The Jaguars’ offseason program is in the books, and players are off until training camp convenes at the end of July.
Rookies, first-year players and quarterbacks will report to TIAA Bank Field on July 22. The rest of the veterans are scheduled to arrive July 24, and the team will take the field for the opening practice of camp July 25.
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Over that next month of training camp, the Jaguars will practice with pads on for the first time this year, and those sessions will have a significant impact on who makes the final 53-man roster for the season opener Sept. 8 at home against the Chiefs.
Still, organized team activities and the three-day minicamp provided plenty of insight into how Tom Coughlin and Dave Caldwell’s final roster is likely to shape up once camp breaks.
So let’s take a stab at it. I’ll predict the Week 1 roster position by position. Rookies are in italics.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks (2): Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew
The Jaguars are ecstatic with how Minshew, a sixth-round draft pick, has prepared for practices since he arrived in Jacksonville in early May. I expect him to win the backup job handily over Alex McGough and Tanner Lee, and the Washington State product was certainly the most exciting quarterback of the three this spring. McGough, who the Jags signed to a futures contract in January, will provide the most competition for Minshew. But in the end, I think the former Florida International standout will end up on the practice squad as long as he clears waivers. Foles, of course, will be the starter.
Running backs (5): Leonard Fournette, RyQuell Armstead, Alfred Blue, Benny Cunningham, Michael Colubiale
Five is a lot of running backs. But one thing to remember: The Jaguars do not have a traditional fullback on their current 90-man offseason roster, and that doesn’t appear to be changing before training camp. Instead, they’ve gone with a fullback-by-committee approach during spring practices, with tight ends Geoff Swaim, Josh Oliver, James O’Shaugnessy and Ben Koyack all receiving snaps out of the backfield. So no fullback clears an extra spot.
Cunningham, despite missing most of the spring with an undisclosed injury, is far and away the most proven receiving threat out the backfield, and I think he ends up making this roster because the Jags don’t have many options behind him in terms of a third-down back. Armstead wasn’t asked to catch passes while at Temple, and Blue’s hands are shaky.
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Colubiale, whom the Jags signed as an undrafted free agent out of UCF, is the dark horse here. At 6-foot-1, 216 pounds, he’s listed as a tight end. But Colubiale worked with the running backs in individual drills in OTAs and minicamp and was used most often in the fullback spot in 11-on-11 drills. His versatility is intriguing. I’ve included him in the running back group, but he could just as easily be viewed as a fourth tight end or a seventh wide receiver.
Wide receivers (6): Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook, DJ Chark, Marqise Lee, Keelan Cole, Terrelle Pryor
The big question mark with the wide receivers is whether Lee starts the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He’s rehabbing both a torn PCL and ACL he suffered in preseason last year, and it could go either way, especially with the cautious approach Doug Marrone is taking with injuries heading into 2019. But I think Lee will be ready for Week 1, even if he’s on some sort of snap count.
In that case, the sixth wide receiver spot will, in my mind, come down to Pryor and C.J. Board. Last week, Marrone spoke highly of Board, who has already bounced around to three teams since going undrafted in 2017. If Lee starts the season on PUP, then I imagine Board will make the roster. Pryor would have the edge over Board because of his size, experience and familiarity with offensive coordinator John DeFilippo — they were previously together in both Oakland and Cleveland. The Jags will have to find receiving production in the red zone, and Pryor is capable inside the 20 because of his enormous frame.
Tight ends (3): Geoff Swaim, Josh Oliver, James O’Shaughnessy
Given the relatively tight budget this offseason, Coughlin and Caldwell did a decent job of revamping their tight end room. If he stays healthy — and that’s a big if — Swaim will be a sturdy presence up front as a blocker, and Oliver has already flashed strong hands and athleticism in the middle of the field during his short time in Jacksonville. O’Shaughnessy was one of the Jaguars’ best special teams players last season and offers value there as a third eight end. Ben Koyack is the odd man out.
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Offensive line (9): Brandon Linder, Andrew Norwell, A.J. Cann, Jawaan Taylor, Cedric Ogbuehi, Will Richardson Jr., Josh Wells, Tyler Shatley, Brandon Thomas
I know the question you’re screaming at your computer, phone or tablet right now: WHERE IS CAM ROBINSON???? Well, I think he starts the season on PUP. The Jaguars are going to proceed very slowly as Robinson continues to rehab the torn ACL he suffered in Week 2 of last season. And they have some solid options to fill the void at left tackle until the 6-foot-6, 320-pounder is ready to return to the field, which, if it isn’t Week 1, will be sometime in the first quarter of the season.
The Jags are happy with what they’ve gotten out of Ogbuehi thus far, and I think he would start at left tackle if Robinson begins the season on PUP. To round out the starting line, we’ll likely see Norwell at left guard, Linder at center, Cann at right guard and Taylor at right tackle. I think Richardson makes the roster because he’s displayed some capacity inside and could potentially serve as a backup at three positions — left guard, right guard and right tackle. Shatley will be the backup center. And Thomas makes the cut over Leonard Wester because he provides depth and insurance at guard. Wester is exclusively a tackle.
DEFENSE
Defensive line (9): Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Josh Allen, Marcell Dareus, Taven Bryan, Abry Jones, Lerentee McCray, Dontavius Russell, Eli Ankou
The headline from this position: Dawuane Smoot gets cut. I worked through some different variations where Smoot, a third-round pick in 2017, makes the roster. But I kept coming back to two things Smoot lacks: versatility and production. He has zero career sacks in 24 games, and despite his size (6-foot-3, 264 pounds), he really only slots into Todd Wash’s scheme as a rush end. Right now, he’s fourth on the depth chart at that position behind Ngakoue, Allen and McCray, and McCray is a special teams leader who will be vital for coordinator Joe DeCamallis with a number of new players in tow.
Linebackers (5): Myles Jack, Quincy Williams, Leon Jacobs, Ramik Wilson, Najee Goode
Jake Ryan will wind up being the Jags’ backup middle linebacker behind Jack at some point this season, but it’s looking like he’ll start the season on PUP. He’s recovering from a torn ACL, the same one he tore while at Michigan, and needs time before he’s fully healthy. So Goode makes the team as the backup Mike. Williams will start at weak-side linebacker. Jacobs will technically be a starter on the strong side, but the Jaguars play so much nickel that he won’t be a starter in actuality. Wilson is the backup Will linebacker.
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Cornerbacks (6): Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, D.J. Hayden, Quenton Meeks, Tre Herndon, Saivion Smith
The Jags kept 10 defensive linemen on their 53-man roster last year. I have them keeping nine this season and filled that spot with an extra cornerback — Smith, a rookie out of Alabama.
I have some concerns over the Jags’ depth at slot corner. They ran into this problem last year when Hayden missed six games with a toe injury. Tyler Patmon was forced to cover the slot, and that led to some woeful performances from the pass defense (see: Cole Beasley’s career game).
Herndon will back up Hayden in the slot. Herndon is a promising talent and made plays this spring despite some up-and-down days. One snap stood out in particular: The Jags were running red zone 7-on-7 drills in minicamp, and Herndon locked down Conley, forcing a Foles throw to sail out of the end zone. But is he ready to fill in as a starting slot corner if Hayden goes down? That remains to be seen.
Safeties (5): Jarrod Wilson, Ronnie Harrison, Cody Davis, C.J. Reavis, Andrew Wingard
Wilson and Harrison are the starters, and, based on reps in OTAs and minicamp, Davis and Reavis will enter training camp as the backup tandem. Wingard impressed in the spring and is in line to make the roster. One name that could shake up this prediction: Zedrick Woods, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the combine.
Specialists (3): P Logan Cooke, K Josh Lambo, LS Matt Overton
The Jags cut Christian Kuntz last week, so Overton is now the lone long snapper on the 90-man roster. Lambo was one of the team’s best three players last season and signed a lucrative extension this offseason.
(Top photo of — L to R — Jalen Ramsey, Quenton Meeks, Dede Westbrook and Saivion Smith: Reinhold Matay / USA Today)
