The Organized Team Activities give teams the chance to assess players. And after just a few practices, it looks like the Jacksonville Jaguars saw enough of a 2024 draft pick to decide that it wasn't worth holding onto him the summer.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the Jags have waived 2024 fifth-round pick Keilan Robinson. The team hasn't announced the move, but it should be a matter of time before it does.
The move comes in light of the recent signings of wide receiver Trenton Irwin and Dawuane Smoot. The team had already released wide receiver David White Jr. but needed another roster spot. Not surprisingly, the sophomore got the boot.
At 5'8", Robinson may not have the height to carry a big workload full time. However, Jacksonville expected him to contribute on special teams, an area where he shone at Texas. Unfortunately, the plan came to a halt when the former Longhorn suffered a toe injury in training camp that sidelined him for most of his rookie campaign.
Robinson did suit up for six games but didn't get any carries and only had two returns. In the end, it seemed like it wasn't enough to help convince the new regime to keep him around. It's also worth noting that he had an uphill battle to begin with.
The Jaguars already had Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne in the fold. They then added Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen this past April. With so many better options, Robinson became the odd man out.
Robinson is the first member of the Jaguars' draft class that is kicked to the curb. However, he may not be the only one. Offensive lineman Javon Foster, who was a healthy scratch for most of 2024, is also on the fringe. The same is true for developmental project Myles Cole, who may struggle to make the team after the addition of Smoot.
After Keilan Robinson, the Jaguars still have to sort out the rest of the RB depth chart
All things considered, releasing Keilan Robinson was the right call. If the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't think he had a chance, what good would it do to hold onto him and release him before the regular season? He would have just used a roster spot and taken reps away from his fellow running back. Similarly, they would've robbed him of the chance of latching onto another club while he could. Having said that, the team's brass still has its work cut down.
Head coach Liam Coen says that Travis Etienne isn't going anywhere (at least for the time being). That means that there could be a three-way battle for the RB1 job. Bhayshul Tuten and Tank Bigsby may have an equal chance to seize it.
There's still a long way to go for the regular season, but the Jaguars are already putting in the work to put the best possible team they can. Earlier this year, they said that they wanted to raise the team's floor and ceiling. Based on Keilan Robinson's release, it looks like they did it.
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