After their preseason loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jacksonville Jaguars cut outside linebacker Wyatt Ray on Monday after re-signing him last week. The move was first reported by Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson in a tweet Monday morning.
Buy Jaguars TicketsJaguars cut Wyatt Ray, per league source @PFN365
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 22, 2022
Ray is the victim of the Jaguars’ exceptional depth at the outside linebacker position, which is arguably their strongest group on the roster. Jacksonville drafted Travon Walker with the first-overall pick back in April to fill their need for a starter on the outside edge of their 3-4 defense, managing to turn the group from a liability into an asset in the offseason.
Ray has bounced around the league since entering the NFL in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Boston College. In his four years as an Eagle in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts he tallied 114 tackles, 24 of which were for a loss, and managed to get to the quarterback 17 times in the pass rush.
He is the grandson of legendary jazz singer Nat King Cole, though it is unclear if he possesses the same musical talent that made his grandfather a household name.
Ray played for the Browns, Texans, Bills, Jets, Titans, and Bengals before catching on in Jacksonville with an offseason contract the Jaguars offered him back in June. Ray was summarily waived from the initial contract he signed on August 15th before being re-signed to a new deal last week.
This move comes as Jacksonville looks to make their penultimate round of cuts ahead of the regular season as they look to trim the roster down to 53 players. The Jaguars will likely have the option to bring Ray back to the practice squad if they like what he has done in training camp, but for now, he’ll be subject to the waiver system.
