JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fifty-three is the magic number.
The Jaguars got their roster down to 53 players as cut day in the NFL arrived.
Recommended Videos
I don’t want to call it the final roster because the Jaguars own the No. 1 wavier priority and can use that to add some talent to the team on Wednesday.
RELATED | Jaguars trim roster to 53 on NFL cut day
RELATED | Vaccination status was considered during Jaguars’ final cuts
SUBSCRIBE | Have our News4Jags newsletter delivered to your inbox
Coach Urban Meyer has already expressed interest in adding a wide receiver and a running back. I would add cornerback to that list of needs. In Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke’s first time building a roster together they made one thing very clear.
Special teams are important.
As you look through the roster, any player that is not a starter better have special teams value or else they will be looking for a new team.
The Jaguars’ 53-man roster
Quarterback: Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Beathard.
No surprises here. The rookie QB will lead the way with Beathard operating as the veteran clipboard holder.
Running back (3): James Robinson, Carlos Hyde, Dare Ogunbowale.
With only three running backs, the Jaguars are a little thin here. Meyer mentioned wanting to add a player at this spot. Robinson and Hyde are both expected to share the workload. Any running back brought in would need to be more of a passing specialist if they are going to find a role on the offense.
Tight end (3): Chris Manhertz, James O’Shaughnessy, Luke Farrell.
A solid bunch here. No real dynamic pass catcher in the group but O’Shaughnessy is a reliable target. The true calling card of this group will be their run blocking. That is what two of the three specialize in. Meyer has spoken often about them being an extension of the offensive line.
Wide receiver (5): DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, Marvin Jones, Jamal Agnew, Tavon Austin.
Receiver is one of the spots that was shaken up the most on cut day. Injuries played a big role in how things shook out. Meyer said the team wanted to keep Phillip Dorsett, but he is dealing with a hamstring issue. With on five receivers left on the roster, three of them have injuries; Chark (finger), Jones (shoulder), Austin (quad). Meyer said he expects all three to be ready for Week 1, but that does still carry some concern. The Jaguars will likely add at least one new wide receiver to the team through waivers and will carry at least two on the practice squad.
Offensive line (8): Cam Robinson, Andrew Norwell, Brandon Linder, Jawaan Taylor, Walker Little, Tyler Shatley, Ben Bartch, Will Richardson Jr., (AJ Cann is on the Reserve/COVID-19 list).
The offensive line was relatively simple to put together. The starting five and the top two backups were both set. The only somewhat surprising move was keeping Will Richardson. Richardson struggled during camp but had a good final game against the Cowboys. He provides versatility in his ability to play both guard and tackle which is good to have since the Jaguars’ only true backup tackle is Walker Little.
Defensive line (7): Roy Robertson-Harris, Malcom Brown, DaVon Hamilton, Jay Tufele, Taven Bryan, Adam Gotsis, Daniel Ekuale.
The big surprise is in this group. The Jaguars opting to keep Bryan around for another year. Bryan’s effort on the field during the preseason was clear. This coaching staff believes in his physical talent. It will be interesting to see if they can get him to maximize those gifts on the field. Bryan did mention that this defensive scheme is similar to what he played in at Florida and feels more comfortable in the defense than he has in previous years.
EDGE (7): Josh Allen, Dawuane Smoot, K’Lavon Chaisson, Jihad Ward, Jordan Smith, Aaron Patrick, Lerentee McCray.
The top guys on the edge have been set since Day 1. The Jaguars are extremely thin at this position. Patrick and McCray were both able to sneak onto the roster. Patrick has been a favorite of the coaching staff all camp long, while McCray is a core special teams player. But I wouldn’t get used to seeing both of their names on the roster. If the Jaguars do claim players off the waiver wire, I expect both of them to be in the small pool of players in jeopardy.
Linebacker (5): Myles Jack, Damien Wilson, Shaquille Quarterman, Dakota Allen, Chapelle Russell.
The Jaguars shook up the linebacker room early in camp by trading Joe Schobert. Things have leveled out since then, with Wilson, Jack and Quarterman all finding themselves at the top of the depth chart. Allen earned a game ball for his play in one of the preseason games and Russell has shown an ability to be a good special teams player.
Cornerback (5): Shaquill Griffin, CJ Henderson, Tyson Campbell, Tre Herndon, Chris Claybrooks.
After trading Sidney Jones, the Jaguars are frighteningly thin at cornerback. Herndon is still recovering from an MCL strain that held him out of the last two preseason games. And Campbell has a calf strain that held him out against the Cowboys. Meyer seems confident that both will be ready to go against the Texans. If the Jaguars don’t add a new face to their starting cornerback room, they may use the practice squad as a way to add depth at the position. After trading Jones, it should be very clear that Henderson won’t be going anywhere and is locked into a starting job.
Safety (5): Rayshawn Jenkins, Andre Cisco, Rudy Ford, Daniel Thomas, Andrew Wingard.
Safety had made the most impactful cuts of them all. The Jaguars releasing Jarrod Wilson and Josh Jones going on IR means that Cisco will be starting at safety in Week 1. Jones and Wilson were the starting safeties in 2020. That position has been completely reworked. With Rudy Ford playing snaps in the Jaguars dime defense, I can honestly say I did not expect Daniel Thomas or Andrew Wingard to make the roster. Thomas had a great offseason but Covid kept him off the field for a good part of training camp. Ford, Thomas and Wingard are all stand-out special teamers. This position more than any other hammers home the point that Meyer wants to win the special teams battle.
Specialists: K Josh Lambo, P Logan Cooke, LS Ross Matiscik.
No surprises here. After a few scares, Lambo had a good day against the Cowboys and will look to carry that momentum into the regular season. The Jaguars did bring in a kicker on Tuesday for a tryout, but Meyer said that is because they want to keep a backup on the practice squad.
Looking at the roster as a whole, I think the front office did a good job infusing new talent at every level of the roster. But there is still room for improvement. Despite what we saw during the first two preseason games I expect the offense to put up 20-plus points a game. The defense, on the other hand, is another story. While they will be improved at stopping the run, I don’t see much improvement coming in the pass rush. I expect them to be a middle-of-the-pack defense. That will mean Trevor Lawrence will be in a lot of shootouts this season. I’m standing by my prediction that the Jaguars finish the year with a 6-11record. Not the year that Meyer wants to see but it will lay the foundation for future success.