The Jacksonville Jaguars could not have ended the 2023 season in a worse way. It looked like they were going to cruise their way to the AFC South crown after beginning the season 8-3. But they crumbled down the stretch and finished the season 1-6 in their final seven games. That stretch will have big implications on what the Jaguars do in the 2024 offseason. The Jags have just roughly $17 million in cap space, but both that and their available draft capital hinges on whether or not they re-sign Calvin Ridley. They may need to cut a few players in order to free up some more money to play with in the offseason. Who could those players be? Three players stand out as potential cut candidates for the Jaguars going forward.
Zay Jones was fantastic for the Jaguars in 2022. In 16 games, Jones hauled in 82 of 121 targets for 823 yards and five touchdowns. According to player profiler.com, Jones ranked 14th among wide receivers in target separation (2.12 yards) and 18th in Expected Points Added (+52). But even in that season, Jones ranked 47th in yards per route run (1.68) and 78th in yards per target (6.8).
Things didn’t get better for Jones in 2023. His efficiency dipped drastically. He went from 1.68 yards per route run to 1.06, which ranked 83rd among wide receivers. His yards per target dropped from 6.8 to five. Injuries did play a part in Jones’ declining play in 2023, as he battled a knee injury all season long and played in only nine games. That’s not all. Not only did Jones get injured, but he also got arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.
Zay Jones was not providing enough value on the field and ran into trouble off of it. That might be the straw the ultimately breaks the camel’s back. The Jaguars can save just about $4.5 million if they cut Jones in the offseason. He’s provided them enough reason to make them consider it and look for an upgrade elsewhere.
Foley Fatukasi, DL
Another player who might get the ax from this roster is Foley Fatukasi. Fatukasi is a staunch run-stuffer and a big reason why the Jaguars ranked sixth in the NFL in EPA allowed per rush in 2022. But Jacksonville dropped all the way down to 23rd in that statistic in 2023. Fatukasi’s play in 2023 was solid but not spectacular enough to lift this run unit. In 16 games, he racked up 16 solo tackles and had 4.5 stuffs.
The Jags may opt to keep Fatukasi, but if they want to address holes elsewhere on the roster, they may need to free up some money, and Fatukasi might be the way to do it. They can free up $3.6 million if they release him in the offseason. Jacksonville has made a ton of investment in their defensive front, so Fatukasi could be expendable. He’s a player to monitor.
