These three players may not play for the Jaguars in 2024 despite having signed with them earlier this year. During the offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars improved a number of position groups.
They objectively appear better than they did at the end of 2023, even though they could still fill a few holes. The top half of the roster, in particular, appears significantly better. To be honest, there won’t be many starting positions available for the Jags. However, there will be fierce competition for a small number of reserve positions.
This is not good news for periphery players. These three, who only recently joined the squad in the offseason, might even be cut before they get to play a single Jacksonville snap.
Since the Jaguars have Evan Engram at tight end, they don’t really need him. The former Ole Miss Rebel, who was signed as a free agency in 2022, has since established himself as a crucial member of the offense, catching 187 passes for 1,729 yards and eight touchdowns in the previous two seasons.
Nevertheless, the team’s executives undoubtedly desire increased output from the remainder of their tight-end group. Luke Farrell has grown into an excellent player who complements others.
The 2021 fifth-round pick, who isn’t much of a pass-catcher, will occasionally enter the football field and grab a few passes when necessary. His greatest contributions, though, are made as a blocker. Brenton Strange, a sophomore, is also involved.
Strange, a second-round selection in the previous draft, was unable to establish himself as an offensive player. It’s anticipated that he would get better in 2024, in which case signing Josiah Deguara might not have been essential. In 2020, Deguara was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round.
Over the previous four seasons, he has made 50 appearances, 10 of which were starts, and has 47 receptions for 436 yards and two touchdowns. His ability to align himself at various points along the line of scrimmage could be useful in Jacksonville. Still, there isn’t much of a difference between his and Farrell’s production.
In the event that Strange makes progress and the Jaguars are forced to decide between Farrell and Deguara. Most likely, they will choose the well-known face.
CB Tre Flowers could be cut before he plays a snap for the Jaguars
The Jaguars received criticism for waiting until the third round of the draft to choose Jarrian Jones and failing to address the cornerback position in the first two rounds. Judging from his flashes at Organized Team Activities, perhaps it wasn’t such a horrible idea.
However, even after drafting Jones, the front office realized they still needed to add depth at the position, which is why they signed Tre Flowers. Considering that Flowers was a player for Jacksonville’s defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen while he was the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator, this move makes sense.
A 2021 midseason trade to the Cincinnati Bengals saw him arrive to the Falcons the following year after being selected in the fifth round by the Seahawks in 2018.
The Oklahoma State graduate has played in 90 games in his career, making 44 starts (30 of which came in his first two seasons), recording four interceptions and five passes defensed.
Given his reasonable $1.25 million one-year contract, he might prove to be a quiet but reliable acquisition. That being said, it might be difficult for Flowers to get onto the roster. In Week 1, Tyson Campbell and Ronald Darby are the likely starters.
Jones may start the season as Darby’s primary backup, but he may eventually replace Darby in the starting lineup.
Montaric Brown, Gregory Junior, and Chris Braswell are also members of the Jaguars’ roster. Among the group, Braswell could have the most potential. However, after being picked in 2022, Brown and Junior have gotten better every time.
Flowers will have to demonstrate his worth to be on the roster above players like Brown and Junior. He’ll have an opportunity at training camp. He might be peering in from outside, though, for the time being.
OL Jack Anderson could be cut before he plays a snap for the Jaguars
To guarantee that the offensive line performs far better than it did the previous season, the Jaguars made a few adjustments. Perhaps the most significant was the offseason addition of center Mitch Morse.
Ezra Cleveland and Blake Hance were also signed by the front office in free agency. More recently, after being released by the Indianapolis Colts, they claimed Jack Anderson off waivers.
Buffalo Bills selected Anderson in the seventh round of the 2021 draft. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants before moving to Indianapolis.
He has made 15 appearances throughout his career, making two starts. Throughout his career, the former Texas Tech Red Raider has primarily played guard. He is unlikely to move to the edges, so in training camp, he will have to contend with fourth-year pro Cole Van Lanen, sophomore Cooper Hodges, undrafted free agent Steven Jones, and veteran Tyler Shatley.
After Cleveland and Scherff, all these hog mollies will be fighting for a squad position. Luke Fortner, the center, and two of them may wind up staying with Jacksonville.
Hodges is perhaps the most probable of the group to take the lead reserve position. It’s unclear who might wind up taking the other roster position, so it could be up for grabs. Since coming to the Jags through trade in 2022, Van Lanen has not played much. Though he wasn’t very good last season, Shatley was re-signed in the offseason.
Even though Jones is the oldest player on the team, Anderson would still need to defeat Van Lanen and Shately in order to get a position. He could find that hill to be too steep.
Never say never, but nobody will bat an eye if Anderson ends up getting the boot on roster cutdown day.
