The Jacksonville Jaguars have built a well-rounded linebacker corps, and they could be facing a couple of tough decisions come roster cutdown day.
Devin Lloyd and Foyesade Oluokun are trending toward being the starters, and Ventrell Miller appears to have entrenched himself as the No. 3 linebacker on the depth chart. On top of that, rookie Jack Kiser has made a strong impression, and veteran Dennis Gardick can contribute on both defense and special teams, which could help him carve a niche next season.
You would think that, with all the depth the Jags have at the position, Chad Muma, who's been underwhelming the past two years, could be a candidate for the chopping block. However, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report thinks Jacksonville should cut ties with another linebacker.
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The Jaguars are being urged to cut ties with Dennis Gardeck
Gary Davenport recently drew up a list of one NFL player each team should release and chose Dennis Gardeck for the Jaguars, pointing out that the veteran linebacker may have trouble making their 53-man roster after missing part of training camp.
"Gardeck only recently returned to the practice field, so he has some catching up to do. He's also something of a tweener who is an odd fit as an off-ball strong-side linebacker," Davenport wrote. "Yasir Abdullah appears to have the inside track to start at Sam, and Ventrell Miller flashed in almost 500 snaps for the Jags last year.
Davenport continued, "Unless Gardeck shows a lot in a short amount of time, the veteran could wind up on the wrong side of the 53-man roster crunch."
All things considered, Davenport makes a valid point when he notes that Gardeck has some catch-up to do. On the other hand, it's not a given that Yasir Abdullah will make the team. Sure, he's improved but was also a healthy scratch at different points of the past two years.
Moreover, Jack Kiser has arguably been the most impressive non-Travis Hunter rookie in Jacksonville thus far. He should be ahead of Abdullah on the depth chart.
Why Dennis Gardeck should make the Jaguars roster over Chad Muma
But leaving aside the state of the Jaguars linebacker corps, Dennis Gardeck's skill set should allow him to make the 53-man roster. He's highly regarded across the league because of his special-teams progress. On top of that, the Sioux Falls product could carve a niche as a blitzer.
After going undrafted in 2019, Gardeck signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Early in his stint in the desert, he only got playing time on special teams but began to get snaps on defense and made the most of them.
From 2020-2024, Gardeck logged 17 sacks. He logged seven last year before he suffered an ACL seven games into the season. He was still rehabbing the injury when he joined the Jags — that's why he landed on the Physically Unable to Perform list— but is back at practice and appears to be close to getting to 100 percent.
If that's the case, Gardeck could be a key contributor on special teams right off the bat and provide depth at linebacker. That's why it would be puzzling to see the Jaguars move on from him instead of someone like Chad Muma.
Just recently, Jacksonville traded Luke Fortner to the Saints, showing that they're not afraid to cut ties with players the past regime brought. Earlier in the offseason, they sent Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans and released Gabe Davis.
When you add it all up, Chad Muma appears to be a more realistic candidate to get the boot than Dennis Gardeck on roster cutdown day.
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