Jaguars To Work Out K Dan Carpenter
The Jaguars are bringing in free agent kicker Dan Carpenter to work out and potentially compete with incumbent Jason Myers, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Free agent kicker Patrick Murray, most recently of the Saints, is also working out for Jacksonville.
[RELATED: Jaguars Unhappy With Blake Bortles; Open Up QB Competition]
Carpenter served as Buffalo’s kicker from 2013-16, but the Bills let him go in March rather than carry him at a $2.937MM cap number for 2017. In his first year with Buffalo, he nailed 92% of his field goal attempts. However, his numbers have been slipping in recent years. In 2015, he missed six of the recently-elongated extra points and bricked five more in 2016. Last year, Carpenter made only 76% of his field goal tries.
Over the last two years, Myers has made 82.8% of field goal attempts and 85.9% of his extra point tries. The Jaguars aren’t completely satisfied with the way he’s looked this summer, so they’ll evaluate Carpenter and potentially open up a kicking competition.
Jaguars Open Up QB Competition
The Jaguars now have an open quarterback competition. After a dismal showing from Blake Bortles on Thursday night, head coach Doug Marrone says the starting job is up for grabs. 
“It’s this simple: I’m looking for the best person to lead this offense,” Marrone said (Twitter link via John Oehser of the team’s website). “[The QB position] is right up there for grabs, and either person can take it…It’s not like [Bortles] is not the quarterback. He’s got to go earn it.”
The Jaguars exercised Bortles’ fifth-year option for 2018, but that season is guaranteed for injury only. If the Jaguars see Chad Henne as the superior signal caller right now, then the former No.3 overall pick might not be long for Jacksonville. As Mike Florio of PFT recently suggested, the Jaguars may want to consider benching Bortles for the entire season so that they do not risk him getting injured and collecting on $19MM+ when they don’t want him. It would be an extreme measure, but it’s not unprecedented – the Redskins did the same thing with Robert Griffin III in 2015.
Bortles showed promise in 2015, when he threw for the second-most touchdowns in the NFL (35, one behind Tom Brady) and placed seventh in passing yards (4,428). However, after a down 2016 and a rocky summer, the Jaguars may wind up going in a different direction.
Blake Bortles' Woes Continue
Blake Bortles has struggled so much this summer that the Jaguars may have to consider benching the quarterback in order to avoid a catastrophic injury that would guarantee his fifth-year option for 2018, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines (Twitter link). Such an injury for Bortles this season would leave the Jags on the hook for upward of $19MM a year from now, which even a healthy version of the 2014 third overall pick hasn’t been worth during his three seasons in the NFL. Keeping Bortles away from the field to prevent any chance of the option triggering wouldn’t be a first in the league – the Redskins did it with Robert Griffin III in 2015.
Blake Bortles has struggled so much this summer that the Jaguars may have to consider benching the quarterback in order to avoid a catastrophic injury that would guarantee his fifth-year option for 2018, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines (Twitter link). Such an injury for Bortles this season would leave the Jags on the hook for upward of $19MM a year from now, which even a healthy version of the 2014 third overall pick hasn’t been worth during his three seasons in the NFL. Keeping Bortles away from the field to prevent any chance of the option triggering wouldn’t be a first in the league – the Redskins did it with Robert Griffin III in 2015.
Meanwhile, in light of Bortles’ second straight lackluster performance of the preseason on Thursday, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the Jaguars should bring free agent signal-caller Colin Kaepernick in to take the starting job. While Kaepernick’s social activism makes him a tough sell for many teams’ decision makers and fans, he at least possesses a superior on-field resume to both Bortles and backup Chad Henne.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/17
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Waived/injured: WR DeAndrew White
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE David Grinnage, CB Dwayne Thomas
- Waived: CB Ezra Robinson
- Waived/injured: CB Josh Johnson
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Chris Casher, WR Andrew Turzilli
- Waived: WR Kevin Norwood, TE Colin Thompson
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Daniel Williams
- Waived: WR Deshon Foxx
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Austin Gearing
- Waived: Canaan Severin
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived/injured: S Chanceller James
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived from injured reserve: G Robert Myers (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LS Ryan DiSalvo
- Waived: P Jordan Gay
Jags WR Marqise Lee Has High Ankle Sprain
Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s preseason game, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). While Lee could conceivably be available for Week 1, an abundance of caution could force Lee to miss the beginning of the regular season, per Rapoport.
Lee, a second-round pick in 2014, finally lived up to his draft billing last season, as he appeared in all 16 games for the first time in his career. With Allen Hurns sidelined by injury near the end of the 2016 campaign, Lee actually finished second among Jaguars wide receivers with 817 offensive snaps. In that time, he posted 63 receptions, 851 yards, and three touchdowns, and was excellent on a per-play basis, finishing 18th in DVOA.
If Lee can’t get back on the field in time for the season opener, fourth-round rookie Dede Westbrook would theoretically see more snaps as Jacksonville’s third wide receiver. Arrelious Benn and Rashad Greene could also be in contention for expanded playing time, but the Jaguars may choose to lean even more heavily on the run game. Jacksonville ran the ball on only 37% of plays last year, seventh-least in the league, but now boast fourth overall pick Leonard Fournette in the backfield.
Even if Westbrook (or another wide receiver) can fill in for Lee in the Jaguars’ offense, Jacksonville will need to find a new kick returner for the time Lee misses. In 2016, Lee managed 30.3 yards per return on 18 kickoffs, helping the Jags gain 8.9 points of field position on kick returns (fifth-best in the NFL, and the only area of the club’s special teams that was above-average).
Westrbook and/or Greene could help out on special teams, but adding a free agent could also be on the table. Marc Mariani, who’s made a career of fielding both kick and punt returns, is still on the open market. However, he’s entering his age-30 campaign and averaged only 21.5 yards per kick return in 2016.
Jaguars Claim CB Charles James II
The Jaguars have claimed fourth-year cornerback Charles James II off waivers from the Bills. To make room on the roster, they waived rookie wide receiver Kenneth Walker. 
While with the Texans, James enjoyed some celebrity as the standout star of 2015’s “Hard Knocks.” His likability alone couldn’t keep him in Houston, however. The Texans cut him at the end of 2016, leading him to the rival Colts. When James was let go by Indy in order to help make room for undrafted free agents in May, he was claimed off waivers by the Bills. His stay in Buffalo now ends after four months, but he has landed on his feet – and in better weather.
James, a 5’9″ corner, took the field in 12 games for the Giants’ as a rookie in 2013. Then, in 2015 and 2016, he saw action in 21 games with the Texans.
Jaguars Sign LB Andrew Gachkar
The Jaguars have signed free agent linebacker Andrew Gachkar, the club announced today. In a related move, Jacksonville has waived/injured linebacker Justin Horton.
After finishing 23rd in special teams DVOA a season ago, the Jaguars are seemingly attempting to improve that ranking in 2017. In addition to hiring Joe DeCamillis as its new special teams coordinator, Jacksonville has signed a number of free agents whose primarily responsibility will come on fourth down. Audie Cole, Jeron Johnson, and Stanley Jean-Baptiste all fit that mold, and Gachkar joins them as a special teams-first player.
Gackhar, 28, has appeared in 95 career games but boasts only nine starts. Last season, Gackhar wrapped up a two-year stint with the Cowboys, and played in all 16 games but played only 75 defensive snaps. The former seventh-round draft pick was still highly involved, however, as he saw action on nearly 70% of Dallas’ special teams plays.
Even if he makes the Jaguars roster, Gackhar wouldn’t be counted on to play in the Jaguars’ defense, as the team has already bit up a good deal of positional depth this year. In addition to starters Telvin Smith, Myles Jack, and Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville has Cole, Josh McNary, Lerentee McCray, and fifth-round rookie Blair Brown on its depth chart.
Before signing with the Jaguars, Gachkar had met with both the Patriots and Bills.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Vikings placed Bishop Sankey on IR, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Minnesota signed the former Titans second-round pick to a reserve/futures contract in January, but an MRI Friday revealed Sankey tore an ACL. He will miss the season. Sankey hasn’t played in a game since 2015.
- Cut by both the 49ers and Jets in August, Bruce Ellington caught on with a third team this month. The Texans agreed to terms with the wide receiver/return specialist, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports. The Jets waived Ellington with an injury designation, but a Friday workout with the Texans provided a green light for the franchise to sign him. The Texans are currently reeling at wideout. In addition to Will Fuller‘s absence, Braxton Miller and DeAndrew White aren’t practicing. Ellington missed all of last season with a torn hamstring.
- The Jaguars signed veteran running back Jonathan Grimes and waived running back Tyler Gaffney with an injury designation, the team announced. Grimes is a five-year NFL veteran whose most notable work came as a backup for the Texans from 2012-16. He gained 455 yards from scrimmage in 2015, the final year Arian Foster suffered a severe injury.
- Defensive end Keionta Davis agreed to terms with the Patriots, who cut cornerback Dwayne Thomas to make room, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. A rookie out of Chattanooga, Davis was invited to the Combine but wasn’t drafted or signed after the draft.
- The Chargers re-signed tight end Matt Weiser, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). A University of Buffalo alum, Weiser spent time with the Bolts during their final San Diego camp last summer but was cut just before the season.
- The Colts reached injury settlements with tight end (and former VCU basketball standout) Mo Alie-Cox and wideout Harvey Binford, Wilson tweets.
- Mykkele Thompson‘s time as a Giants secondary cog could be coming to a close. After Big Blue cut Thompson — a fifth-round pick in 2015 — on Thursday, he cleared waivers. NJ.com’s Dan Duggan expects an injury settlement to follow (Twitter link). Duggan notes this Thompson is battling a minor quadriceps injury.
Jaguars Release Branden Albert
The Jaguars’ Branden Albert saga is officially over. The team announced on Friday that he has been released. 
[RELATED: Jaguars Sign Jeron Johnson, Cut James Sample]
The Jaguars acquired Albert via trade from the Dolphins earlier this year. The tackle stayed away from the team for much of the offseason as he tried to talk the Jags into revising his contract. When the Jaguars refused to play ball, Albert took his and went home. Days later, Albert flip-flopped and asked to rejoin the team, but the Jaguars responded by placing him on the reserve/retired list, keeping him off the roster.
If Albert is still serious about playing football, he can now sign with any team of his choosing. He might not be able to deliver the kind of Pro Bowl caliber football that he used to, but he would still hold interest for teams with needs on the offensive line.
In 2016, Albert missed one-quarter of the season due to injury and registered a career-worst 42.2 overall score on Pro Football Focus. He’s been well above average in other seasons, however, including his 2013 and 2015 campaigns which resulted in Pro Bowl nods.
Albert was scheduled to earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $8.875MM this season. If he wants to continue playing, he might have to do it at a lower price point. At the same time, he should be able to get some amount of guaranteed cash for the 2017 season.
Jags Waive Taurean Nixon With Injury Settlement
Jacksonville Jaguars