Florida Sports Wires

  By Jeff Moeller JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com) - Jacksonville Jaguars’ GM James Gladstone made some last-minute eye-popping moves to his team’s final  53-man roster in preparation for their season opener against Cleveland Sept. 13. Trust in Gladstone, Jaguars’ fans. Just when you thought veteran Nick Mullens was going to be the backup to Trevor Lawrence, he wasn’t. Gladstone acquired Miami quarterback and former Texas’ star Quinn Ewers to serve the role for a 2028 sixth-round pick, and Mullens eventually ended up on the practice squad.  This one was a stumper.  Ewers played in four games and threw for 622 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in between the Tua Tagovailoa saga. He didn’t exactly overwhelm the Dolphins’ brass last season.  Gladstone must have seen something in him. Mullens is still within arm’s reach as well as rookie Joey Aguilar.  The GM also sent  veteran tight end Hunter Long to the Cardinals for a 2028 sevent...

By Jeff Moeller, Jacksonville Sports Day If there is one certainty you can count on from the Jaguars’ draft, it is general manager James Gladstone did it his way. He made his mark with his shocking trade up for Travis Hunter last year that gave the Jags a less profile draft this year.  Gladstone has come under criticism from draft experts for his overall selections. His overall performance didn’t register high marks.  The Jags and Rams’ drafts were ranked at the bottom by many draftniks. Ironically, Gladstone’s front office roots were with the Rams. Do you doubt the Rams’ brass by envisioning Ty Simpson as Matthew Stafford’s replacement?  When you look at the Jags’ recent draft, there were some headscratchers.  Overall, it was a mixed bag. There was a prevailing theory that they had to fill the void left by running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Jags may have filled Lloyd’s spot, but they didn’t draft a running back.  Top pick Nate Boerkirch...

  By JEFF MOELLER, Jacksonville SportsDay JACKSONVILLE – Most Jaguars’ fans weren’t expecting a well-known draft pick at No. 56 unless the Jags picked up one of the quarterbacks still available. There also was the underlying feeling that general manager James Gladstone could pull off another draft blockbuster deal that he did last year with Travis Hunter. Without a pick in the top 50, this draft was about adding depth and finding a starter would be a longshot. Instead, the script continued with a rather quiet offseason for the team. Their biggest deal was Travon Walker’s extension and the re-signing of a number of veterans. Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen have worked to keep most of the current cast in place except for Travis Etienne, Devin LLoyd, and Andrew Wingard. Lack of cap space left them without the ability to shop as freely as they wanted. The Jags’ duo must have a plan in mind that we’ll have to watch unravel with the drafting of Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkicher...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire  The Jags made it perfectly clear. They recently extended Travon Walker on a four-year, $110 million deal Walker's deal is for four-years and is worth $110 million total. It will make him $27.5 million annually, including $77 million in guarantees, $50 million of which was fully guaranteed at the signing.  A year earlier, they extended Josh Hines- Allen on a five-year, $141.25 million extension,  locking him in through the 2028 season. The deal includes $88 million in total guarantees and an average annual value of $28.25 million.  Through 2028 - the year their new stadium will open- the Jags’ defense will run through Walker and Hines-Allen. Walker was the subject of trade rumors, as he was inconsistent last season with 3.5 sacks. He had a combined 20. 5 the previous two seasons and appeared ready to make a huge impact.  Hines-Allen led the league in sacks with 17.5 in 2023 and consequently received his pay day. However, the ...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire   All is quiet on the Jaguars’ front. Ah..maybe That was pretty much expected except for two moves that were anticipated - Running back Travis Etienne and edge rusher Devin Lloyd left for free agency in big deals.  However, the Jags really didn’t have the cap space to keep either of them, and they weren’t going big-game hunting. They did resign linebacker Dennis Gardeck and cornerback Montaric Brown, both solid moves, and inked Commanders’ running back Chris Rodriguez Jr.  Jaguars general manager James Gladstone appears to be set with his club and Gardeck and Brown needed to be brought back. He really didn’t want to reshuffle the deck with some major moves. Yet.. there is more. Overall, though, trust the process. Before the free-agency period began, receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was reportedly on the trade market. He has two years left on his $14 million-plus deal, and the Jags have a fifth-year option for 2028. In addition to Thomas, the ...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire Unlike most teams, the Jaguars should have a relatively quiet free-agency period. There won't be a huge couple of shopping days this week due to their lack of major space under the cap. Instead, general manager James Gladstone will need to fill some holes and create some depth with April’s draft and cutdown leftovers. The Jags did restructure the contracts of guard Patrcik Mekari and cornerback Jourdan Lewis that did open up some cap space. Still, they won’t be big spenders. Fortunately, the Jags have a solid structure on both sides of the ball in place. They also have the luxury of Travis Hunter, who is currently penciled in to play in the secondary. But Hunter, who only played seven games before his season ended last year, should get some reps at wide receiver or possibly in the backfield. Yet, the defending AFC South champs likely will lose two key pieces. Edge rusher/linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne have been targeted t...