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Jaguars management explains roster cuts and compensation payment for CJ Beathard

CJ Beathard could not return to the team for seven weeks after being released due to injury compensation

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The Jacksonville Jaguars reduced their roster to 53 players on Tuesday, completing their first roster for the 2024 season.

The team opted for youth in the secondary and strength at the line of scrimmage – it kept a total of 21 players on offense and defense, but released several experienced players at the defensive back position.

The team also parted ways with backup quarterback CJ Beathard, releasing him following an injury settlement.

Day of squad cuts at the Jacksonville Jaguars Live updates on squad reduction to 53

In addition to the 21 players on the offensive line and defensive line, they kept nine defensive backs, six linebackers, six wide receivers, three running backs, three tight ends, three specialists and two quarterbacks on the roster.

Aside from the transfer of Trevis Gipson on Monday morning, there were no really surprising cuts to the team.

General manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson spoke to the media Tuesday afternoon to discuss the roster and provide insight into some of the moves.

Here’s what we learned from the press conference:

Beathard cannot return to the team immediately after recovering from injury

Perhaps the most revealing news from the press conference concerned Beathard's possible path back to the team after being released due to injury-related severance pay.

According to Baalke, he will have to wait the duration of his injury plus three additional weeks.

In total, this period would be seven weeks before he could return to Jacksonville, but in the meantime he could join another team.

Beathard was injured during the second preseason game against Tampa Bay, suffering a groin injury that ended his training camp, and he struggled with the same injury during the 2022 offseason.

“It was a serious injury and it will keep him out of action for a while, at least four weeks of the season,” Baalke said. “Could be longer, could be shorter. Depends on how quickly he heals and how the rehab goes, but that's the timeline right now.”

The team brought in quarterback EJ Perry to finish training camp, but released him on Tuesday as part of the release plans.

With several other quarterbacks released on Tuesday, the team may decide to look for a third player for its roster behind Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones.

The most logical solution, however, would be to add Perry to the team's practice squad on Wednesday and Beathard, if available, as soon as permitted.

“You never have enough big guys”: Baalke and Pederson explain their decision to keep several offensive and defensive linemen

As mentioned above, the Jaguars have put a lot of emphasis on their lines. The team kept 10 offensive players and 11 defensive players.

This is consistent with the thought process Pederson addressed during training camp, with the team wanting a heavy rotation of players along the defensive line on game day.

By deciding to keep 11 linemen, they were able to retain backups such as Tyler Lacy and Esezi Otomewo, as well as rookies Maason Smith, Jordan Jefferson and Myles Cole.

In Cole's case in particular, the team was impressed with the seventh-round pick's performance in training camp.

While he may not contribute immediately, the team wants him around for his development and may have lost that opportunity if they had released him.

“There's going to be some initial struggles. That's always the case with rookies,” Baalke said of Cole. “Especially when you get into the regular season and things start to heat up a little bit. … It's hard to find a 6-foot-6, 280-pound player who runs 6-foot-1 and has a 30-foot arm. They don't deliver trucks here every day.”

The same can be said about the offensive line. The Jaguars were plagued by injuries across the line last year, and this year they will have several backups waiting in the wings in case the same fate befalls them.

The team has two strong players across the board and can play multiple positions as needed with players like Walker Little.

The offensive line's insider tip throughout training camp was Cole Van Lanen, who Pederson raved about on Tuesday.

“As well as he played, he's your fourth tackle, right? I mean, that's a good thing, right? To have that depth,” he said. “Trent has alluded to it before. To have that depth on your offensive line, you go find another team that has four tackles and can play both sides.”

The team also retained fourth-round pick Javon Foster, whom they coach as a swing tackle, and second-year lineman Cooper Hodges, who missed his entire rookie season due to injury.

“I think you can never have enough big players, number one guys who can play,” Baalke said. “We had a good feeling about those 21 guys. Obviously good enough to keep them all.”

Youth movement: Jaguars sign almost every 2024 draft pick

Almost every draft pick from this year's draft made the original 53-man roster. The only player who didn't make the cut was Keilan Robinson, who was placed on the injured list.

That's eight of their nine draft picks from this year, in addition to the nine picks from last year that made the roster. It seems like it was a concerted effort by the team to bring in younger players, but that wasn't the intention.

“You keep the 53 best guys, regardless of age,” Baalke said. “Does it matter? Yes, if things are the same or close to the same and you look up at potential, where they are right now. So many things matter.”

Some of their young players, particularly their defensive backs and defensive linemen, have earned their place over more experienced players, and those players will now be developed and relied upon as the team moves forward.

“How [Pederson] said everyone who's in these rooms has earned it. Now it's their job to preserve it as we move forward,” Baalke continued. “They know. That's the business. We're all in it. It's about, what have you done for me lately?”

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