Tracy Howard Meets With Jaguars
- University of Miami cornerback Tracy Howard worked out for the Saints, met with the Jaguars, and visited the Browns in the last week, a league source tells Mike Kaye of First Coast News (on Twitter).
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/31/16
Here’s a rundown of today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Jaguars have released wide receiver Damian Copeland, John Oehser of Jaguars.com (on Twitter). Copeland, a Louisville product, caught 58 passes for 780 yards and five touchdowns in his senior season before hooking on with Jacksonville as a UDFA.
- The Cowboys signed punter/place kicker Matt Wile (Michigan) and long snapper Branden Hartson (Houston) today, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
Jaguars Looking At Ngakoue, Ragland
- Maryland outside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue said he has visits scheduled with the Jaguars, Eagles, Titans, and Jets, according to Daniel Gallen of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter) adds that the Bills and Browns both met with him today.
- Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that he has probably heard the most from the Bears, Falcons, Saints, and Dolphins. He also confirmed personal workouts with the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Jaguars, Vikings, Rams, and the Bills.
Jags Notes: Beachum, Joeckel, Cyprien, Sample
The Jaguars won’t have a competition at left tackle between Luke Joeckel and free agent pickup Kelvin Beachum, according to Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com. Instead, the job will belong to Beachum if he’s able to return successfully from a torn ACL. Beachum – who signed a unique deal earlier this month that could be worth either $4.5MM for one year or $44.5MM over five years – said Friday that he does indeed expect to start when Week 1 rolls around in September. That’s bad news for Joeckel, who has started in all 35 career appearances since the Jaguars drafted him second overall in 2013. The 24-year-old hasn’t lived up to his draft status, though, and could end up in a reserve role in 2016.
Here are more notes on the Jaguars, all of which come courtesy of O’Halloran:
- Jacksonville must decide by early May whether to exercise Joeckel’s fifth-year option for 2017, but O’Halloran expects the club to decline it because doing otherwise would kill the lineman’s trade value. If the Jags pick up the option, it would guarantee Joeckel upward of $11MM in 2017, though only in the event of a serious injury. Teams wouldn’t want to risk acquiring Joeckel and being stuck with that kind of financial commitment in the event of a nightmare scenario like, say, a torn Achilles. On the other hand, a version of Joeckel who doesn’t come with a 2017 option attached might appeal to clubs looking for help at left tackle next season.
- Like Joeckel, safety Jonathan Cyprien could go from No. 1 to backup in 2016. Cyprien, a second-rounder in 2012, has started all 44 of his appearances, but he seems in danger of losing his job to James Sample. Cyprien had a team-high 21 missed tackles last season and hasn’t established himself as a playmaker, O’Halloran notes. As a fourth-rounder last year, Sample doesn’t have Cyprien’s draft pedigree, and he only appeared in four games (two starts) as a rookie because of a shoulder injury. Nonetheless, he has an important fan in head coach Gus Bradley. “We’ve seen flashes of Sample,” Bradley said. “His instincts — he’s a very good football player. In similar ways to Dante [Fowler], Sample is like another draft pick coming in.”
- Denard Robinson was second to T.J. Yeldon among Jags running backs with 88 touches (67 rushes, 21 receptions) and 430 total yards last season, but the acquisition of Chris Ivory could make playing time scarce. Bradley insists the team isn’t going to phase Robinson out of its offense, though. “He’ll get in there, too,” Bradley said. “He’s our speed back. Again, a different style of running back.”
Kelvin Beachum Expects To Start Week 1
- Recently signed Jaguars offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, who’s recovering from a torn ACL, told Tom Pelissero of SiriusXM NFL that he will put on a knee brace next week and begin football movements. “I’ll be starting Week 1,” Beachum added (Twitter link). In order to do that, Beachum will have to beat out incumbent No. 1 left tackle Luke Joeckel.
Jaguars May Still Add Pass Rushers, Offered Deal To Bryan Anger
While Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell appears confident that the team has improved its pass rush this offseason, it sounds like head coach Gus Bradley wouldn’t mind adding another pass rusher or two, as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union details. Caldwell pointed to Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., and Sen’Derrick Marks as three players capable of getting after the quarterback that essentially weren’t a part of last year’s team (in some cases due to injuries). Bradley, meanwhile, suggests that Jacksonville will keep an eye on pass rushers during and after the draft.
- In another O’Halloran piece, the Times-Union scribe notes that the Jaguars appear to have offered punter Bryan Anger a multiyear contract before signing Brad Nortman. Anger ultimately signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay.
Vernon Hargreaves To Meet With Jaguars
- Vernon Hargreaves has a meeting with the Jaguars on April 5th, per Jenna Laine of Sports Talk 1040 (on Twitter). He’ll also be meeting with the Buccaneers on April 7th or 8th.
- Former Clemson safety Jayron Kearse has met with, or is set to visit and/or workout with the Lions, Steelers, Jaguars, and Jets, Getlin tweets.
Bradley: Jaguars Have Five-Year Plan
- Jaguars coach Gus Bradley says the franchise has a five-year plan to construct a team with proper salary-cap management so they can afford their younger players’ second contracts (Twitter link via Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com).
Noah Spence To Visit Jaguars
- Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence has visits lined up with the Jets, Colts, Packers, Bucs, Ravens, Jaguars, Cardinals, and Saints, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). Spence, a former star at Ohio State, was dismissed from the Buckeyes after two positive tests for ecstasy. In 2015, Spence shined for the Colonels, but he’ll now have to answer questions about his history. Still, he is extremely talented and teams are not shying away from him.
Jaguars Notes: Kiffin, Draft, Hurns, Beachum
The Jaguars made a big-name addition to their coaching staff today, formally announcing that veteran NFL coach Monte Kiffin would be joining the team as a defensive assistant. Kiffin, formerly the defensive coordinator in Dallas, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Minnesota, served in 2014 and 2015 as an assistant head coach for the Cowboys. In 2016, he’ll work with a unit that will be adding Malik Jackson, Prince Amukamara, and 2015 first-rounder Dante Fowler Jr., among others.
Here’s more on the Jaguars:
- In addition to hiring Kiffin, the Jaguars also announced a couple more coaching changes, adding John Benton as assistant offensive line coach and John Donovan as offensive quality control coach.
- GM Dave Caldwell is open to the idea of moving down in the draft, suggesting to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that he’d be willing to go from No. 5 overall to “somewhere in the early teens.” Caldwell’s comments suggest that the Jags probably feel the top of the draft is fairly deep, and that the team will keep an eye out for opportunities to add another early pick.
- Caldwell acknowledged that the Jaguars may look into a contract extension for wide receiver Allen Hurns this offseason now that he’s eligible for a new deal. “I think we’ll wait until after the draft to see where we’re at,” Caldwell said, per O’Halloran. “And if we did anything, it would be before the season.” I’d be surprised if Jacksonville gets anything done with Hurns this year, since he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2018.
- Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle provides several details on the Kelvin Beachum contract (all Twitter links). The deal is worth $5MM in year one, with a $2.5MM salary and up to $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. $1.5MM of that $5MM comes in the form of a guaranteed roster bonus. After the 2016 season, the Jaguars will have until 22 days prior to the start of the 2017 league year to decide whether or not to exercise Beachum’s $5MM option bonus for 2017-2020, when his salaries would range from $7.5MM to $10MM.