3 Observations on Jaguars Releasing Evan Engram

The Jacksonville Jaguars moved on from a core piece of their previous era on Thursday, releasing veteran tight end Evan Engram.

Engram was a huge part of the Jaguars turning their fortunes and transforming their offense in 2022, and he went on to make NFL history in 2023.

But now that the Jaguars are being led by a new leadership group that includes head coach Liam Coen, general manager James Gladstone and EVP of football operations Tony Boselli, it is clearly a new day for the Jaguars.

So, what do we ultimately make of the Jaguars' move to release Engram? We break it down below.

Evan Engram did exactly what he was supposed to do in Jacksonville

When the Jaguars signed Engram to a one-year deal in 2022, not many predicted the impact he was set to have on the franchise. Engram was amongst the best of the players the former regime of Trent Baalke and Doug Pederson brought into Jacksonville, and Engram used his new start to carve out an impressive tenure.

The Jaguars accepted Engram with open arms after his up-and-down stint in New York, and Engram repaid them by providing Trevor Lawrence a reliable target and by giving the locker room a much-needed leader on and off the field. Engram's time in Jacksonville was a win-win.

Brenton Strange is about to see a much larger role

There is no doubt that the Jaguars felt like they could make this move because of what they think they can get out of Brenton Strange. The former second-round pick flashed as a pass-catcher last year after seeing more opportunities, and he seems like the type of tight end skill-set that can thrive with Coen.

As talented as Engram is, his skill-set never made much sense for Coen's scheme. He isn't a strong blocker and often times can tip the offense's hand to the defense based on his deployment. Strange doesn't have those issues, and it should help him quickly find a big role in Coen's offense in 2025.

How early will the Jaguars take a tight end?

As things stand today, the Jaguars' tight end depth has as many holes as any other position on the roster. They have an encouraging young player in Strange, but Luke Farrell and Josiah Deguara are also free agents. One way or another, the Jaguars will have to add to this position group over the course of the offseason.

If the Jaguars were to add to it via the 2025 NFL Draft, it begs the question of how early is too early? It is one of the deepest tight end classes in years, but there could also be two trade-down options in Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland. Finding some middle ground seems like the best answer.

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