Notes on Each Member of the Jaguars' Initial 2020 Practice Squad

While members of the NFL's practice squad may go unnoticed to most on the outside during any particular season, their importance has never gone unnoticed within the teams themselves.

But in 2020, the all-important practice squads are set to be maybe more important than ever due to the unknown surrounding the season and the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Eventually, this is going to be one year where were going to need all 69 players and sixteen guys on the practice squad [and] the fifty-three active," Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said on Saturday.

"If any year we’re going to have to have the best practice squad, it’s this year and everybody’s going to have to be ready to play.”

So when the Jacksonville Jaguars announced 15 of the 16 members of their initial practice squad on Monday, we figured it would be worth collecting a few notes on the members that make up the practice squad.

Two notes before we begin: the Jaguars' practice squad will assuredly ebb and flow throughout the season, much like in any other season. Secondly, cornerback Sidney Jones was not listed on this morning's announcement of signings, ESPN's Tim McManus reported on Sunday that Jones would be expected to sign with the team's practice squad. Jones has confirmed as much on social media, so will cover him when the signing if officially announced.

With that said, here is each player currently on the practice squad along with notes or observations on each.

RB Nathan Cottrell

Nathan Cottrell didn't get the ball much during his career at Georgia Tech, touching the ball just 88 times in four seasons (with only six catches), but he impressed during training camp. He has size limitations but he is the most athletic running back on the team in terms of quickness and explosion, and he looks like the ideal type of pass-catching running back to stash on the practice squad and develop. A team captain his senior year at Georgia Tech, he has special teams flexibility as well.

TE Ben Ellefson

An undrafted rookie free agent signing, Ben Ellefson actually got a fair amount of praise from the Jaguars' coaching staff throughout the offseason and training camp. If the team had kept four tight ends, it is likely he would have been the final one. He was extremely productive at one of the most successful programs in college football, as well, with his 16 career touchdown receptions being the most by a tight end in North Dakota State University history and ninth on the school's all-time career list.

LB Nate Evans

A key piece of UCF's defense over the last several seasons, Nate Evans is another player who earned a lot of praise during camp and the offseason. He didn't make the roster due to number restrictions, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him land on the active roster at some point in the season. He recorded 247 tackles (143 solo), eight pass breakups, and one forced fumble over his four-year UCF tenure, which earned him team captain honors as well as a place on the second-team American Athletic Conference group as a senior in 2019. He was first-team American Athletic Conference the year prior, so he had a strong two years.

TE Matt Flanagan

A member of Jay Gruden's roster in Washington in 2018 after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent, Matt Flanagan has just one catch for 14 yards under his belt. Flanagan started nine games for Pittsburgh in his final season after catching three touchdowns during four years at Rutgers. On the practice field, Flanagan looks the part from a size, and it should be helpful for his development that he is somewhat familiar with the offensive scheme.

LB Joe Giles-Harris

A member of Jacksonville's active roster at times last season, Joe Giles-Harris signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of Duke in 2019. He appeared in five games as a rookie, recording three special teams tackles. He started in all 34 games he played in at Duke, becoming one of the school's most productive linebackers in its history. He became the 20th Duke player in history to reach 300 tackles after recording 312 tackles and 9.5 sacks during his tenure.

QB Mike Glennon

The oldest member of the practice squad, Mike Glennon is a shining example of the NFL's new rule which enables veterans to be placed on the practice squad. Glennon has spent eight years in the NFL after being selected in the third round in the 2013 NFL Draft. He has started 22 games in the NFL, giving him more experience than each of the Jaguars' two active quarterbacks (Gardner Minshew and Jake Luton) combined.

WR Terry Godwin

One of the standouts of Jacksonville's training camp, Terry Godwin has a lot of traits worth developing. He was able to get open with ease throughout training camp and he caught three red zone touchdowns in one practice near the end of camp, showing how far he has come since being waived b the Carolina Panthers as a rookie draft pick last season. He was the odd man out in the receiver room this year, but he caught nine touchdowns in his last two seasons at Georgia and has evidently taken a step in his development since then.

WR Josh Hammond

After being a somewhat forgotten man in Florida's deep receivers group during his collegiate career (87 catches for 1,138 receiving yards and six touchdowns), Josh Hammond made an impact at this year's camp. He was never going to make the roster due to the sheer number restrictions at receiver and on the roster in general, but he did essentially enough to make one thing he could find some success if forced into a role on the active roster at any point this season. He doesn't have blazing speed but he runs good routes and has good hands, two traits every offense needs.

CB Amari Henderson

A second-team All-ACC member in 2019 after he recorded four interceptions and 10 pass deflections at Wake Forest last season, Amari Henderson had a similar predicament as Hammond and others when it came to making the roster this season, but he had his moments. The 6-foot-1 rookie cornerback has the size and length the Jaguars have always liked at corner.

OL K.C. McDermott

Signed by the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2018, K.C. McDermott has spent quite a bit of time with the Jaguars' practice squad after being on it his entire rookie season, though he was on injured reserve last season. In the event the Jaguars need an emergency center called up to the roster at any point, McDermott seems like a logical choice since he handled snap duties behind Brandon Linder and Tyler Shatley.

OL Austen Pleasants

Austen Pleasants played multiple positions for Ohio during his collegiate career, seeing time at right guard, right tackle and left tackle. He earned second-team All-MAC honors in 2019. He served as a rotational tackle with Jacksonville's backup units during training camp and had his share of impressive reps against first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson.

WR Trey Quinn

A favorite of Jay Gruden's in Washington, Trey Quinn caught 35 passes for 273 yards during two seasons at Washington after he was drafted in the final round of the 2018 NFL Draft. While he knows Gruden's offensive scheme well, he also brings value to special teams after returning 20 punts for Washington over the last several years.

DL Caraun Reid

A fifth-round pick (No. 158 overall) by the Detroit Lions in 2014, Caraun Reid is another example of a veteran finding himself on the practice squad and he will give the Jaguars some insurance at defensive tackle. During a career which has seen him spend time with a number of teams, Reid has appeared in 47 games with 16 starts. He has 3.5 career sacks, 11 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

P Brandon Wright

A semifinalist for 2018 Ray Guy Award , Brandon Wright has experience as both a punter and a kicker from his time at Georgia State. In 2019, he scored 84 points to break the GSU single-season scoring mark, which included a school-record 48 PATs.

OL Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms

Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms is another undrafted free agent who was always going to have a tough time making the roster, but he impressed throughout training camp. He doesn't have the best quickness, but there is plenty for offensive line coach George Warhop to build upon, especially when it comes to his strength in pass protection.