Under general manager James Gladstone, the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't hesitate to move on from the mistakes the past regime made. Similarly, they've made an effort to bring in intangible-rich players. It seems like safety Andre Cisco didn't fit the bill.
Cisco was one of several players the Jags let walk in free agency. He quickly latched onto the New York Jets, inking a one-year, prove-it deal worth $10 million.
At the time, the signing made sense. After all, he was coming off an underwhelming season but had previously shown that he can be a playmaker in the defensive backfield. Moreover, playing for the Jets was a dream come true for the Queens, New York native.
Unfortunately, things haven't panned out the way the Gang Green envisioned.
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Andre Cisco brought back memories of the 2024 Jaguars
In the New Jets game against the Giants, Russell Wilson threw a deep ball and Andre Cisco was caught out of position. To nobody's surprise, the play went viral.
Stuck between the moon(ball) and New York City. pic.twitter.com/bOXOUJPfvT
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 16, 2025
Wilson, for his part, got praised for showing pinpoint accuracy on deep passes. On the other hand, Cisco rightly got blamed for giving up a massive play.
Maybe this was an outlier, and Cisco will turn out to be just fine. But there's also a chance this could be a sign of things to come. For the time being, the Jaguars don't appear to miss the former Seminole Orangeman.
To replace Cisco, the Jags gave Eric Murray a three-year deal worth $19.5 million in free agency. Although the latter lacks the ballhawk skills of the former, he's more consistent in coverage and rarely gets beaten, which is precisely what the new regime wants from the safety position.
When the Jaguars drafted Caleb Ransaw back in April, James Gladstone called the former Tulane Green Wave a "very safe safety," pointing out that "the root word in that position is something we covet."
Simply, Jacksonville is looking for a specific type of safety with certain traits. Cisco didn't seemingly have time. In his defense, he wasn't outright dreadful for the Jags.
In spite of logging 13 interceptions and 16 passes defensed in college, Cisco slid to the third round of the 2021 draft because of medical red flags. However, he managed to stay healthy and joined the starting lineup full-time in 2022. He was tied for a team-high three interceptions that year. He then logged four picks in 2023.
Expected to break out in 2024, Cisco instead regressed, but so did the rest of the defense. The Jets had better hope he bucks the trend. Otherwise, they could end up having buyer's remorse next season. Conversely, he could make the Jags regret the decision to let him walk if he bounces back.
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