Jaguars Made Offer To LB Devin Lloyd
The Jaguars declined linebacker Devin Lloyd‘s fifth-year option last spring, setting him up for a trip to the open market this offseason. While Lloyd entered the process hoping to re-sign with the Jaguars, the former first-round pick left Duval County for the Panthers’ three-year, $42MM proposal. The Jaguars at least had interest in retaining Lloyd, he confirmed (via David Newton of ESPN).
“It was offered,” said Lloyd, though he did not detail how close the Jaguars came to keeping him.
It’s worth pointing out that exercising Lloyd’s fifth-year option would have cost Jacksonville $14.75MM – a bit north of his current $14MM average annual value. The Jaguars deemed that too rich, though it was not a surprise they turned it down. A team has not picked up an off-ball linebacker’s fifth-year option since the Buccaneers did so for Devin White in 2022. Nevertheless, the NFL continues to group inside and outside linebackers together for valuation purposes.
The Jaguars stumbled to a 4-13 record in 2024, but they surprisingly orchestrated a major turnaround in the first year of the general manager James Gladstone-head coach Liam Coen reign last season. Thanks in part to a terrific season from Lloyd, the Jaguars reeled off 13 wins and took home an AFC South title. Lloyd made his first Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors after totaling 81 tackles, 25 pressures and a career-high five interceptions over 15 games. Pro Football Focus gave Lloyd an elite ranking (third) among 88 off-ball linebackers.
During his four-year run in Jacksonville, Lloyd averaged approximately 16 games, 109 tackles, seven passes defensed and two interceptions per season. That will not be easy production to replace, but Gladstone has pointed to the relatively inexperienced Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs as potential in-house successors (via Mia O’Brien of ESPN Radio). Miller, a 2023 third-rounder, missed his rookie year with a torn Achilles and then started 11 of 32 games over the past two seasons. Combs was a 2025 undrafted free agent who came off the bench in all 10 appearances last year. The vast majority of his snaps (177 of 205) came on special teams.
While Lloyd walked out the door, the Jaguars were able to retain outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck on a new contract. Details were not immediately available, but it is a two-year, $6.5MM pact with $3.15MM in guarantees and three void years, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
Jaguars Trim Roster To 53
Teams have until 3pm CT to trim their rosters to the 53-man limit. The Jaguars are getting an early start. Here are the players the Jags cut Tuesday:
Released:
- OL Chandler Brewer
- CB Tevaughn Campbell
- DL Michael Dogbe
- OL Bobby Evans
- OL Blake Hance
- RB Qadree Ollison
Waived:
- LS Tucker Addington
- WR Kevin Austin
- S Latavious Brini
- OLB D.J. Coleman
- RB Snoop Conner
- OL Coy Cronk
- DL De’Shaan Dixon
- CB Erick Hallett
- WR Jacob Harris
- CB Kaleb Hayes
- LB Dequan Jackson
- OL Samuel Jackson
- WR Oliver Martin
- K James McCourt
- S Ayo Oyelola
- TE Derek Parish
- TE Josh Pederson
- TE Gerrit Prince
- WR Kendric Pryor
- QB Nathan Rourke
- OLB Jordan Smith
- OLB Willie Taylor
- DL Raymond Vohasek
- OL Darryl Williams
- WR Seth Williams
- CB Divaad Wilson
Waived/injured:
Placed on IR:
- LB Ventrell Miller
- OL Josh Wells
Placed on reserve/suspended list:
Placed on exempt list:
- CB Chris Claybrooks
Several of these players will be back, in all likelihood, via practice squad deals. Waiver claims process at 11am CT on Wednesday. Free agents can make plans to join P-squads early, but teams will not have the full picture of who is available until the waiver claims process.
Conner and Ollison being off the roster leaves third-round rookie Tank Bigsby, D’Ernest Johnson and Jamycal Hasty in place behind starter Travis Etienne. The Jaguars chose Conner in the 2022 fifth round, and while they traded James Robinson before last year’s deadline, Conner did not receive much work. He totaled 12 carries for 42 yards as a rookie.
Wells returned to Jacksonville earlier this month, but this IR placement will halt a journey back to regular-season work with his initial NFL team. Wells, 32, started nine games for the Jags from 2014-18. He then worked as a key Buccaneers backup over the past several years. Players placed on IR before the season are not eligible for in-season activations, though an injury settlement could allow Wells to play this season.
Jaguars LB Ventrell Miller Suffers Achilles Tear
Instead of competing for playing time as a rookie, Ventrell Miller will be sidelined for the 2023 season. The Jaguars linebacker has suffered a torn Achilles, head coach Doug Pederson said (via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco).
As a result of the injury, Miller will be out for the season. The news marks a blow for the fourth-rounder, who played at Florida for five years. He showed an ability to be disruptive in the run game, totaling 23.5 tackles for loss over that span. He added 7.5 sacks in college, which likely would have earned him at least a rotational role in Jacksonville as a rookie.
Now, the 24-year-old will begin the lengthy rehab process associated with Achilles tears. The timing of the injury, which occurred in the Jaguars’ preseason finale, should give him an opportunity to recover in time for the start of the 2024 season, however. Miller had collected nine tackles and a pair of sacks during Jacksonville’s exhibition contests.
The team will now move forward with a shorthanded unit at the second level of its defense. Foyesade Oluokun – who led the league in tackles last season, his first in Duval County after signing a big-money deal in free agency – will once again be leaned on heavily this year. 2022 first-rounder Devin Lloyd is also in place, and should be expected to retain a starting role in his second campaign.
Miller was in line to hold a depth position behind that pair, splitting time with the likes of Chad Muma, Caleb Johnson and Shaquille Quarterman. Given today’s news, the latter’s chances of making the Jaguars’ 53-man roster have increased, though plenty of decisions are yet to be made in the next two days.
Jaguars Sign Round 2 TE Brenton Strange, Several Others
The Jaguars used their franchise tag on Evan Engram in March, and while the parties have until mid-July to finalize an extension agreement, the team added another tight end in the draft. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville’s second-round pick, agreed to terms on his rookie deal Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.
Strange will head to Florida after a career at Penn State. Scouts Inc. slotted the ex-Nittany Lions pass catcher as this draft class’ seventh-ranked tight end. He went to the Jags at No. 61 overall. Jacksonville moved down from its No. 56 overall slot, sliding five spots and picking up a fourth-round pick (No. 136) from Chicago to do so.
In Strange, the Jags will pick up a 253-pound pass catcher who totaled 32 receptions for 362 yards and five touchdowns last season. Strange earned third-team All-Big Ten honors for his senior-year work. This is the highest the Jaguars have drafted a tight end since taking Marcedes Lewis in the 2006 first round.
Prior to Engram’s promising 2022 season, the Jaguars had encountered steady trouble generating much production from the tight end spot. The former Giants first-rounder’s 766 receiving yards represent a franchise single-season record. Engram has said he wants to stay with the Jags on a long-term deal, but the sides were not believed to be close on terms yet. If Engram does not sign by July 17, he will play the 2023 season on the franchise tag.
In addition to Strange, the Jags also inked third-round running back Tank Bigsby (Auburn) to his four-year rookie contract. They also signed fourth-round linebacker Ventrell Miller (Florida), sixth-round cornerbacks Christian Braswell (Rutgers) and Erick Hallett (Pittsburgh), seventh-round offensive lineman Cooper Hodges (Appalachian State) and seventh-round defensive tackle Raymond Vohasek (North Carolina). The Jags began their rookie minicamp Friday.