3 Most Underrated Moves the Jaguars Made This Week: James Gladstone's Savvy Decisions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to turn their complete focus to the Cleveland Browns in eight days, and it is the last week of roster moves that has now set them up to do so.

With Jaguars general manager James Gladstone and his staff making a flurry of moves to put together the 53-man roster and practice squad over the last week, a few decisions have gone under the radar.

So, what were the three most underrated moves the Jaguars made along their roster this week? We break it down below.

Quarterback Musical Chairs

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Mullens (14) looks on next to quarterback Joey Aguilar (17) during a joint Buccaneers‑Jaguars NFL practice at the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

I was surprised when the Jaguars dealt a draft pick for new backup quarterback Quinn Ewers because I assumed the team felt comfortable enough at the backup quarterback position. While I think this move is less of an indictment on Nick Mullens' ability as the backup quarterback as it is about the Jaguars' quarterback depth as a whole behind Trevor Lawrence, I was impressed by the way the Jaguars kept some options at quarterback.

It would not have been a sure thing to land Ewers on the waiver wire had the Dolphins waived him, nor would it be a sure thing for the Jaguars to be able to keep him stashed on a practice squad. Since Mullens is a veteran, the Jaguars were able to release him with the understanding that he would be brought back to the practice squad, eliminating any of the potential risk that he would sign elsewhere.

Add in the fact that the Jaguars were able to keep not only Mullens but also fourth quarterback Joey Aguilar, and the Jaguars' quarterback room looks a good bit better than it did over the course of training camp. Ewers still has things to prove, but the roster mechanisms the Jaguars put in place to make it happen are worth recognizing.

Rostering Ameer Abdullah

I think Ameer Abdullah actually has a chance to carve out an interesting role with the Jaguars this season, and I was absolutely not saying that in May and June. I thought there would be no way the Jaguars would carry four running backs for much of the offseason, and I considered undrafted rookie running back J'Mari Taylor to be a shoo-in for the No. 4 spot on the depth chart anyway. Both of those were whiffs, and it is largely because of what Abdullah did over the course of camp.

The 12th-year veteran had some legit flashes during the summer and then in his lone preseason appearance in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers. With LeQuint Allen still dealing with a training camp injury that makes it unlikely he plays in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, Abdullah could be the best pass-catching running back on the Jaguars' active roster.

Even when Allen does return, Abdullah's ability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield could keep him involved in the offense at a higher clip than one might expect from a team's No. 4 running back. Regardless of his role, though, he seemingly gives the Jaguars' running back room even more depth and he could be the best No. 4 back in the NFL.

Trading Hunter Long

A few hours ahead of the 53-man roster deadline, the Jaguars made their second trade of the weekend by sending veteran tight end Hunter Long and a 2028 seventh-round pick for a 2028 sixth-round selection. This was a worthwhile move worth making for a few reasons, while also highlighting the Jaguars' continued ability to get some kind of value out of players they were already set to move on from (see Christian Kirk in 2025 for an example).

Long had his moments in training camp and the preseason and had a legit argument to make as the team's fourth-best tight end, but we never had a 53-man roster projection with him making the team. He had an uphill climb after the Jaguars drafted two tight ends in April in Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol, and this was set to play out as expected.

But despite that being the reality, the Jaguars were able to essentially trade up from the seventh- to the sixth-round with the cost being a player they were set to release hours later. If the Jaguars are as good as we expect them to be in a year, and if the Cardinals are as bad as we expect them to be, this would be a pretty big leap. For context, the Cardinals picked at No. 183 with their first sixth-round pick last April, while the Jaguars' original seventh was at No. 240. That is a 57-pick difference.

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