The Jacksonville Jaguars’ initial 53-man roster was set Tuesday, but there are also more than 1,000 new free agents for the team to parse through.
In previous seasons, the Jaguars have picked through the waiver wire to snag new talent. This year, the team doesn’t have many holes to fill.
It seems highly unlikely that Jacksonville would consider adding any receivers or running backs, and there are really only a few spots where a newcomer could have much of a chance at earning a place. And even if the Jaguars do like a player, they’re buried in the waiver wire order.
Still, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke’s job is never really over and these five players who just hit the market could catch his eye:
Timmy Horne, DT, Falcons
Horne, a 6’4, 323-pound lineman, earned a spot on the Falcons’ active roster as an undrafted rookie last season and played in all 17 games with five starts.
So why is he on the market? Mostly because Atlanta spent a lot of money in the offseason to add defensive linemen Calais Campbell, David Onyemata, and Eddie Goldman.
With DaVon Hamilton temporarily out of action, Horne could be an interesting addition.
Trevis Gipson, EDGE, Bears
Gipson, a 2020 fifth-round pick, was a rising pass rusher in Chicago, recording seven sacks in his second NFL season. Then the Bears switched their defensive alignment to a 4-3 and the outside linebacker switched to end.
The misfit lineman still managed three sacks in 2022, but requested a trade earlier this month to find a defense that suits his talents.
At 6’4, 263 pounds, Gipson would seemingly fit perfectly in Mike Caldwell’s defense.
Cory Littleton, LB, Texans
The Jaguars don’t have a tremendous need at inside linebacker with Foye Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, and Chad Muma at the top of the depth chart. The team did have to put rookie Ventrell Miller on injured reserve, though.
To add another linebacker, Jacksonville would want that player to offer more on special teams than Shaquille Quarterman.
Littleton may fit the bill. The former Rams, Raiders, Panthers, and Texans linebacker was the NFC’s special teams rep in the 2019 Pro Bowl.
Zack Bailey, OL, Chargers
Bailey is a journeyman lineman who has spent time on five different rosters since entering the NFL in 2019, but has never played an offensive snap in the regular season.
He made a strong case for a roster spot with the Chargers, though. Bailey played snaps right guard, right tackle, and left tackle, and earned the team’s highest offensive grade on PFF.
With Josh Wells on injured reserve and Cooper Hodges likely to join him soon, Bailey is the type of versatile lineman the Jaguars covet.
Raymond Johnson III, EDGE, Bengals
Johnson made the Giants’ final 53 as an undrafted rookie in 2021, but was waived after his rookie season. After a year on the Bengals’ practice squad, the third-year pass rusher put together a dominant preseason.
In three games this August, Johnson recorded eight pressures with two sacks.
But on a roster led by Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard that also added first-round pick Myles Murphy, there just wasn’t room for Johnson.
