In the wake of a brutal loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night, the Jacksonville Jaguars made a series of cuts yesterday as they look to cut their roster to 80 players. The day started with the release of outside linebacker Wyatt Ray, then news broke that cornerback Shabari Davis had gotten the ax too.
When it was all said and done, the Jaguars waived five players while outright releasing a sixth to bring their number of total players under contract to 80. Among the players waived in addition to Ray and Davis were offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel, tight end Grayson Gunter, and receiver Lujuan Winningham. The remaining player released was receiver Marvin Hall.
Jacksonville also released veteran defensive tackle Malcolm Brown in the middle of last week, likely in a bid to allow him time to catch on somewhere else.
At this juncture in the preseason, the door to a roster spot is wide open for players who have made it this far in a team’s training camp process. Final roster decisions will be made after joint practices against the Atlanta Falcons this week, with Saturday’s game at Mercedes Benz Stadium serving as a final dress rehearsal before the regular season begins.
It is unlikely that any of the players who got cut would’ve been able to do enough to make the final roster if they were still around, so this will be their opportunity to try to find greener pastures elsewhere. Don’t be surprised to see guys like Hall, or Brown go on to see some meaningful action on another team this season, as they’ve all proven to have the goods to make it in the NFL.
As for the rookies and journeymen of the bunch, they’ll be looking to find a spot on a practice squad, and continue to compete for elevation to a 53-man roster later in the season. Jacksonville didn’t designate any of these players as injured, so they should be able to find work once the season starts to take its course across the league.
Other teams are cutting down their rosters too, so watch for the Jaguars to monitor the players who might become available, and make a move if they think they can pick up a promising talent.