The Jacksonville Jaguars just released sophomore wide receiver Joshua Cephus with an injury designation. To replace him, they brought back a familiar face to fill the void left by his departure.
Just hours after the Jags announced that they had waived Cephus, they re-signed undrafted receiver Darius Lassiter one day after cutting him. This makes sense as Lassiter spent the offseason in Jacksonville and won't need to get up to speed.
Jacksonville did something similar with undrafted cornerback Ayden White. Not long after waiving him to make room for Levy Wallance, they re-signed him when his veteran counterpart landed on the Injured Reserve.
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Darius Lassiter address a need for the Jaguars (for the moment)
Darius Lassiter will take Joshua Cephus' roster spot, but he's not guaranteed to make the team. In fact, his return could turn out to be a brief one as the Jacksonville Jaguars will need to begin to trim down their roster from 90 players to 53 as soon as their preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins.
Does that mean Lassiter is as good as gone? Kind of, but he'll still have a chance to make an impression. Then again, he will have to beat veteran Austin Trammell and fellow undrafted free agent Eli Pancol. Heck, there's also a chance all three get the boot and the team's brass either resorts to the waiver wire or makes another trade to find their WR6.
The rookie receiver may not be able to pull it off and may have better odds of landing in the practice squad, where he can continue honing his skills and compete for a roster spot next season.
Lassiter began his collegiate career at Butler Community College and transferred to Eastern Michigan in 2022 before landing at BYU one year later. The former Cougar didn't get an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine but drew interest from several clubs during the draft process at his Pro Day. Ultimately, he didn't get his name called on draft night, but the Jags liked him enough that they made him a priority signing.
Last year, he was the second leading receiver at BYU, hauling in 45 receptions for 703 yards with four touchdowns.
Ultimately, Darius Lassiter just got a new chance to show the Jaguars that he deserves to stick around. It will be up to him to make the most out of it. Otherwise, his stay will be short.
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