Wide receiver Zay Jones, an experienced player, was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday.
This action was taken just five days after they selected Brian Thomas Jr. of LSU with the 23rd overall pick and the day after they made arrangements for Jarvis Landry, a five-time Pro Bowler, to attend rookie minicamp.
In 2024, Jones’ pay was expected to be subject to a salary cap of almost $10.8 million. For someone who was slated to be the team’s fourth receiver at most, that is a lot. In order to save $4.2 million this season, Jacksonville will assume $6.6 million in dead money.
After seven years with Buffalo, Oakland/Las Vegas, Jacksonville, and finally, Jones, who has 3,028 career receiving yards and eighteen touchdowns, missed eight games last season because of hamstring and knee issues. In addition, he was charged with domestic abuse, however this was eventually withdrawn.
He was about to begin the last year of a $24 million, three-year contract with a $14 million guarantee.
Landry, who is keen to rejoin the game after taking a hiatus in 2023, may be signed by the Jaguars using the money they save.
Nine NFL seasons have been played by Landry, four of which he spent with Cleveland and Miami.
With the New Orleans Saints, his hometown team, he inked a one-year, $3 million contract in 2022, but he had a career-low season of 25 receptions for 272 yards and one score. He was placed on the injured reserve in December after missing eight games.
He says he’s healed completely and is prepared to prove he still has what it takes to play in the NFL. For him, Jacksonville might be a suitable fit.
The Jaguars have been putting a lot of effort into expanding Trevor Lawrence’s receiving options, particularly after Christian Kirk suffered an injury near the close of the last campaign. Trent Baalke, the general manager, selected Thomas, added Gabe Davis from Buffalo in free agency, and now gets a close-up look at Landry.
