3 Observations on the Jaguars' Initial 53-Man Roster

The Jacksonville Jaguars, like every other NFL team on Wednesday, still have a lot of work to do.

The Jaguars and the rest of the league took part in shaving down their rosters from 80 to 53 on Tuesday. With the Jaguars holding first priority on all waiver claims on Wednesday afternoon, there is likely going to be some transitioning before we have a complete Week 1 roster.

"We’re still looking. We’re always going to look out there, and we’re going to look heavily at the waiver wire later today, and if somebody can come in here and help us and improve our football team and help us win, then we’ll take a look at that," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Tuesday.

"Well, there’s a lot of players at 4 p.m. today that will become available and we told the young men in that room that we are going to continue to look build on the depth of the organization and this roster," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said. "We feel good about the men down there, but the process is ongoing. We’ve got scouts down there that are going through all the preseason tape, working hard on that.

"When we get done with this, we’re going to go downstairs and at some point around 6 or 7 p.m. tonight, the cut list is going to come out and we’re going to scan through that and work with the coaches. They’re [the coaches] all set for a long night as well, and we’re going to do our due diligence and if there’s a player on the cut list that we feel could upgrade the roster, we will make that decision.”

So with this in mind, here are some very early thoughts on the first 53-man roster before it evolves.

Tim Jones takes grab of his chance, giving the Jaguars a chance of their own

No wide receiver did more for himself in the preseason than second-year wide receiver Tim Jones. An injury in last year's training camp kept the former undrafted Southern Mississippi receiver around Jacksonville but off the active roster in 2021, but Jones was one of the most impressive wideouts in spring OTAs and minicamp, and he then upped his game in camp.

Jones beat out Laquon Treadwell for the Jaguars' fifth receiver spot after tying for the third-most catches (14) in the NFL this preseason, leading the league in yards (219), and proving himself as a big play-threat with a 15.6 yards per catch mark that was significantly higher than any other player with as much volume.

"He took advantage of his opportunities. Young players – that has been my message since I got here" Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Tuesday afternoon.

"Everyone gets an opportunity and the ones that grasp it get chances in this league. He did a nice job on special teams for us and he was a young receiver who really has grasped his opportunity to play. He showed us even the other day – some of the plays he made during the Atlanta game really stood out to us. That fifth and if we add another guy later – if he’s a sixth guy whatever – they have to be a core special teams player and he’s one of those guys.”

Jones has proven he can play on special teams while also giving the Jaguars a young backup to develop on the outside with size, speed and upside at 24. While they could still add to the receiver room, the lack of youth in it was a serious issue entering this year's camp.

Sure there were a lot of second-year and undrafted types on the 90-man roster, but only Jones and Laviska Shenault were the candidates to be receivers on rookie deals to be on the actual roster. With Shenault traded, Jones now gives the Jaguars another chance to mold a young receiver for the year. And with Marvin Jones in a contract year, an outside receiver to develop in 2022 was a dire need that may now be filled.

Two kickers entering Wednesday reflect the state of the position in 2022

The Jaguars made the interesting and rare choice to enter the 53-man roster period with two kickers they signed last week in James McCourt and Jake Verity. McCourt went 5-of-6 during the portion of practice open to the media on Tuesday after being perfect in joint practices and the preseason game against the Falcons, but it is clear the Jaguars still view it as a competition between him and Verity.

"It could, yes," Pederson said when asked if the kicker battle could even drag into next week, the first week of regular-season practices before they play Washington in Week 1.

"It’s an ongoing battle. That is an important position to us and we want to get that right. There is going to be some competition there and we still have a little bit of time before we play a meaningful game. We understand it’s important and we are going to make that decision smartly.”

The Jaguars going with two kickers isn't something that is going to be a permanent fixture, but it does mean they had to release or waive other young players they liked such as Jay Tufele, Gregory Junior, Mekhi Sargent, Jeff Cotton Jr., etc., and subject all of them to waivers. This isn't a giant negative since it is the last spot on the roster, but it does a good job of reflecting how bad the kicker position had been for the Jaguars in 2022 before this battle between McCourt and Verity began on Saturday.

Simply put, the Jaguars' revolving door at kicker between Matt Wright, Ryan Santoso, Andrew Mevis, and Elliott Fry this offseason was fruitless. Wright was the best kicker among the four, but his lack of ability to get distance on kickoffs seems to have been a deciding factor. Mevis flamed out with early misses in camp, while Fry actually showed potential before getting injured. Santoso was given ample chances but eventually, it was just clear he wasn't the answer.

The Jaguars have tried everything at kicker already this offseason, so why not try this? That is where the juggling of kickers has brought them. Luckily, McCourt has impressed in his short stint with the Jaguars. To put into context of how much of a whirlwind it has been, McCourt met punter/holder Logan Cooke and long-snapper Ross Matiscik on the plane the Jaguars departed on for Atlanta on Tuesday. That will be the origin story for the young kicker from Illinois if he wins out over Verity.

Two players accomplish impressive feats

There are two players who made the 53-man roster on Tuesday whose roster spots were never in question, an impressive feat considering where they have come from. Cornerback Tre Herndon and safety Andrew Wingard were never in doubt when it came to the roster, which is quite the feat when you consider each were undrafted free agents who have now crafted long stints with the Jaguars without ever being on the practice squad.

Herndon, who is entering his fifth season with the Jaguars after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2018, and Wingard, who is entering his fourth season after signing in 2019, have now made the 53-man roster for three different Jaguars regimes. They are the definition of success stories from undrafted free agents; players who can be reliable depth and prove their worth in every phase of the game. The type of player who is needed in every locker room.

Herndon had a terrific training camp under Pederson and his defensive staff this year, flashing consistently at nickel cornerback in place of injured Darious Williams. The staff loves Herndon, who is finally healthy this year after battling injuries all of 2021. He has inside/outside experience and plays special teams and has paved a path as an undrafted free agent that is admirable.

Wingard has impressed this camp in his own right, consistently making plays with the second-team defense and playing key roles on special teams, such as the protector on the punt team. Wingard has clearly been the third best safety for the Jaguars in camp and it seems like he is in a role that will help both him and the Jaguars as he backs up Rayshawn Jenkins and Andre Cisco.