Jaguars, Ravens Complete Trade
The Jaguars have traded center Luke Bowanko to the Ravens, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s not immediately known what the Jaguars are getting in the swap, but it’s likely a late round draft pick.
Bowanko has an opportunity to get playing time right off the bat given the injuries on the Ravens’ offensive line. Baltimore brought Jeremy Zuttah back into the fold in August to fill the gap at center, but he was released on Friday along with a host of other notable veterans.
Bowanko, a sixth round pick in the 2016 draft, has spent time on the Jaguars’ 53-man roster and practice squad over the last three years. In December, he was called back up to the 53-man roster when Julius Thomas and Jared Odrick were placed on injured reserve.
Bowanko is the second offensive lineman to come to the Ravens via trade this week. On Friday, Baltimore acquired veteran interior lineman Tony Bergstrom from the Cardinals.
Jaguars Trim Roster To 75
The Jaguars have cut their roster from 90 players to 75, according to John Oehser of the team’s website:
Waived:
- TE Caleb Bluitt
- OL Malcolm Bunche
- LB P.J. Davis
- CB Charles James
- DT Tueni Lupeamanu
- WR Larry Pinkard
- OL Demetrius Rhaney
- WR Jamal Robinson
- CB Dwayne Thomas
- FB Marquez Williams (waived/injured)
Released outright (vested veterans who are not subject to waivers):
Placed on IR:
Jaguars Cut RB DuJuan Harris
DuJuan Harris‘ time with the Jaguars did not last long. The team released the running back on Friday morning, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Harris, 29 on Sunday, inked a deal with Jacksonville on Aug. 20. He had a grand total of seven carries for 26 yards in the preseason and had zero receptions. He held down the fort while rookie Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon dealt with injuries, but both players should be ready to go for Week 1, which meant that Harris was no longer needed.
Last year, Harris totaled 38 carries for 138 yards (3.6 YPC) for the Niners, adding eight catches for 115 yards and a TD. The 49ers re-signed him to a one-year deal in March but released him just a few weeks later.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/17
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LS Taybor Pepper
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LS Jeff Overbaugh
- Waived/injured: Patrick Scales
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: P Will Monday
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: OL Gabe Ikard
Denver Broncos
- Waived/injured: DL Jimmy Bean
Detroit Lions
- Released: WR Keshawn Martin, TE Tim Wright
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: LS Derek Hart, WR Colby Pearson, RB William Stanback
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Earl Wolff
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Akeem Dent
- Waived from IR: CB Ezra Robinson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released: LB Josh Mauga
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: K Travis Coons
New England Patriots
- Signed: DL Michael Bart, LB Christian Kuntz, LB Nick Usher
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Audie Cole
- Placed on IR: TE Clay Harbor
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Daniel Gray
- Placed on IR: OL Adam Gettis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Mehdi Abdesmad, DL Hendrick Ekpe
- Waived: RB Blake Sims
- Placed on IR: Justin Trattou
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/27/17
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Tank Carder (torn ACL), OL Matt McCants
- Waived/injured: S Justin Currie
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DT Derrick Lott
- Placed on IR: DT Jordan Hill
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from IR: CB Charles Gaines
New England Patriots
- Waived: DE Caleb Kidder
- Waived/injured: TE Matt Lengel
New York Giants
- Claimed off waviers: CB Tay Glover-Wright
- Waived from IR: DE Evan Schwan, WR Kevin Snead
New York Jets
- Waived/injured: DT Anthony Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C Ruben Carter, WR Justin Thomas
- Waived/injured: CB Greg Ducre
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived from IR: TE Marcus Lucas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived from IR: DB Maurice Fleming
Blake Bortles' Mobility Won Him Job
- One key facet of Blake Bortles‘ game got him the nod to make a third straight Week 1 Jaguars start over Chad Henne. Marrone pointed to Bortles’ scrambling ability as the key, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes. Bortles has rushed for 1,088 yards in his three-year career, and the Jags face the Texans and Ravens during the first two weeks of the season. O’Halloran writes this decision doesn’t change the Jags’ 2018 draft strategy, when another quarterback figures to be in play (barring an unexpected Bortles bounce-back effort).
Jaguars Release LB Audie Cole
Audie Cole‘s “tenure” with the Jaguars has come to an end. According to John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter), the team has released the veteran linebacker.
Following five seasons with the Vikings, Cole joined the Jaguars back in March. While Jacksonville certainly wasn’t expecting the 28-year-old to start, he figured to serve as a dependable backup to middle linebacker Paul Posluszny. Now, the team will presumably be rolling with Blair Brown or Hayes Pullard for that role (although they could also turn to backup outside linebackers like Lerentee McCray, Josh McNary, and Andrew Gachkar).
The former seventh-rounder served mostly as a backup and special teamer during his time in Minnesota, and he finished last season with 12 tackles in 16 games. His best season came in 2013, when he compiled a career-high 45 tackles and one sack. There were reports during free agency that the Vikings had interest in retaining their former draft pick, but it’s uncertain if they’d be looking for reinforcement this late in the preseason.
Jaguars QB Blake Bortles Earns Starting Gig
It’s looking like Blake Bortles isn’t at risk of getting cut, after all. According to ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco (via Twitter), the Jaguars have named Bortles as their starting quarterback heading into the regular season.
We heard earlier this week that the organization could consider releasing or trading the embattled quarterback if he didn’t earn the starting gig over Chad Henne. The backup ultimately started the team’s third preseason game, and coach Doug Marrone revealed that there was in fact a competition at the position.
Ultimately, the logic was financially motivated, as the Jaguars had picked up Bortles’ non-guaranteed fifth-year option for 2018. Had Bortles suffered an injury and subsequently couldn’t pass a physical, the Jaguars would be on the hook for upwards of $19MM. Cutting the player would have cost the organization $6.57MM. However, that minor financial hit may have been worth avoiding the “potentially catastrophic scenario” of having to dedicate $19MM-plus in cap space to an injured Bortles in 2018.
Bortles, the third-overall pick in the 2014 draft, took a bit of a step back in 2016 following a productive 2015 campaign. The 25-year-old did start all 16 games and completed 58.9-percent of his passes, but he only threw for 3,905 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Bortles also has a penchant for losing the ball, as he lost a career-high six fumbles last season.
Jaguars Owner Open To Signing Kaepernick
Jaguars owner Shad Khan says he would be “absolutely” be okay with his team adding Colin Kaepernick if his football people recommended signing him (Twitter links via Mike Dempsey of 1010XL). To date, those football people have yet to show much interest in signing the controversial quarterback. 
[RELATED: Latest On Blake Bortles]
Some have argued that the Jaguars should take a look at Kaepernick given that Blake Bortles‘ struggles have left Chad Henne as the team’s likely frontrunner for the starting job. But, so far, the Jaguars have not shown interest in adding any free agent quarterback to the mix.
Kaepernick might not interest chief decision maker Tom Coughlin given his football-first mentality and distaste for potential locker room distractions. Also, Coughlin’s offenses have historically been built around pocket passers. Still, it’s notable that Khan has publicly said that he would give the green light to a Kaepernick deal and things could always change in the front office if Henne or Bortles can’t cut it as the starter.
On Thursday, we learned that the Jaguars could look to trade Bortles (if he’s willing to rework his contract) or just release him outright. If Bortles were to suffer a serious injury on the field this season, the Jags would be on the hook for his $19MM+ fifth-year option in 2018.
Opinion: Jags Exercising "Tunnel Vision" With Young Players
The Jaguars’ questionable offseason decision to pick up quarterback Blake Bortles‘ fifth-year option for 2018 isn’t the first time they’ve exercised “tunnel vision” with a young player, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com observes. For instance, Barnwell regards the Jags’ call last summer to extend wide receiver Allen Hurns on a four-year, $40.7MM pact as unnecessary, as he was due to make just $600K in 2016 and would have been controllable for a $3.9MM first-round tender as a restricted free agent this season. Hurns went on to post disappointing production last year (35 catches on 76 targets, 477 yards, three touchdowns in 11 games) and is no longer one of the Jaguars’ top two receivers. Barnwell also opines that the five-year, $51.7MM extension the Jaguars handed center Brandon Linder in July isn’t any more appealing than the deal they gave Hurns.
The Jaguars’ questionable offseason decision to pick up quarterback Blake Bortles‘ fifth-year option for 2018 isn’t the first time they’ve exercised “tunnel vision” with a young player, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com observes. For instance, Barnwell regards the Jags’ call last summer to extend wide receiver Allen Hurns on a four-year, $40.7MM pact as unnecessary, as he was due to make just $600K in 2016 and would have been controllable for a $3.9MM first-round tender as a restricted free agent this season. Hurns went on to post disappointing production last year (35 catches on 76 targets, 477 yards, three touchdowns in 11 games) and is no longer one of the Jaguars’ top two receivers. Barnwell also opines that the five-year, $51.7MM extension the Jaguars handed center Brandon Linder in July isn’t any more appealing than the deal they gave Hurns.
As for Bortles, who’s behind uninspiring veteran Chad Henne in the team’s QB derby and could be on the outs if he loses the battle, the Jaguars should have made an effort to find another signal-caller in the offseason if they weren’t entirely sold on him, Barnwell opines. However, instead of courting the likes of Tony Romo, Jay Cutler or Brian Hoyer, among others, they just re-signed Henne. Now, with pickings under center looking especially slim, Barnwell suggests the Jaguars pursue Brock Osweiler if the Browns move on from him.