Grading the Jaguars 2020 Free Agents: Linebacker Cassius Marsh

The Jacksonville Jaguars, like many teams in the National Football League, found themselves in a precarious situation last spring. A global pandemic meant scouts and coaches were limited to tape when evaluating players. As such, the Jaguars kept their free agent signings modest.

From there, the list shrunk even more as a handful of those signed elected to retire and/or opt-out for the season.

There were six though that saw significant time on the field for the Jacksonville Jaguars this season and we’ll spend the next few days grading their performance.

Linebacker Cassius Marsh was signed to the Jaguars back in April of 2020 after five stints with four teams, the longest being the Seattle Seahawks. He entered camp with expectations to push for starter reps at SAM (strong side linebacker) although he was listed as a defensive end as well. In the end, he played in four games before being released.

What Went Right

Marsh wrapped up his four games with the Jaguars having accumulated nine tackles and a forced fumble. That was the extent of his time with the Jags. But if nothing else, it left Marsh and his family with a good familial story. Marsh’s dad is a former wide receiver who spent three seasons in the NFL. The Utah alum spent the first two with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was drafted in the inaugural Jaguars 1995 class.

Like father, like son.@KingCash_7191 | Full interview: https://t.co/72bIHdWrNF pic.twitter.com/pPSbPw7U67
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) April 9, 2020

What Went Wrong

Marsh is a journeyman, who bounced between three teams alone in 2020. He’s a great addition for depth when injuries deplete a unit, and who has the potential to be more in the right situation. The Jaguars probably thought they were that situation. During the 2020 offseason, former General Manager Dave Caldwell and former Head Coach Doug Marrone made a push to a more 3-4 defensive scheme.

Every front seven player drafted and signed in free agency was indicative of a shift in the scheme. Every comment the two made about the defense in the offseason mentioned the ability to run a 3-4 with the personnel they were bringing to the roster. There was only one problem. Todd Wash was still the defensive coordinator and he was never going to switch.

Which is a long, roundabout way of saying, what went wrong wasn’t totally Marsh’s fault. He was a defensive end/outside linebacker—even listed as such on the roster—and that type of hybrid player is built to run in a 3-4 defense. Marrone even said at the time, “Cassius Marsh is another player we acquired that can play [SAM] and also give us some rush.”

After Leon Jacobs—who was the strong side backer–was injured, Marsh was moved “permanently” from end to linebacker. As Marsh spent more time with the Jaguars, he told local media before training camp he expected to fight for the starting SAM position. It was clear he wasn’t going to be able to run the role the front office wanted him to, so he was going to at least try for playing time another way.

A little over a month into the season, with the defense—and subsequently linebacker corps—set, Cassius Marsh’s time with the Jacksonville Jaguars was complete.

Overall Grade On This Signing: D+

This was the grade originally assigned to the profile so it’ll stay, but the more thought that is given to the situation, the higher it seems that grade should be. Yes, overall the Cassius Marsh experiment with the Jacksonville Jaguars was a failed one. And while his play wasn’t versatile or strong enough to keep him around, one can't help but wonder what his time in Jacksonville would have looked like had he been playing in a situation more suited to his skills.