hope that Deguara would be able to provide at least some stability through this transition.

In recent weeks, the offense is really starting to feel the downfield impact of Musgrave in the passing game with four explosive pass catches over the last two games. Both Musgrave and Kraft have also progressed as blockers, playing a key role in an improved run game for the Packers.

“They’ve improved a lot,” said Adam Stenavich of Musgrave and Kraft. “I think that’s one of the biggest things as we’ve gotten going, I think our run game has gotten better and better every week. They have just as much to do with that as anybody with just how they are improving. They still have a long ways to go. There’s no doubt about that, but I do see a lot of strides those guys are making. Just holding down the edge and being physical.”

Along with Deguara’s role shrinking, it looks like Sims’ role has as well. Early in the season, he was ahead of Kraft in terms of snap counts, but played just five snaps against Los Angeles and didn’t play at all versus the Steelers.

Deguara is currently playing out the final year of his rookie deal, and will be a free agent during the 2024 offseason.

Packers TE Josiah Deguara makes ‘major miscue’ on blocked PAT vs. Steelers

Packers TE Josiah Deguara made a “major miscue” on the critical blocked PAT against the Steelers.

Green Bay Packers tight end Josiah Deguara made a critical error while in protection on a blocked extra point during Sunday’s 23-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Deguara, lined up as the widest protection player to the left of the field goal protection group, allowed Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson to get around the corner and block the extra point following Jayden Reed’s 35-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

“We gotta get our eyes on our work and make sure that we punch the near shoulder of the widest rusher,” coach Matt LaFleur said Monday.

Deguara hesitated and didn’t get nearly enough of Peterson, who flew past mostly unaffected. With no player threatening inside his right shoulder, Deguara’s job is to make sure the outside rusher is forced wide and away from the kick.

LaFleur described the mistake as a “major miscue” in a game filled with missed opportunities.

The block kept the game at 17-13, and the lost point in the first half ended up being huge in the fourth quarter as the Packers drove the field and were in field goal range on the final drive. Instead of attempting a game-tying field goal, the Packers had to go for a touchdown from the 16-yard line, and Jordan Love was intercepted as time expired. The Steelers had seven players lined up in coverage defending the end zone.

Deguara, now in his fourth year, has played 24 snaps on field goal protection this season and 61 in his career.

Here’s the blocked extra point:

Packers return WR Dontayvion Wicks, lose TE Josiah Deguara to open Thursday’s practice

Rookie WR Dontayvion Wicks returned to practice Thursday, but TE Josiah Deguara was out with a new calf injury.

The Green Bay Packers returned rookie receiver Dontayvion Wicks but were without tight end Josiah Deguara to open Thursday’s practice, the seventh of training camp.

Wicks missed four practices after suffering a concussion. The fifth-round pick was back in full pads on Thursday. While he now has ground to make up at receiver, opportunities remain available behind Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed. Wicks missed only two padded practices and should be available for Family Night at Lambeau Field on Saturday night.

Deguara is being held out due to a new calf injury. He exited Tuesday’s practice, and now we know why. A versatile H-back type, Deguara is the most experienced tight end on the roster and has been running with the first-team offense throughout training camp. The Packers would suddenly be thin on depth and exceedingly inexperienced at tight end if Deguara has to miss significant time. The only other tight ends on the roster are rookies Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, first-year player Austin Allen and Tyler Davis. Deguara’s absence could open more opportunities for Henry Pearson, a rookie from Appalachian State who has played fullback for Matt LaFleur to open camp.

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NFC North Roundtable: Player to avoid in dynasty fantasy football leagues

Our NFC North wire editors answered the question of which player you should avoid in dynasty fantasy football leagues.

The Chicago Bears are building around Justin Fields, the Detroit Lions are entering the season as betting favorites to win the division, the Green Bay Packers are transitioning from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love and the Minnesota Vikings are attempting to repeat as division champs for the first time since 2008-09.

There’s a lot going on in the NFC North this season.

In the latest of a series of posts previewing the division ahead of the 2023 season, Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire, Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire, Zach Kruse of Packers Wire and Tyler Forness of Vikings Wire answered the question: What player should you avoid in dynasty fantasy football leagues?

NFL draft history: Every player selected with the 94th overall pick since 2000

We’re looking at every prospect selected with the 94th overall pick since the 2000 NFL Draft and the Philadelphia Eagles’ chances of landing an impact player.

The Eagles need impact players on both sides of the ball, and with two first-round picks in this month’s draft, Howie Roseman will have another opportunity to add depth to a Super Bowl-caliber roster.

With so much parity in college football now, third-round picks offer an opportunity to land a dynamic player, but the list of No. 94 overall picks has left much to be desired.

With the NFL draft fast approaching, we’re looking at every player selected with the 94th pick since 2000.

Packers add TE Josiah Deguara to Week 18 injury report with new calf injury

Packers TE Josiah Deguara was a DNP during Thursday’s practice because of a new calf injury.

The Green Bay Packers added tight end Josiah Deguara to the team’s Week 18 injury report with a new calf injury. Deguara was a non-participant during Thursday’s practice.

Considering he wasn’t listed on the first injury report of the week, Deguara likely suffered the injury at some point during Wednesday’s jog-through practice.

Tight end Marcedes Lewis (veteran’s rest) was the only other player who didn’t practice on Thursday. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was off on Wednesday, returned in a full capacity.

Deguara, now in his third year, has played 245 snaps from scrimmage this season, mostly as an on-the-move run blocker for coach Matt LaFleur. The 2020 third-round pick has 13 catches on 15 targets for 114 yards and zero touchdowns on 98 routes run this season. Deguara has also played 193 special teams snaps, the fifth-most on the roster in 2022.

If Deguara can’t play against the Detroit Lions in the season finale, the Packers may need more from reserve tight end Tyler Davis, who can probably handle some of the move-blocking assignments. Rich Bisaccia would also need to find a backup to play on kickoff return, punt return and punt coverage, Deguara’s main special teams roles.

On the positive side, all six players who were limited on Wednesday – left tackle David Bakhtiari, left guard Elgton Jenkins, running back Aaron Jones, right tackle Yosh Nijman, kickoff returner/cornerback Keisean Nixon and receiver Christian Watson – all practiced again on Thursday.

The Lions were without center Frank Ragnow and defensive lineman Michael Brockers on Thursday.

The Packers and Lions will provide a final injury report with injury designations on Friday. It’s possible Deguara will be the only player with a designation on the Packers’ final report in Week 18.

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Packers film room: Josiah Deguara excels in expanded role against Bills

This week’s Packers Film Room dives into the role Josiah Deguara had on the team’s 208 rushing yards on Sunday against the Bills.

The Green Bay Packers got an unexpected boost in the run game from tight end Josiah Deguara against the Buffalo Bills. The Packers rushed for 208 yards against the NFL’s top run defense, thanks to some key blocks from Deguara.

The former-third round pick has had a quiet third season. He has played less than 20 percent of the snaps on offense, but that could change after last week’s performance in which he played a season-high 30 snaps. In Buffalo, Deguara was a man-possessed freeing up rushing lanes for running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.

Because Deguara’s role is highly specialized, his usage as a pro has been limited. Deguara isn’t your traditional tight end. He is more of an H-back, which is what the Packers were expecting when they selected him 94th overall in 2020. Many were surprised by the pick of a modern-day fullback on the second day of the draft, but Deguara’s impact could grow if Green Bay continues to use him as they did against the Bills.

Let’s take a look at the film to see how the Packers implemented Deguara’s versatile skillset in week 8.

This was an interesting use of Deguara (#81) out of shotgun. He starts out off the screen on the outside but motions across the field to become a blocker in pass protection. Notice how the offensive line shifts the pocket, leaving Deguara one-on-one with Gregory Rousseau. The 2021 first-round pick is an effective pass rusher with five sacks on the season, but Deguara goes head-up with him and gives Aaron Rodgers plenty of time to find Dillon in the flat.

The Packers start in I-formation, with Deguara as the fullback. Pre-snap, Deguara motions into an offset look to give the illusion that the run is going to the right. However, he quickly cuts back to the left post-snap, signaling a misdirection run. Both Deguara and David Bakhtiari make key blocks on this play, and Deguara does a good job of sticking the linebacker so Jones can run behind him for a nice gain.

Here is another look at Deguara as a lead blocker. He is super quick off the ball and understands where his eyes need to be on this power-run play. Again, Deguara walls off linebacker Matt Milano, creating a nice lane for Jones.

Of course, not every rep from Deguara was clean as a whistle. Here he is lined up in the slot on a power run play to his side of the field. Multiple guys miss their assignments, and Deguara is one of them, as he fails to block Tremaine Edmunds. It doesn’t look like Deguara has a strong base or enough outside leverage to impede Edmunds. If he flipped his hips more and had better balance, this would’ve been a better rep.

Deguara only had five receptions for 56 yards coming into this game, but I think he is worthy of more looks in the passing game. We see here that he goes in motion and then does a quick block to widen out the edge rusher before spilling into the flat. Deguara is wide-open and could pick up a sizable gain if he wasn’t the fourth option on this play call. With more time, Rodgers probably hits Deguara.

Deguara had just one catch against the Bills, but it came on a beautiful second-down call. The play starts with him blocking before he slips out of it into a TE screen. We get to see Deguara’s run-after-catch ability as he shows good acceleration to pick up nine yards.

Let’s finish off with an effective split-zone block from Deguara. This time he comes across the formation and quickly finds corner Taron Johnson. Deguara consistently found the right man on blocks, and we see it again here so Dillon can pick up nine yards.

Conclusion

Green Bay’s run blocking was poetry in motion against Buffalo, and Deguara was a key component of that. It was easily his best game of the season, as he showcased his ability to block from a variety of alignments. Whether it be misdirection or motion, Deguara can create different looks for the defense to sort through. His prowess as a lead blocker should make him a candidate for more snaps moving forward as long as the Packers can commit to running the ball.

Packers TE Josiah Deguara ‘clicking on all cylinders’ in bigger role

With his injury from last year behind him, Packers TE Josiah Deguara is playing fast and playing well in a bigger role.

Green Bay Packers tight end Josiah Deguara has put last year’s injury behind him and is now flourishing in a bigger role while replacing Robert Tonyan on offense.

Deguara, the Packers’ 2020 third-round pick, has at least two catches in six straight games, and he produced a season-high 44 receiving yards on three catches last week against the Chicago Bears.

“Yeah, he’s clicking on all cylinders. He’s doing a really good job for us for now. He’s playing fast. He’s come alive in every facet,” tight ends coach Justin Outten said.

Deguara tore his ACL in Week 5 of last season and missed the rest of the year. Outten admitted the young tight end battled some hesitancy while working his way back from the injury, one of the most significant in the spot.

Now, Deguara is playing fast and the injury is no longer a factor.

“He’s put himself in a really good spot right now,” Outten said.

Deguara has improved both in the passing game as a receiver to all levels and in the run game as a blocker. And more and more, it appears he’s on the same page with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, likely a result of more reps and more playing time.

At Pro Football Focus, Deguara has graded out as one of the team’s best run-blockers during two of the last three games.

“You see the growth right now,” Outten said.

Deguara played a season-high 37 snaps against the Bears, and he’s been on the field on offense for at least 25 snaps in four straight games. Tonyan went down in Week 8, and Deguara’s role has slowly increased.