Jaguars Promote 2 Staffers
- The Jaguars did some reshuffling in their scouting department recently. They promoted DeJuan Polk to director of pro personnel and named Chris Driggers as their pro scouting director, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio tweets. Driggers has been with the Jags since the franchise’s inception, actually joining in 1994 — a year before the team began playing games — and has worked in a scouting capacity for the past 23 years. Polk was hired as the Jags’ assistant pro personnel director in 2016.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/20
Here is Saturday’s bevy of minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: RB Jonathan Ward, CB Jace Whittaker
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Khalil Dorsey
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: RB Antonio Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: CB Eli Apple
- Promoted: RB Reggie Bonnafon, LB Chris Orr
- Waived: DE Shareef Miller
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: QB Tyler Bray
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: LB Francis Bernard
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: OL K.C. McDermott, S Doug Middleton, K Aldrick Rosas
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: WR Keelan Doss, RB Theo Riddick
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: WR Tyron Johnson, OL Cole Toner
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: S JuJu Hughes
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: S George Iloka
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: OL Will Clapp, CB Ken Crawley, TE Garrett Griffin
- Placed on IR: LB Chase Hansen
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Austin Mack
New York Jets
- Claimed (from Lions): RB Ty Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DB Grayland Arnold, WR Deontay Burnett, WR Travis Fulgham, C Luke Juriga, RB Adrian Killins
- Placed on IR: CB Trevor Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: LB Joe Walker
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: RB Kenjon Barner
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: G Joshua Garnett
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/28/20
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Delrick Abrams, CB Tyler Hall, LB Edmond Robinson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT Terry Beckner
Houston Texans
- Signed: DL Ryan Glasgow, DT Corey Liuget (story)
- Cut: OL Cordel Iwuagwu
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Jared Hilbers, K Aldrick Rosas
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Robert Davis
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: DB Luther Kirk
- Released DB Nate Meadors
New England Patriots
- Signed: CB Michael Jackson, DT Nick Thurman, WR Zay Zuber
New Orleans Saints
- CB Ken Crawley
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed:LB Shaquem Griffin, DB Ryan Neal
Jaguars Release Timmy Jernigan
The Jaguars are staying busy Monday. Shortly after we heard they’d be signing kicker Stephen Hauschka the team announced a small flurry of roster moves, including the release of veteran defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan.
They also waived/injured kicker Brandon Wright, promoted defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale from the practice squad, and placed linebacker Leon Jacobs on injured reserve. Jernigan signed with Jacksonville in August, and had played a rotational role along the defensive line through the first three games. The 48th overall pick of the 2014 draft, Jernigan spent his first three years in Baltimore.
He was then traded to Philadelphia, and started 15 games for the Eagles team that won Super Bowl LII. He signed a four-year, $48MM extension midway through that year, but was limited to three games the following year following back surgery. He was cut after 2018, then re-signed with Philly on a cheaper one-year deal.
He appeared in ten games with nine starts for the Eagles last season. The Florida State product then inked a one-year, $3.75MM pact with Houston in April, but that deal was called off after a couple of months. He only turned 28 last week, and due to his past starting experience and production, should resurface soon with a team looking for run-stuffing help.
The Jaguars are clearly going all in on their youth movement on defense. Jacobs started seven games last year and two of the three this season, so that’s a significant loss even though he hadn’t been playing super heavy snaps. Ekuale is a 2018 UDFA from Washington State who appeared in seven games with the Browns last year.
Jaguars To Sign Stephen Hauschka
The Jaguars have found their replacement for Josh Lambo. Jacksonville is signing veteran kicker Stephen Hauschka, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Lambo was placed on injured reserve last week with a hip injury, and the team had rookie Brandon Wright fill in for him on Thursday Night Football. Wright didn’t attempt a field goal and missed one of his two extra points, and the Jags clearly weren’t satisfied. The team worked out Hauschka and former Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas a couple of days ago.
Hauschka was cut by the Bills in August after three years as Buffalo’s kicker. Before that he had spent the previous six seasons in Seattle, winning Super Bowl XLVIII with the team. He was 21-23 from within 50 yards last year, but made just one of his five kicks from beyond 50.
Lambo has been reliable with the Jags, so he’ll probably get his job back whenever he’s healthy enough. The 1-2 Jaguars take on the Bengals on Sunday.
Jaguars To Work Out Aldrick Rosas, Stephen Hauschka
Aldrick Rosas will receive another opportunity to earn his way onto an NFL roster. The Jaguars plan to work out the former Giants kicker, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Jacksonville has also scheduled a tryout for veteran kicker Stephen Hauschka. Their current kicker, Josh Lambo, is on IR. Replacement Brandon Wright missed an extra point during Thursday’s loss to the Dolphins.
The Rosas part of this is certainly interesting. The Giants waived the 2018 Pro Bowl kicker after he was hit with three charges in connection with a hit-and-run incident earlier this year. Per the police report, Rosas was driving erratically before he blew through a red light and smashed into the side of a pickup truck. Then, cops say he continued driving, stopped only when his SUV broke down, and took off running.
On the field, however, Rosas has shown intermittent promise. He made 97% of his field goals for the Giants in 2018, going 32-for-33, and kicked in each of Big Blue’s games from 2017-19. Rosas, however, made just 71% of his field goal tries last season.
The Bills released Hauschka during training camp, giving their kicker job to rookie Tyler Bass. Hauschka, who collected a Super Bowl ring during a six-season run with the Seahawks, kicked for the Bills from 2017-19. While he made fewer than 80% of his field goal attempts over the past two years, the 35-year-old specialist made more than 87% of his tries in four of the previous five seasons.
Jaguars LB Leon Jacobs Done For Season
Leon Jacobs‘ season is over. The Jaguars linebacker tore his ACL during Thursday’s loss to the Dolphins and will miss the rest of the 2020 campaign.
It’s a tough break for Jacobs, as the 24-year-old was establishing himself as a starter. After starting seven of his 14 games in 2019, the 2018 seventh-rounder had started two of his three appearances in 2020, compiling three tackles and one tackle for a loss. In 29 career games (12 starts), Jacobs has 66 tackles, two sacks, and one fumble recovery.
When Jacobs went down in the first quarter on Thursday, Cassius Marsh was the first choice to fill in at linebacker. The 28-year-old ended up playing 62-percent of Jacksonville’s defensive snaps, collecting three tackles.
ESPN’s Michael DiRocco passed along injury updates on some other notable Jaguars player. Wideout DJ Chark was sat out Thursday’s game with a chest/back injury, but he should return to the practice squad next week if his recent test results come back clean. Center Brandon Linder is also expected to return from a knee injury, while safety Andrew Wingard‘s core muscle injury isn’t as serious as initially thought.
Meanwhile, rookie kicker Brandon Wright suffered a groin injury during Thursday’s loss, forcing the Jaguars to start hunting around for some reinforcement. Wright was already filling in for starter Josh Lambo, who’s sitting on the IR with a hip injury. The 23-year-old Wright has connected on one of his two extra point tries this season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/24/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on practice squad-IR: TE Justin Johnson
Chicago Bears
- Signed (off Steelers’ practice squad): DT Daniel McCullers
- Placed on IR: DL John Jenkins
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: S P.J. Locke
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: OL KC McDermott
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: LB Natrez Patrick
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: LB Troy Dye
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Greg Mabin
Jaguars’ DJ Chark Out Vs. Dolphins
Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark has been officially ruled out for tonight’s game against the Dolphins. Chark was previously listed as questionable with chest and back injuries and his condition has not improved.
Chark was uncharacteristically quiet in the Jaguars’ season opener against the Colts, though he did score the team’s first touchdown of 2020. Last week, he managed 84 yards off of just four catches, giving him seven grabs for 109 yards plus one touchdown through two games.
A second-round pick in 2018, Chark enjoyed a breakout season last year. With 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns, the Jaguars are counting on him for an encore. For now, Chark is only looking at a one-game absence, but the training staff will monitor him going forward. On the plus side, the Dolphins won’t have top cornerback Byron Jones either, so it could roughly amount to a wash for both clubs.
With Chark out, the Jaguars will head into tonight’s game with Keelan Cole, Laviska Shenault, Chris Conley, and Collin Johnson as their top receivers. The Jags may also look to activate Dede Westbrook for additional depth.
Jaguars To Place K Josh Lambo On IR
The Jaguars will need a fill-in kicker for the foreseeable future. They are placing Josh Lambo on IR, Doug Marrone said Wednesday. Lambo will miss at least three games due to a hip injury.
The former Chargers kicker has been in place as the Jags’ field goal man since the 2017 season, when he replaced Jason Myers. Lambo has missed time due to an injury in the past, finishing the 2018 season on IR because of a groin injury. The Jags signed Kai Forbath that season.
Brandon Wright will kick for the Jags on Thursday against the Dolphins. The Jaguars signed Wright as a UDFA out of Georgia State this year and stashed him on their practice squad. This will be Wright’s first NFL action.
Jacksonville will also be without starting center Brandon Linder against the Dolphins. The team ruled Linder out with a knee injury he sustained against the Titans.