Jaguars coach
Doug Marrone is dreading Saturday’s looming roster cuts, when the team must pare its roster from 89 to 53 players for the regular season.
JACKSONVILLE — Jaguars coach Doug Marrone didn’t begin his Tuesday morning news conference discussing position battles or objectives to meet before the preseason ends on Thursday night at Tampa Bay.
Instead, he acknowledged that he was feeling down because of Saturday’s looming cuts — when the Jaguars must pare their roster from 89 players to 53 for the regular season.
And it will be Marrone’s job to meet individually with each of the 36 players who will be waived.
“For me, this is probably the worst part of the job,” Marrone said. “I’m down. I always get down this week. Every time this week comes up, every year for me it’s hard. When you’re in, it’s great. You’re in the locker room every day. Everything is great and then all of a sudden, when you’re out, you’re out.”
Marrone has a connection because he was a player on the proverbial bubble when he entered the NFL as an undrafted offensive lineman out of Syracuse in 1987.
Though he played briefly for the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints, he was cut six times.
“I’ve been one of those guys,” said Marrone, who played for the London Monarchs of the World League in 1991. “I kind of look back on how I felt. You build those relationships. You sit next to them [teammates] every single day and you’re eating with them every single day and you’re out there on the field with them and working with each other or working against each other. You’re together quite a bit. After you walk out of the building, there is no counseling or anything like that.
“All of a sudden, all of the resources you had — free food, the trainers, massages — it’s all gone. It’s a lifechanging experience and it’s one that is difficult because I think for me, I always had my focus just on making the team and playing. I was not really thinking about, ‘When this day comes and I’m not playing, what am I going to do?’ Maybe some other people are better prepared, but I know that I wasn’t.”
Though Marrone was subdued, the Jaguars locker room had a festive atmosphere after Tuesday’s practice.
Linebacker Myles Jack walked around holding a television camera while interviewing teammates.
Tim Cook, who is competing with Brandon Wilds for the fourth-string run- ning back spot, sat at his locker stall sharing stories and laughs with tight end Niles Paul.
Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Darius Jackson, who is a fifth-string defensive end, took in his teammates enjoying themselves but knows that it could be his final week seeing his name plate above his locker.
Jackson said Thursday night’s preseason finale against Tampa Bay is going to be as big as any game he has played.
“I’m auditioning for the 31 other teams and the Jags,” said Jackson, who played at Jacksonville State. “I’m really going to try and put my best foot forward and execute my assignments and try to make plays possible. I feel like I’m going to get out there and be able to do what I can, considering I didn’t get as many reps during the first three preseason games as I wanted to. I’m just trying to stay locked in and wait on my time to play.”
Like Jackson, rookie wide receiver Allen Lazard said he is hoping to provide a strong enough effort against Tampa Bay to help his chances.
“I’m just excited to get this opportunity as an undrafted free agent,” Lazard said. “I go out there every day to try and show them in practices and games that I can play and help this organization win games. Obviously, I would love to be on the field as much as possible and have an impact on the game as I can. I just want to prove to them what I can do.”