Jaguars To Be Without OL Starters
- The Jaguars will be without two starting offensive linemen on Sunday in Cleveland. Both Jermey Parnell and Patrick Omameh are out and didn’t travel with the team to northeast Ohio. This will be Parnell’s second straight absence due to a knee injury. A quadriceps injury will sideline Omameh, who’s worked as Jacksonville’s starting left guard throughout the season. The Jags have 10 offensive linemen on their active roster, so they’re prepared to handle the first-unit cogs’ absences.
Jaguars Activate WR Dede Westbrook
Wide receiver Dede Westbrook is finally set to make his NFL debut. The Jaguars activated the rookie wideout from the reserve/injured list this morning, the team announced. The organization also activated defensive back Calvin Pryor from the reserve/injured list and promoted receiver Larry Pinkard from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the team placed wideout Arrelious Benn on the injured reserve and waived defensive tackle Sheldon Day and receive Jaelen Strong.
We learned in late October that the Jaguars had designated Westbrook for return. The fourth-rounder was initially placed on the injured reserve with a core injury prior to the start of the regular season. A former Oklahoma standout, Westbrook collected 80 receptions for 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, making him a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Considering the fact that Allen Robinson was already out for the season and the team let go of two wideouts today, Westbrook could easily slide behind Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns on the depth chart.
Pryor was claimed off waivers from the Browns in September, although he was placed on the injured reserve shortly thereafter. As our own Dallas Robinson noted, Pryor will be stuck in a reserve role behind Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson, who both rank among the NFL’s top defensive backs, according to Pro Football Focus. Of course, the 25-year-old still has plenty in the tank, as he finished the 2016 campaign with 62 tackles and six passes defended in 15 games for the Jets.
Benn, a 2010 second-round pick, has been stuck towards the bottom of the depth chart during his two-year tenure in Jacksonville. After having hauled in 55 receptions during his first two seasons in the league, Benn only has six receptions for 128 yards and one touchdown in two seasons with the Jaguars (24 games). The 29-year-old was productive on special teams, however, compiling eight tackles over the past two years. Strong, a 2015 third-round pick, joined the Jaguars in mid-September after being waived by the Texans. He ultimately didn’t see the field for the Jaguars. Pinkard, a former undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion, has yet to get in an NFL game. Day, a 2016 fourth-round pick, was buried on the depth chart for the Jaguars, as the 23-year-old had only compiled three tackles and one sack in six games this season.
Gipson Doesn't Hold Back On Former Team
- Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson is happy to have left Cleveland and hopes Jacksonville can “hang 40 on them” when the team’s meet up this weekend, writes ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. The veteran defender spent his first four seasons with the Browns before joining the Jags in 2016 and apparently still harbors some ill feelings to the organization, which he also criticized for not drafting Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/14/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Chicago Bears
- QB Taylor Heinicke; WRs Demarcus Ayers, Canaan Severin, Paul Turner; G Darrell Greene (link)
Cincinnati Bengals
- T Laurence Gibson (link)
Detroit Lions
- DE Armonty Bryant; LB Max Valles; S Duke Ihenacho (link)
Houston Texans
- TEs Brandon Barnes, Gabe Holmes (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- QB Tyler Ferguson; RBs Ka’Deem Carey, Dare Ogunbowale, Juwan Thompson; WRs Dres Anderson, Isaac Fruechte, Alonzo Moore, Tim Patrick (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- LSs Ryan DiSalvo, Andrew East, Drew Ferris (link)
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
- Ks Andrew Franks, Jason Myers (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- OL Jeremiah Poutasi (link)
San Francisco 49ers
- G Jake Eldrenkamp; C Anthony Fabiano (link)
Seattle Seahawks
- LBs Boseko Lokombo, Jason Thompson (link)
Washington Redskins
- S Lorenzo Jerome (link)
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/17
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed off Browns‘ practice squad: RB Terrence Magee
- Waived: LB Jermaine Grace
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Deandre Coleman
- Waived: DT Jerel Worthy
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed off Falcons‘ practice squad: RB Brian Hill
- Waived: LB Hardy Nickerson
Denver Broncos
- Waived: LB Kasim Edebali
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Jace Billingsley, DE George Johnson
- Waived: WR Jared Abbrederis, DE Jacquies Smith
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LS Brett Goode
- Waived: LS Derek Hart
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LS Colin Holba
- Placed on injured reserve: LS Matt Overton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: T Taylor Hart
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL Caraun Reid, LB Zach Vigil
- Waived: DL Brandon Banks
Allen Hurns Expected To Miss Next Game
- Jaguars wideout Allen Hurns suffered a right ankle injury against the Chargers on Sunday, and coach Doug Marrone doesn’t see him taking the field this weekend. “Yeah, I don’t anticipate him playing this week,’’ Marrone said (via Cummings). “I would say yes (in terms of him missing this week), but I wouldn’t know (about his availability) after that.’’ As Cummings points out, Hurns absence could force the team to finally play wideout Dede Westbrook, who is eligible to be activated off of the injured reserve.
[SOURCE LINK]
NFL Workout Updates: 11/13/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran Howard Balzer’s Twitter account (unless noted):
Cleveland Browns
- DBs Jacob Hagen, Ed Reynolds (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- LSs Drew Ferris, Ryan DiSalvo, Andrew East, Colin Holba (via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco)
Los Angeles Rams
- TE Henry Krieger-Coble; LB Kevin Snyder (link)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- S Jack Tocho (link)
San Francisco 49ers
- P Chase Tenpenny (link)
Allen Hurns To Have MRI On Monday
- The Jaguars could lose another wide receiver after Allen Hurns went down with a knee injury during today’s comeback win over the Chargers. The wideout was injured on his 26th birthday when he was hit directly on his knee and was forced to leave the game. The former starting receiver was seen on crunches in the locker room, unable to put any weight on his right leg and is set to undergo an MRI on Monday, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
Jags Not Ready Activate Dede Westbrook
- The Jaguars aren’t ready to activate Dede Westbrook. The rookie wideout won’t play in Jacksonville’s Week 10 game against the Chargers on Sunday, Mike Kaye of First Coast News tweets. The Jags designated Westbrook to return from IR in late October but have just more than a week to decide if he will play for them this season or spend all year on IR.
Three Starting O-Lineman Listed As Questionable
- The Jaguars have three starting lineman listed as questionable for Sunday’s affair vs. the Chargers, according to the team’s website. Guards Patrick Omameh and A.J. Cann, along with tackle Jermey Parnell are uncertain to play, which would make it much more difficult for the team to establish a ground game even with Leonard Fournette likely returning after missing the team’s last two games with an injury and suspension due to team rules. Jacksonville has five reserve offensive lineman on the roster, so depth is not a huge issue even if the offense is missing 3/5th’s of its normal group up front.