Jags make moves to meet roster limit
JACKSONVILLE — One trade, four injury-related moves and 17 cuts allowed the Jaguars to set their initial 53-man roster Saturday.
But the busy weekend for executive vice president Tom Coughlin and the Jags will continue today when teams are allowed to claim players on waivers and sign 10-man practice squads.
“Once [the list] of who’s being released is available to everybody, we’ll go to work and the personnel department will work all night,” Coughlin said during a conference call. “We will narrow it down to people that we think can help and we’ll look at them and we’ll see where we are.”
A rundown of the transactions:
The Jaguars traded center/guard Luke Bowanko to the Baltimore Ravens for an undisclosed draft pick.
Cornerback Doran Grant, safety Jarrod Harper and receiver Shane Wynn were waived/injured. If they clear waivers, they are eligible for injured reserve. Receiver Rashad Greene (back) was placed on injured reserve to end his season.
Defensive end Mallicah Goodman and linebackers Andrew Gachkar and Josh McNary were released and are not subject to waivers.
Waived: Tailback Tim Cook receiver Amba EttaTawo, defensive tackle Kevin Maurice, tight ends Alex Ellis and David Grinnage, defensive backs Brian Dixon, Stanley Jean-Baptiste and Tracy Howard, defensive ends Hunter Dimick, Carroll Phillips and Jonathan Woodard, offensive linemen Avery Gennesy, Nila Kasitati and Chris Reed.
The Jaguars have 26 players on offense, 24 on defense and three specialists. Only one of their 13 undrafted free agents (receiver Keelan Cole) made the team. There are 16 new players (30.2 percent of the roster) and seven rookies.
Surprising survivors so far are tight end Neal Sterling, cornerback Jalen Myrick and offensive tackle Jeremiah Poutasi.
Might the Jaguars be in the market for offensive line depth? The line came under fire after sub-par preseason games against Tampa Bay and Carolina, but Coughlin said the decision makers saw some good signs from the reserves against Atlanta.
“Quite frankly, it has been a questionable group, but I Jaguars’ thought there were some things resolved the other night even though it was not against starters,” Coughlin said. “The guys who played did play pretty well.”
Coughlin cited left guard Earl Watford and back-up center Tyler Shatley as two who had good games. The Jaguars also kept reserve tackle Josh Wells (who missed the Atlanta game with an injury).
“We’ve got some versatility,” Coughlin said. “Shatley gave us the idea we have depth at [center]. Watford played, really, for the first time and played pretty well. With Patrick [Omameh] playing left tackle, that was a good thing as well. With Wells able to be a swing guy, we feel we have the best people who competed for positions and jobs in spots where they can help us going forward. Let’s see what happens. Let’s go play.”
The Jaguars drafted left Cam Robinson in the second round, but didn’t address guard in the final five rounds and their trade for veteran Branden Albert didn’t work out (retired after three days of camp).
Asked if not addressing line was a regret, Coughlin said: “Robinson wasn’t a bad investment. … It’s a constant battle: Can you improve radically overnight? We’ll see. I think you can say that at any position, perhaps we wish we were better.”
Another good investment was Cole, who along with cornerback Tyler Patmon were the two players who came out of nowhere.
“[Cole] spent every hour and every minute trying to be a better football player,” Coughlin said. “He’s a guy that definitely earned his spot and hopefully he can just keep getting better.”
Cole should feel safe about being on the roster, but other players should not get comfortable.
The Jaguars have only three tight ends (Marcedes Lewis, Ben Koyack and Sterling) on the roster and that spot could be addressed. Mychal Rivera (hand) was placed on injured reserve Friday, meaning he can’t be designated for return later in the year.
“He has an issue that he has to get resolved … I think he probably needs the entire season to recover and get better,” Coughlin said. “It’s a blow, no doubt. The way he looked in the spring, he would’ve answered some of our issues.”