Jaguars Trim Active Roster Down to 80 After Series of Moves
The Jacksonville Jaguars had to narrow their roster down to 80 players by Aug. 16, but the team got a week headstart by making a series of roster moves on Saturday.
The Jaguars announced they had waived rookie running back Tavien Feaster, first-year offensive lineman Tyler Gauthier, rookie offensive lineman Steven Nielsen and rookie kicker Brandon Wright, along with releasing third-year safety Doug Middleton, who spent last season with the team.
The Jaguars also placed sixth-year defensive lineman Rodney Gunter on the Active/Non-Football Illness list. Gunter was one of the team's most important signings in free agency after spending five years with the Arizona Cardinals, and his importance was only magnified last week when defensive tackle Al Woods announced he would opt out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding COVID-19.
"Including TE James O'Shaughnessy (knee), who is on the team’s Active/Physically Unable to Perform list, the Jaguars now have 80 players on their active list," the Jaguars said in a statement.
"The Jaguars, who may carry 80 players on their active list until the final roster reduction to 53 players on Sept. 5, are now eligible to have all 80 players at the facility, including on the practice field, simultaneously throughout training camp."
Jacksonville currently has three players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, along defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who is on the Reserve/Franchise list. Ngakoue has not yet signed the franchise tag tender the Jaguars placed on him in March.
The members of Jacksonville's roster on the Reserve/COVID-19 list is as follows:
RB Ryquell Armstead
OL Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms
OL Ryan Pope
"The Reserve/COVID-19 list is a new reserve category created by the NFL for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons. Clubs are not permitted to comment on a player’s medical status other than referring to roster status. Clubs may not disclose whether player is in quarantine or is positive for COVID-19," the Jaguars said in a statement on Sunday to provide clarity about the new list.
"Clubs, club personnel, other players and player-agents are not permitted to disclose a player’s reason for placement on Reserve/COVID-19 or a player’s status with regard to such illness. However, players are permitted to disclose their own medical information."
