1 Area Where the Jaguars Have Already Found a Winning Edge

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are all about finding edges to win, and it feels like they may have already found one.

While most of the focus over the last week has been on the Jaguars' 53-man roster, that is not the only key piece of the roster that has been reshaped.

The Jaguars' practice squad also got a facelift this week, with the unit seeing even more changes than the actual active roster compared to a year ago. For a team that relied on the practice squad to find several gems a year ago, it appears this year's practice squad could be even more impactful.

james gladston — From left, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, Executive Vice President of football operations Tony Boselli, head coach Liam Coen talk after Day 15 of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Practice Squad Upgrade

There are a number of players on the Jaguars' 53-man roster this year who spent significant time on the practice squad a year ago, such as linebacker Branson Combs, defensive tackle Matt Dickerson, and tight end Quintin Morris. That in itself should detail just why the practice squad is so important when it comes to the Jaguars' true vision for the roster and how competition breeds more depth throughout the entire roster.

That means the Jaguars could easily need some of the members of their 17-man practice squad to step into the lineup at one point or another in 2026. And for Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, the good news is that this year's practice squad seems notably improved compared to the one the Jaguars entered Week 1 with last season.

Only a few members of this year's practice squad (Tim Jones, Austin Trammell, Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig, Jabbar Muhammad) spent time on last year's practice squad, a unit that now has two draft 2025 draft picks (Jalen McLeod and Jack Kiser), a long-time veteran quarterback (Nick Mullens), and a few exciting undrafted free agents who stuck out (Joey Aguilar, Ja'Mari Taylor, Michael Wortham, Trevor Peña) who could be reasonable upgrades over the players who held those same spots a year ago.

"I think that you look at practice squad last year to this year, and I would say we improved. I would say that it's more competitive. There's a mix of some guys that you feel like you can elevate," Coen said on Wednesday at the Miller Electric Center. "And there's some guys that you feel like maybe need a little bit more time to keep pouring into and keep working with and maybe that time is a little later."

liam coe — Aug 28, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars roster has been a place where practice squad players and undrafted free agents have gotten significant opportunities since the new regime has taken over. That has certainly played a role in the way the Jaguars have crafted their roster and practice squad since last offseason, and it has once again factored into this year's decisions.

"I think the cool thing about the roster is, when you have the examples of Danny [DE Danny Striggow], B.J. and [DT] Matt Dickerson, who came in, was on the practice squad for all those weeks, and then now he's one of our starters if you will. I think the guys on the team know that it's earned and that if they do perform in practice, they do all the little things right and an op presents itself, we will elevate," Coen said.

"[TE] Quintin Morris, for instance, same thing. I think that's what's cool in attracting also. You want your guys to stay, but also attracting, maybe, and recruiting some of the guys that we were able to go get outside of the building. They see some of those examples from last year, and now it's like, okay, well, there is an op. There is a path and an avenue for me to potentially get on the grass”

lia — From left, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, Executive Vice President of football operations Tony Boselli, head coach Liam Coen talk after Day 15 of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

For the Jaguars, Coen, and general manager James Gladstone, every roster spot counts. The Jaguars will need all 70 healthy players that are currently under contract to get where they want to go. Improving the No. 54 through No. 70 spots is an understated part of the team-building process a winning team must undergo, but it is where the Jaguars find themselves.

"It doesn't matter whether or not I was part of acquiring a player, the more time you spend with them, the deeper the connection is. There's a deeper-rooted dialogue as part of these conversations. It's not as surface level as some of them may have been a year ago. But in the same breath, that day that we go through those roster reductions is really met with a wide range of conversations," Gladstone said Tuesday.

"You've got some players who are really excited and fulfilled with the fact that they earned a 53-man roster, and others who may be facing a path coming to an end. So, vacillating between those two ends of the spectrum and everything in between is certainly an interesting dynamic to walk through. But can't thank the guys that came through over the course of this offseason and training camp enough, those that are still with us and those that are going in a different direction, to get us to a place where we feel good about where we are heading into the season."

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