Tag: Tim Jones

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Key matchups

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Key matchups

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Week 9 coming off a rough loss to Green Bay at home and look to get back into the win column in a tough road matchup in Philadelphia.

However, the Jaguars may be without several key players at key positions this weekend. This could pose some issues for a team that is looking to secure their second win in three weeks. A win against the Eagles could boost a ton of confidence into a roster and coaching staff that needs it.

Philadelphia has seemed to right the ship after a rocky start to the season, having played some of its best football in all phases in recent weeks. Jacksonville looks to slow their momentum and steal the home field advantage in this weekend’s late Sunday afternoon bout.

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at a couple of the key matchups against the Eagles that could be critical in securing win No. 3 for the Jaguars.

Jacksonville’s skill players vs. Philadelphia’s secondary

The Jaguars got beat up this past weekend against the Packers.

Standout slot receiver Christian Kirk went down with a broken collarbone and is out for the season. Rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr. is said to be a game-time decision with a rib injury but head coach Doug Pederson suggested earlier this week it will likely come down to pain tolerance for team’s top playmaker. Receiver Gabe Davis is also nursing a shoulder injury.

This means second-year wideout Parker Washington, top tight end Evan Engram, Tim Jones, and a practice squad call-up could be the ones trotting out against a sound Eagles secondary.

Philadelphia is getting some quality play from some of their younger talents, including rookie defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. While Darius Slay is out with a groin injury this week, the Eagles have capable depth in Kelee Ringo and Isaiah Rodgers.

Their safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship, and Sydney Brown make up the rest of a secondary that is built to take on the vertical stretching ability of the Jaguars offense.

The Eagles 57.1 passer rating against deep targets is the fifth-lowest in football, according to Next Gen Stats. This doesn’t bold well for Trevor Lawrence skill players, especially if Thomas can’t go this weekened.

Yet, should Thomas be healthy, it will be a significant boost for an offense that will need him to continue to be the top playmaker he has been this season. Look for the Eagles to play plenty of disguised coverages from a Cover 3 base alignment that will allow them to rotate to play more match and quarters coverage.

Jacksonville’s defense vs. Philadelphia’s offense

This is seemingly nightmare fuel for a Jaguars defense that is in the bottom-five in most statistical defenses.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley have been terrors on the ground against opposing defenses. These two have allowed the Eagles to field the second-best rushing offense in the NFL behind the juggernaut Baltimore Ravens run game.

It doesn’t help that wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have been outstanding this season in the passing game, posing more trouble for a lowly Jaguars secondary.

Jacksonville has struggled to penetrate the backfield consistently this season despite the talents of pass rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker along with interior linemen DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead. Inconsistency has been a constant theme for defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and his defense overall.

Putting it bluntly, this is not a well-coached defense and a man-heavy system that has put players on all three levels in a disadvantageous position. However, the key to finding some improvement is simple: an increase in zone coverage variations and blitzes.

Jacksonville has the lowest blitz-rate in the league and that must change if they want to give their secondary a chance to make plays on pressure-influenced passes. If this were to happen Sunday and the Jaguars force Hurts into bad decisions with the football, there is a path to a successful day against a strong Eagles offense.

5 Jaguars players most likely to get moved at the 2023 trade deadline

The Jaguars won’t be big sellers at the trade deadline, but there are a few players on the roster that the team might not mind moving.

There’s no reason for the Jacksonville Jaguars to be sellers before the NFL’s Oct. 31 trade deadline.

Still, if a team comes calling it never hurts to listen. And while the Jaguars won’t be interested in parting with any players who could play an integral role in the team making a postseason run, there are a few players on the roster who they could do just fine without.

It’s unlikely that Jacksonville will want to part with players from its AFC South-leading roster. But if the team does make a deal that sends someone elsewhere, here are five Jaguars players who are the most likely to get traded ahead of the deadline:

Jaguars’ Tim Jones prepared to step up with Zay Jones out

Doug Pederson says the Jaguars will look to Tim Jones more in Zay Jones’ absence.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without wide receiver Zay Jones on Sunday for a Week 3 game against the Houston Texans due to a knee injury.

To fill the void, the Jaguars moved veteran receiver Jacob Harris from the practice squad to the active roster. But the bigger beneficiary from the ‘next man up’ philosophy may be Tim Jones.

“That’s a big one, he’s a big part of what we’re doing,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday of the loss of Zay Jones. “Tim Jones has had some playing experience for us and can fill that role quite nicely. Zay is a physical receiver who does some of the blocking for us as well, Tim has done that before and what not. Tim will get some work if Zay can’t go.”

Tim Jones, 25, first joined the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent after the 2021 NFL draft and spent the majority of his rookie year on the team’s practice squad. A year later, he showed enough in camp to make the team’s final 53-man roster.

Now in his third year in the NFL, Jones has three career receptions for 30 yards. While Sunday could be an opportunity to add to his receiving totals, it was business as usual for the receiver on the practice field.

“It doesn’t necessarily change what I do, because I prepare the same way every week,” Jones said Friday. “In my role, I have to know every single position just in case anything were to happen on the field. … I’ll just stick to what I’ve been doing and see what happens.”

There’s no shortage of options for the Jaguars offense with eight wide receivers and three tight ends on the active roster following the elevation of Harris. But Jacksonville has scratched rookies Parker Washington and Elijah Cooks in the first two weeks and probably won’t be able to fill Zay Jones’ role with Jamal Agnew.

“We’re fortunate in that we have versatile pieces,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Thursday. “We have guys like Tim [Jones], guys like [Agnew] that provide different elements.”

Through the first two weeks of the 2023 season, Calvin Ridley leads the Jaguars in targets with 19. Christian Kirk has 17 while Evan Engram and Zay Jones have 13 each.

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Tim Jones made his case to be on Jaguars’ 53-man roster

Tim Jones punctuated his case to earn the final spot in the Jaguars’ wide receiving room.

The battle to be the final wide receiver on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 53-man roster has been tight with Tim Jones, Jacob Harris, Elijah Cooks, Seth Williams, and Kevin Austin Jr. all fighting for (presumably) one spot.

On Saturday night, Jones punctuated his case by torching the Miami Dolphins secondary for a 74-yard touchdown.

Jones, 25, spent most of his rookie year in 2021 on the Jaguars’ practice squad and earned a place on the 53-man roster last season. That experience in the system has made him a favorite to be on the roster again in 2023, and he’s made more than just one play to show he deserves the spot.

While the soft-spoken Jones only said a few words after the game about the blocking and special teams he can bring to the Jaguars, it was his teammate Christian Kirk who really went to bat for the third-year receiver.

“He means a lot to our room,” Kirk told 1010XL’s Mia O’Brien on Saturday night. “Just his approach, his mentality. Definitely a quieter, more laidback guy, but just a guy who does things the right way. A guy you can trust.

“Sometimes he comes in on third- or fourth-and-short and, when the whole defense knows they’re running the ball, he’s got to go make the most important block on the field. It’s definitely an important role for us and being able to play special teams too and, just honestly, make the plays when your number is called. He’s definitely a great guy for it.”

Jones caught three passes for 30 yards during the 2022 season and was on the field for 145 offensive snaps and 152 special teams snaps.

The Jaguars have to cut their roster down from 90 players to 53 players before 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

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Jaguars 2023 roster review: WR Tim Jones

After spending 2021 on the practice squad, Tim Jones earned a spot on the Jaguars’ 53-man roster in 2022.

The brunt of the offseason is in the books and training camp is still off on the horizon. Join us in the NFL’s dead zone with a player-by-player review of the Jaguars roster ahead of the 2023 season.

Tim Jones earned his spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2022 active roster the hard way. After joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2021, he spent his entire rookie year on the practice squad.

A year later, he impressed in training camp and preseason to earn his place.

With Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Marvin Jones Jr. all ahead of him on the depth chart, targets didn’t come often for the third Jones. But if he continues his ascension, Jones could be a bigger part of the Jaguars offense in 2023.

Contract (2023): $870,000 base salary, $870,000 cap hit.

Acquired: Jaguars claimed Pryor off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals on May 1, 2021.

PFF grades:

  • 51.0 (2022)

Statistics:

  • Three receptions, 30 yards (2022)

Highlight:

Quote: “He took advantage of his opportunities. That has been my message since I got here. Everyone gets an opportunity and the ones that grasp it get chances in this league.” – Jaguars coach Doug Pederson on Jones

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) Leonard Taylor (No. 49)
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) Jordan Smith (No. 92) Tyler Lacy (No. 93) Folorunso Fatukasi (No. 94)
Roy Robertson-Harris (No. 95) Adam Gotsis (No. 96) Nick Thurman (No. 97) Michael Dogbe (No. 98) Jeremiah Ledbetter (No. 99) Brandon McManus
Jacob Harris

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Watch: Trevor Lawrence’s first throwing session with Calvin Ridley

Trevor Lawrence, Calvin Ridley, Evan Engram, Jamal Agnew, and co. are already putting in work ahead of the 2023 season.

The 2023 NFL season is still five months away, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are wasting no time getting the preparation started.

A day after Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence revealed that he’d already had a throwing session with his new wide receiver, Calvin Ridley, video of that workout was released Wednesday night.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqq_PJxgszw/

The video, via NFL photographer Aaron Berkshire, also features Jaguars tight ends Evan Engram and Luke Farrell, as well as receivers Jamal Agnew, Tim Jones, and Kevin Austin Jr.

It also appears as though newly signed backup quarterback Nathan Rourke got in a few throws.

At the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reported that Jaguars coach Doug Pederson anticipated Lawrence linking up with Ridley on his own time in the offseason. Evidently, it didn’t take long for the 23-year-old quarterback to round up several of his playmakers.

The Jaguars’ offseason program officially begins on April 17 with organized team activities (OTAs) starting on May 22.

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Jaguars bring back 4 exclusive-rights free agents

The Jaguars’ decision to bring back four exclusive-rights free agents, including Riley Patterson, was made official Wednesday.

With the start of the new league year, the NFL released a list of restricted and exclusive-rights free agents who didn’t receive a qualifying offer from their team and, thus, became unrestricted free agents at 4 p.m. ET.

The only Jacksonville Jaguars player on the list was cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, who quickly reached a one-year deal with the Jaguars anyway.

That means that the Jaguars’ four exclusive-rights free agents — kicker Riley Patterson, wide receiver Tim Jones, and offensive linemen Cole Van Lanen and Blake Hance — were all tendered by the team and are set to return in 2023.

Jaguars Wire previously reported the team’s unsurprising decision to bring back Patterson, but the additional returns of Jones, Van Lance, and Hance aren’t particularly shocking either. It only costs Jacksonville a minimum-wage offer to bring back each player.

Patterson played the most significant role of the four, recording the third most points in a single season in franchise history, including a couple clutch kicks as time expired.

Jones contributed on offense and special teams, but recorded just three receptions on the year for 30 yards. Van Lanen took 18 offensive snaps and 63 on special teams. Hance was on the field for 27 offensive snaps and 44 special teams snaps.

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WATCH: QB E.J. Perry hits WR Tim Jones for huge gain late in first quarter

This highlight-reel play was one of the most exciting moments of the #Jaguars first quarter against the #Falcons

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ hot start continued on their second drive after the first play from scrimmage saw them intercept Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder. Third-string Jaguars signal-caller E.J. Perry hit fan-favorite receiver Tim Jones for a 49-yard gain to get the ball moving downfield at Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Watch this highlight-reel pass from Perry to Jones that occurred late in the first quarter:

Perry and Jones are in contention for a spot on the Jaguars’ final 53-man roster, and this play will certainly give coaches something to think about while they’re deciding who they’ll keep heading into the regular season. They are both rookies, seeing their first action in Jacksonville in this preseason.

Perry played his college ball in the Ivy League at Brown and was a standout for the Bears last season. One of the most intriguing passers in this year’s draft, he managed to go undrafted but has found some success with the Jaguars in limited snaps in the preseason.

On the other hand, Jones played at Southern Mississippi, and also signed with Jacksonville after going undrafted back in April. Jones has been one of the best receivers on Jacksonville’s offense in these exhibition games but is far from a guaranteed lock to make the final roster next week.

With just three quarters remaining for these promising young talents to make their case to be part of the Jaguars’ 2022 rebuild, expect more outstanding efforts from them as they fight to prove they could be assets to Jacksonville’s offense this season.

WRs Josh Imatorbhebhe, Tim Jones revert to Jags’ IR list after clearing waivers

Josh Imatorbhebhe and Tim Jones have cleared waivers and will be headed to IR for the Jags.

Two of the players who the Jacksonville Jaguars waived on Tuesday have cleared waivers and will revert to the team’s injured reserve list. Those players were receivers Josh Imatorbhebhe and Tim Jones, both of whom missed the Jags’ first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns with unspecified injuries Saturday.

Both Imatorbhebhe and Jones joined the Jags after going undrafted in May. Imatorbhebhe, who many saw as a potential red-zone threat due to his 46.5-inch vert (would’ve been a combine record) joined the team after playing collegiate football at the University of Illinois, where he finished with 55 catches for 931 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

As for Jones, he went to Southern Miss and exited his collegiate career there with 150 receptions for 2,011 yards and nine touchdowns.

Both players will not count against the Jags’ current roster on injured reserve. They will join defensive tackle Daniel Ross there, who was also a player who the Jags placed on injured reserve Tuesday after he suffered an ankle injury Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.

Jags waive TE Tim Tebow among other roster moves

Tim Tebow’s return to the NFL has come to an end for now as the Jags waived him Tuesday. Four other roster moves were made, too.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars having to trim their roster down to 85 players, they started their morning making five transactions to get them there. Among them was the release of former first-round quarterback turned tight end, Tim Tebow.

The other moves the Jags made were as follows:

Tebow made his NFL return and joined the Jags after last being on a team on May 20 after he retired from Class AAA baseball for the New York Mets. He had last been with the NFL in 2015 with the Philadelphia Eagles but was waived before the regular season. Tebow, who was a first-round pick in 2010 for the Denver Broncos, was attempting to make a regular season roster for the first time since 2012.

In Saturday’s preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, Tebow didn’t register any stats but appeared to be targeted once for a pass that receiver Tavon Austin ended up snagging and advancing up the field. He also had a rough night with the blocking aspect of the game and was a player who was going to need a lot of time.

Cornerback DJ Daniel, who was waived, joined the team as an undrafted free agent after the 2021 NFL Draft out of Georgia. He only saw four snaps in the Jags preseason opener.

Both Josh Imatorbhebhe and Tim Jones, who are receivers, didn’t play in Saturday’s game due to injuries. Meanwhile, Daniel Ross sustained an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of the game after sustaining a chop block from a Browns offensive lineman.