Not long after their 31-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 of the preseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars began to trim down their roster ahead of cutdown day. Already, they've waived or released 10 players and many more moves will come before the 4:00 p.m. deadline on August 27. The Jags will have a handful of tough decisions to make.
After all, some players solidified their chances of making the team in the preseason, but a few others failed to impress the team's brass. The following four, in particular, played themselves off the roster.
Joshua Cephus, wide receiver
No Jaguars' undrafted free agent generated much hype in the offseason as wide receiver Joshua Cephus. A highly productive player at UTSA, the former Roadrunner seemed like a strong candidate to earn a roster spot in 2024 before the preseason.
Cephus was competing with Tim Jones and sophom*ore Elijah Cooks for the WR6 spot. However, he didn't do much of note in the preseason, hauling in a measly three receptions for 18 yards. Granted, he didn't get as many opportunities as other players. He only appeared on a modest 48 offensive snaps, but the issue is that he wasn't able to make the most of his chances, logging a fumble and a dropped pass.
Cooks, on the other hand, caught three passes for 33 yards with a touchdown, while Tim Jones proved his worth on special teams and as a blocker.
Now, Cephus finds himself on the outside looking in. The silver lining is that he's a strong candidate to land in the practice squad if he goes unclaimed on waivers.
Steven Jones, offensive guard
Like Joshua Cephus, offensive guard Steven Jones didn't hear his name called on draft day and signed with the Jaguars in the aftermath. Although head coach Doug Pederson acknowledged that the former Oregon Duck had his work cut out, he also said he was excited to see what he brought to the table.
Unfortunately, a calf injury held Jones back in training camp and the preseason opener. On the bright side, he managed to suit up for the next two games. The downside was that the rookie hog molly wasn't particularly impressive, registering a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 51.6 on 18 snaps.
You could make the case that Jones was hurt and didn't get a chance to showcase his skills. The trouble with that argument is that players on the fringe like himself must make themselves available. He didn't, and that will probably make him a victim of the numbers game.
Erick Hallett II, a sixth-round pick in 2023, spent his rookie season in the practice squad. He flashed in training camp but the preseason came and he wasn't able to do much of note, posting a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 46.5, the lowest among Jaguars defenders.
Before the preseason, Hallett had a steep hill to climb to the team because Jacksonville is stacked at safety even without Andrew Wingard, who'll be missing considerable playing time with a knee injury.
The coaching staff will need to be convinced that Hallett has done enough to give him a spot over veteran Adrian Amos or Terrell Edmunds. That said, it won't be shocking if he gets the boot.
Yasir Abdullah, off-linebacker
Yasir Abdulla showed pass-rush potential at Louisville, so he was dubbed a potential draft gem when the Jaguars drafted him in the fifth round last year. He ended up making the 53-man roster but was unremarkable, registering a measly one total tackle. One big hurdle the Florida native had to make an impact was that he had the size to get after the quarterback from a standup position.
Then, the offseason came and the Jaguars changed schemes. They will be running a 4-3 defense under Ryan Nielsen. In the new system, Abdullah switched from standup edge rusher to off-linebacker. He was supposed to thrive in his new position but didn't do nearly enough in the preseason to warrant a spot over Ventrell Miller or special-teams contributor Caleb Johnson.
Like most players on this list, Abdulla will have a hard time making the roster but could get a spot in the practice squad if he clears waivers.
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