Jaguars Officially Release Al Woods, 7 Other Veterans
15 Jacksonville Jaguars had their contracts naturally expire on Wednesday, but the Jaguars created even more space on the roster by releasing eight other veterans as the league year opened at 4 p.m.
Along with announcing 12 new additions via free agency/trades, as well as the re-signing of James O'Shaughnessy and Aldrick Rosas, the Jaguars announced the following players have been released.
- Cornerback Quenton Meeks
- Cornerback Rashaan Melvin
- Punter Cameron Nizialek
- Cornerback Josh Nurse
- Running back Craig Reynolds
- Defensive tackle Dontavius Russell
- Defensive tackle Al Woods
- Defensive tackle Gabe Wright.
The two most notable names on this list are Al Woods and Rashaan Melvin, each of whom signed with the Jaguars as free agents last season. Woods and Melvin never played a single down for the Jaguars, however, as each opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While I was excited to join the Jaguars, I have made the tough decision, given the current status of COVID-19, to opt out for the 2020 season," Woods said in a statement released by the team in July.
"The health and safety of my family has always been the most important thing in my life. I love the game of football and will be rooting hard for my teammates this season, and I look forward to re-joining the Jaguars in 2021.”
Woods was expected to start for the Jaguars at nose tackle last season but his opt-out opened the door for rookie DaVon Hamilton to start a handful of games at the position. Now, the Jaguars have added even more to the nose tackle position with Tyson Alualu and Malcom Brown.
Melvin's spot on the roster became murky when the Jaguars agreed to terms with Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin on Tuesday. The veteran cornerback was the odd man out in a cornerback room that included Griffin, CJ Henderson, and recently re-signed cornerbacks Sidney Jones and Tre Herndon.
Among the players released is only one former Jaguars draft pick: Dontavius Russell. Russell was drafted in the seventh round (No. 235 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft and appeared in three games as a rookie. He missed all of 2020 with a hip injury.
