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Jaguars Re-Sign Former Defensive Lineman Daniel Ross

The Jacksonville Jaguars have added free agent defensive tackle, Daniel Ross, the club announced on Friday. He spent time with the Jaguars during the 2020 season and is now being added back to what Urban Meyer calls the most important unit.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed fourth-year defensive tackle, Daniel Ross, the club announced today.

Ross is a bit of a NFL journeyman, having spent time with six teams thus far in his four years, including a brief stint with the Jaguars. During the 2020 season, Ross played in five games; three of those were with Jacksonville, two with the Las Vegas Raiders. Ross originally joined the league before the 2017 season when the Houston Texans signed him as an undrafted free agent.

During the 2017 season, Ross floated from the Texans to the Detroit Lions and to the Kansas City Chiefs on practice squads, before finally being signed in early November by the Dallas Cowboys. He was activated and played in three games in 2017 and 13 games in 2018, both with the Cowboys, and tallied 19 tackles, including 2.0 sacks.

While with the Cowboys, Ross played with now Jaguar teammate, Jihad Ward. 

Ward (51) and Ross (68) spent time together with the Cowboys and are now reunited with the Jaguars. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Ward (51) and Ross (68) spent time together with the Cowboys and are now reunited with the Jaguars. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Ross’ NFL career totals include 27 tackles, 2.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries,

Come out of high school, Ross—a former basketball player—hadn’t received many looks for football. So the Louisville, Kentucky native attended Northeast Mississippi Community College, then spent two years with the Canadian Football League, beginning his pro career in 2014 with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Ross joins a deep class of defensive linemen signed by the Jaguars in free agency. The unit has been one of major focus for new head coach Urban Meyer. The club also added Malcom Brown (in a trade with the New Orleans Saints), Roy Robertson-Harris and Jihad Ward. The front office had originally planned to sign former Jaguar Tyson Alualu as well, but he had a change of heart before officially putting his name on the dotted line, and stayed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The club also re-signed ends Adam Gotsis and Dawuane Smoot.

“On defense, the number one need, regardless of what the statistics said, the number one need to me is always going to be [to] build your defensive front,” explained Meyer ahead of free agency.

"I expect our defensive line to always be the top four—in college, I expected to be in the top 5 in America. In the NFL, I told our staff I expected to be top 4—we should keep elevating that—the top 4 in the league and we felt it wasn’t. There were some good pieces in place, and we attacked it and we’re very excited about that…so that was the places we built. I believe we’re going to be in the top 4 in the league on that defensive line.”