It May Be Time for the Jaguars to Rebuild Their Pass-Catching Corps

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made sweeping changes to their coaching staff and will soon hire their next general manager.

Hiring their next GM will complete a set of sweeping changes in Jacksonville's front office, but there will likely be more changes on the roster. After missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season and sustaining multiple losing streaks en route to a 4-13 campaign this season, the Jaguars aim to rebuild their roster and reputation.

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY released a list of players he believes could be cut candidates this offseason. The list included many notable players around the league, including some of the Jaguars' highest-paid offensive players. Along with wide receiver Christian Kirk, the Jaguars could decide to rebuild their group of wide receivers with talented but much cheaper options.

After playing in the second-fewest games of his career, registering the fewest receiving yards, first down receptions, and touchdowns, Middlehurst-Schwartz believes the Jaguars could choose to move on from the veteran wide receiver this offseason. Not only did Engram miss most of the season, but rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. excelled in Engram and Kirk's respective absences, making both replaceable.

"His departure might not be quite as clear-cut as Kirk's, but Engram is facing a similar situation. The two-time Pro Bowler is closer to his peak after recording career-bests of 114 catches and 963 receiving yards in 2023, but he averaged a career-low 7.8 yards per reception last season and missed eight total games with hamstring and labrum injuries. Brenton Strange, a second-round pick in 2023, already established himself as a capable replacement last season by tallying 40 catches for 411 yards," Middlehurst-Schwartz said.

Jacksonville could legitimately move on from Engram this offseason and draft his replacement or sign his replacement in free agency. The Jaguars could save money and get better value from a player they pay less but register similar numbers to Engram's over the past two seasons. Jacksonville's front office could pull off a successful swap of well-paid veteran receivers with a pair of reasonably paid receivers on rookie contracts. Or, add another veteran via free agency on a more team-friendly deal.

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