After finishing 4-13 last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have spent the past few months revamping the roster. Granted, teams look different every year because of the salary cap, but the Jags have undergone a bigger overhaul than usual because they hired Liam Coen as the head coach and James Gladstone as the general manager early in 2025.
Together, the duo cut ties with several underachieving veterans and brought in intangible-rich players who can help turn things around. Now, their biggest task, putting together the best possible 53-man roster, lies ahead.
While plenty of roster spots are already earmarked for players such as Trevor Lawrence or pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen, Coen and Gladstone will ultimately make a surprise cut or two.
While most things in life, we should come to expect the unexpected, and with that in mind, here are three Jaguars truly bold predictions for cutdown day.
The Jaguars will trade Travis Etienne before the regular season
The Washington Commanders are shopping Brian Robinson around, but he might not be the only running back who will end up on the trade block by the end of the preseason.
Travis Etienne has been the subject of trade speculation since the end of the 2024 season because of Tank Bigsby's ascension last year. It didn't help that Jacksonville then drafted Bhayshul Tuten. But despite all the smoke, head coach Liam Coen has vehemently denied that Jacksonville will move on from the fifth-year running back.
The fact that Etienne has started both preseason bouts more or less backs up Coen's claim. But what if it's only a smokescreen, and what the Jaguars are truly doing is showcasing the 2021 first-round pick to potential suitors. A team will be compelled enough that it will end up trading for Etienne.
The Jaguars will trade Arik Armstead
If one thing James Gladstone has shown in his brief (but promising) stint with the Jags is that he's not afraid to move on from players the new regime inherited, regardless of their seniority or salary. In the offseason, he cut ties with specialist Devin Duvernay, receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis, and tight end Evan Engram. Arik Armstead could be next.
Armstead signed with Jacksonville in 2024. The expectation was that he was going to shore up the interior of the defensive trenches but instead spent the season playing on the edges. He's switched back to defensive tackle, but he missed a good chunk of training camp. The team's brass didn't appear to be thrilled with the former Oregon Duck's absence and signed Austin Johnson and later traded for Khalen Saunders to provide insurance at the position.
With added depth at defensive tackle, the Jaguars are in a position to move on from Arik Armstead. There's been lots of demand for defensive tackles ahead of cutdown days, so he'll most definitely garner interest.
The Jaguars will keep six safeties, including Antonio Johnson, Darnell Savage, and Andrew Wingard
The Jaguars have a surplus at safety, and that may lead them to keep six in 2025, at least early on. They signed Eric Murray in free agency, and based on his salary, he's virtually a lock to start. The issue is the spot next to him. Antonio Johnson, Darnell Savage, and Andrew Wingard are in a three-way battle for it.
The team's brass could trade or release whoever loses, but what if all three stay? That would create a bit of a logjam, but it makes sense when you take into account that both Johnson and Savage can play nickel. Moreover, rookie Caleb Ransaw played corner, inside and outside, at Tulane before switching to safety in Jacksonville.
Add potential special teams contributor Rayuane Lane to the mix, and there's a path where the Jaguars keep six safeties on opening day.
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