Andrew Wingard

Jaguars Finalize 53-Man Roster

The Jaguars have unveiled their list of cuts and other roster moves which will bring the team to the 53-man limit ahead of today’s deadline. Here is the full breakdown: 25

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Beathard’s inclusion in Jacksonville’s cuts comes after he suffered a groin injury in the team’s second preseason contest. He was unable to suit up for the Jaguars’ exhibition finale, and today’s move clears the way for Mac Jones to take on backup duties. The former Patriots first-rounder was dealt to his hometown team this offseason, but a competition had been ongoing between he and Beathard. Now, Jones will move forward as QB2 behind Trevor Lawrence.

Beathard will be free to sign with a new team, although he is of course unlikely to find a suitor until he returns to full health. Other veterans like Amos and Edmunds joined Jacksonville this offseason, but they too will now have to search for a new opportunity. Several of the players waived will likely find themselves on the practice squad shortly, but Perry not doing so could leave the Jags in need of QB depth especially if Beathard were to land with a new team.

In 2024, teams are allowed to designate two players to return from injured reserve without naming them to the initial 53-man roster. That is the case for both Robinson and Wingard. The former was selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft and will provide backfield depth when healthy, while the latter is recovering from a knee injury. Both Robinson and Wingard will miss at least the first four weeks of the campaign, and their activations will count toward Jacksonville’s limit of eight for the season.

DB Notes: Lassiter, Texans, Colts, Simmons, Davis, Lions, Chiefs, Dolphins, Hawks, Jags

The Texans showed interest in re-signing Steven Nelson this offseason, but the two-year Houston starter ended up retiring. Houston has identified another clear candidate to start opposite Derek Stingley. The defending AFC South champions are prepared to roll with second-rounder Kamari Lassiter as their No. 2 cornerback. Not much drama exists here, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating Lassiter has worked with Houston’s first-team defense since the offseason program. Although Lassiter sustained an ankle injury earlier during training camp, the No. 42 overall pick reclaimed his starter post — ahead of former first-rounders Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson — and will be expected to work in tandem with Stingley.

For a young guy to come in and not be noticed a lot for doing something negative, everything has been positive with Kamari,” Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s exactly the guy we saw from the Georgia film.”

Here is the latest from several other DB situations:

  • The Chiefs still need to decide on a No. 2 corner opposite Trent McDuffie. Long known for moving on from corners after one contract (as they most recently did with L’Jarius Sneed), the Chiefs have a few options — most acquired in 2022. Fourth- and seventh-round picks from that draft Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson, who played extensively last year, lead the way. No one has seized the job, per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, who has 2022 seventh-rounder Nazeeh Johnson, rookie sixth-rounder Kamal Hadden and former Cowboys second-rounder Kelvin Joseph making the team as well (subscription required). Versatile performer Chamarri Conner, a 2023 fourth-rounder, will be in the mix at corner, but Andy Reid said (via Taylor) this could be a rotation into the season.
  • Justin Simmons accepted a one-year, $7.5MM Falcons deal. That price being so far beyond what other veteran safeties commanded confirms a decent market formed for the perennial All-Pro. The Colts‘ questions in the secondary did not lead them into this chase, however, with the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins indicating the team did not make the ex-Bronco an offer. Former third-rounder Nick Cross, recently re-signed veteran Ronnie Harrison and third-year performer Rodney Thomas have rotated in alongside Julian Blackmon in camp. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds said no safety moves are anticipated.
  • Seeing his three-year contract traded from the Buccaneers to the Lions, Carlton Davis remains scheduled to be a 2025 free agent. Davis will be 27 for most of this season, which should give him a decent market — should no Detroit extension be reached in the meantime — come March. A new agency will be representing the former second-rounder for his next negotiation. Davis is joining Athletes First, per a recent announcement.
  • Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller will start on the boundary for the Dolphins, with former UDFA success story Kader Kohou in place as Miami’s slot defender. Despite Cam Smith being a second-round pick, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes Ethan Bonner — a 2023 UDFA who has stood out in training camp — is the frontrunner to be Miami’s top backup CB. Bonner, who recently returned from a concussion sustained in camp, played only 11 defensive snaps last season. While Smith recently came back after missing nearly three weeks due to injury, ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques adds he is week-to-week after sustaining another injury against the Commanders. Despite playing 15 games last season, Smith only saw 20 defensive snaps.
  • The base value on Julian Love‘s second Seahawks contract checks in at $33MM, per OverTheCap. The three-year deal includes $11.97MM guaranteed at signing and dropped Love’s cap number by just more than $1.6MM. Option bonuses (worth a combined $4.8MM) are in place to keep the cap hits lower, with both Love’s 2024 and ’25 cap figures coming in at just over $6MM. Love’s 2025 base salary ($1.2MM) is guaranteed for injury and will shift to a full guarantee five days after Super Bowl LIX, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson tweets.
  • The JaguarsTashaun Gipson reunion pact is worth $2.55MM, Wilson tweets. It comes with $525K guaranteed. The Jags will still be shorthanded at safety for a while. In addition to Gipson’s six-week suspension, Doug Pederson said (via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco) Andrew Wingard‘s recent knee injury will sideline him for at least a few games.

NFL Injury Updates: Rams OL, Wingard, Jackson, Oweh

Earlier this week, the Rams received unfortunate news that presumed starting left guard Jonah Jackson would miss the entire preseason with a shoulder injury. The hits keep coming as we learn that two other Rams’ starting lineman are dealing with injuries this preseason, according to Rams senior staff writer Stu Jackson.

Head coach Sean McVay listed left tackle Alaric Jackson and right tackle Rob Havenstein as “week-to-week” in a recent update. Normally, a week-to-week status wouldn’t pique much interest, but with Jonah already out, the Rams will be without three starting linemen in the coming weeks.

With the Jackson’s and Havenstein all out, Los Angeles will be fielding a “Rolodex of guys” in the meantime. While McVay claims that he isn’t too concerned about the injuries, the starters’ absences in the coming weeks will take away from the potential chemistry of the group as a whole. When incorporating a new starter in Jonah Jackson and moving last year’s left guard Steve Avila to center, that lost time could prove harmful to the group’s effectiveness early in the season.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • The Jaguars lost some depth in their secondary recently, per Josh Alper of NBC Sports. Head coach Doug Pederson gave an update recently informing the media that veteran safety Andrew Wingard had suffered a knee injury. While the extent of the injury is as of yet unknown, Pederson predicted that Wingard could miss “significant time” with potential to even miss regular season games. Currently second-year safety Antonio Johnson and former Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds are competing for the starting job. Wingard’s presence provides additional starting experience that Jacksonville will go without until he can return.
  • 49ers pass rusher Drake Jackson missed the second half of last season with a knee injury and is reportedly still making his way back from the issue. After the losses of Chase Young, Clelin Ferrell, and Randy Gregory in free agency, San Francisco is likely hoping to see Jackson step into a bigger role this year. That will need to wait, though, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Jackson will miss the remainder of training camp, “at a minimum,” as he continues to work his way back from injury. Free agent signing Leonard Floyd will have to hold down the spot across from Nick Bosa, in the meantime.
  • Ravens pass rusher Odafe Oweh is having an outstanding camp out in Baltimore, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, despite the fourth-year defender reportedly having undergone a minor surgery in the offseason. Oweh didn’t specify what the procedure was or what he got repaired, but it doesn’t seem to have hindered him at all. The Ravens are desperately hoping to see his impressive ability to pressure the passer turn into sacks this year after watching Jadeveon Clowney walk in free agency.

Jaguars To Re-Sign S Andrew Wingard

The Jaguars are retaining an experienced member of their secondary. Safety Andrew Wingard has agreed to terms on a new deal worth $9.6MM over three years, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Rapoport adds that the contract includes $6MM in guaranteed money, and has a maximum value of $13.8MM. Those figures comfortably exceed what he has earned to date, and demonstrate his importance to the Jaguars moving forward.

The 26-year-old has spent all four seasons of his career in Duval County. He has logged 24 starts over that span, including 15 in 2021. His playing time has fluctuated over time, and his defensive snap share dropped to 19% last season, though he remained a key special teamer. Wingard totaled 37 tackles and one interception in his limited action.

The former UDFA played on his restricted free agent tender in 2022, but will now have security for multiple years with this new deal. He is in line to continue in a rotational, depth role moving forward, with fellow safeties Rayshawn Jenkins and Andre Cisco both under contract through 2024. Wingard will be able to step into a starting role if necessary, given his experience in doing so and the team’s investment in him with this contract.

Jacksonville took a major step forward overall on defense in 2022, but their passing defense led plenty of room for improvement. The Jaguars allowed over 238 yards per game through the air, so investments in the secondary could be coming this offseason. In general, though, the team has been connected to retaining key internal free agents as opposed to their spending spree of 2022. Re-signing Wingard is evidence of that approach, and will give the team a familiar face in the secondary for years to come.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 4/11/22

Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Signed:

ERFAs

Signed:

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/22

Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/30/21

Here are Thursday’s reserve/COVID-19 list updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

  • Activated from virus list: OL Cody Ford, CB Cam Lewis
  • Activated from practice squad virus list: TE Quintin Morris

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Placed on practice squad virus list: LB Omari Cobb

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/20

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team 

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/20

Here are today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

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.