With Week 1 just nine days away, the Jacksonville Jaguars still have room to tinker, and general manager James Gladstone has already shown he’s willing to do exactly that.
Gladstone made two trades last week, sending out Hunter Long to the Arizona Cardinals and bringing in former Miami Dolphins backup quarterback Quinn Ewers. That kind of activity keeps the door open for more moves before the Jaguars open against the Cleveland Browns.
One possibility sits on the offensive line, where Jacksonville has enough tackle depth to at least think about dealing from a position of strength. Walker Little is a starting-caliber tackle who could help a lot of teams around the league, which means he might bring back a real Day 3 pick instead of the kind of late-round return teams settle for later on.
For now, though, he matters plenty to Jacksonville. Little is currently the Jaguars’ starting right tackle until Cole Van Lanen is officially back on the field, and moving him without certainty on Van Lanen would be a bad gamble.
That caution matters because Van Lanen is still working back from the knee injury he suffered last January. If he does return in time for Week 1, the Jaguars could consider moving Little, collecting a worthwhile pick, and leaning on Wyatt Milum, Ezra Cleveland, and Daniel Faalele as depth behind him. In that scenario, Jacksonville could also look ahead to taking an offensive tackle early in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The other area worth watching is linebacker, where the numbers are thin. The Jaguars are carrying only five linebackers on the active roster, and the experience is uneven.
Foyesade Oluokun has 128 career games, Dennis Gardeck has 113, and Jahlani Tavai has 107, but Ventrell Miller has 32 games and Branson Combs has 10. Gardeck is more of an edge player than a true linebacker, and Tavai looks more like special teams depth than a regular off-ball option.
That makes New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner a name to keep in mind. Werner, a former second-round pick, has played 73 games for the Saints over the last five seasons and has 408 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one interception, and 10 pass breakups. He wouldn’t arrive as a guaranteed starter, but he would give Jacksonville a younger, more athletic backup than Tavai and help on special teams as well.
And because his contract points to free agency next season, he could probably be had for relatively little. It wouldn’t be the kind of move that changes the Jaguars’ defense overnight, but it would give them better linebacker depth and another option if they need a spot starter.
In Other News...
Jaguars Cuts Are Already Creating A Post-Roster Debate
The Jaguars roster trim is in the books, and the next wave of conversation is already focused on who stayed in the organization and who got away. Jacksonville got to 53 players and then quickly filled out its practice squad with 17 additions, keeping several waived players in the building as the team tried to preserve continuity after cut-down day.
Even so, the list of former Jaguars is starting to spread across the league. Yasir Abdullah landed with the Atlanta Falcons on their 53-man roster, while Chuma Edoga, DeeJay Dallas, Patrick Herbert and Jalen Hunt have already turned up on other practice squads or remain free agents, with landing spots including Baltimore, Minnesota and Los Angeles. For a team trying to sharpen the back end of the roster, the early debate is less about the final cut itself than whether Jacksonville gave up too much talent before the waiver claims and practice-squad shuffle settled. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Have A Practice Squad Battle That Could Matter Fast
The Jaguars 17-player practice squad is worth a closer look because it is not just filler for the middle of the season. It is the next layer of depth behind a roster that will inevitably be tested, and the group includes a mix of players who could be asked to help on special teams or step into bigger roles if the active roster thins out. Names like Jabbar Muhammad, Nick Mullens and Jack Kiser stand out because each brings a different kind of value, whether it is positional insurance, experience or the kind of versatility coaches tend to keep close.
What makes this group interesting is how quickly a practice-squad decision can become a roster decision in Jacksonville. Injuries, performance swings and special teams needs all create openings, and the Jaguars appear to have several players who could be next in line if those doors open. The conversation is less about who is guaranteed to move up and more about which players are positioned to make the jump first, which is exactly why the practice squad matters so much for a team trying to manage the 2026 season. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face An Early Travis Hunter Dilemma They Cant Ignore
Travis Hunter arrived in Jacksonville with the kind of buzz that comes from being the No. 2 overall pick, and with it came an unusual expectation for a rookie: he wanted to play both wide receiver and cornerback full time. The Jaguars drafted him believing his rare skill set could change how they line up on both sides of the ball, but his first season never really got traction as injuries limited what he could do and kept the impact from matching the hype.
Now the conversation is shifting from possibility to patience. Coach Liam Coen has made it clear the Jaguars are not rushing Hunter into an everything-all-at-once role, preferring to manage his recovery and workload carefully while easing him into the offense. For a player who wants to be a true two-way weapon, the early challenge in Jacksonville is less about talent than finding the right balance between ambition and caution. [Read more 🡒]