The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without a key piece in the secondary on Sunday, and that changes the look of their Week 5 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Before the London game, Jacksonville released its full inactive list, and the biggest name on it is safety Eric Murray. The Jaguars are also down wide receiver CJ Williams, cornerbacks Alijah Huzzie and Jaylon Jones, defensive lineman Daniel Faalele, defensive end Wesley Williams, and defensive tackle Albert Regis.
Jones and Huzzie were both added this week as extra depth in the defensive backfield. Faalele and Wesley Williams have been inactive every week this season, while CJ Williams has been a healthy scratch since Week 1. Regis is also a healthy scratch this week.
To help cover the back end, the Jaguars are carrying extra defensive backs in practice squad cornerback Jabbar Muhammad and practice squad safety Kaevon Merriweather. Linebacker Jalen McLeod is active as well and is expected to contribute on special teams.
Murray’s absence is the one that matters most. Since signing with Jacksonville last March, he has been a steady starter at safety, and now the Jaguars will need someone new lined up next to fourth-year safety Antonio Johnson. Second-year defensive back Rayuan Lane and third-year rookie Jalen Huskey are the options to fill that spot, though the team has not yet said which one will get the nod.
“Eric means a lot to us. Eric is one of the guys you would kind of put him in a classification of he's a coach on the field," Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said this week.
"You guys probably know that from being at practice. He's just really good communicator, knows the ins and outs of the defense and can kind of see problems before they start on the field.
He's been great that way all the way through, the entire season last season, the beginning of this season. He's been a big part of our success."
The Jaguars are also missing Caleb Ransaw, which leaves them without two of their top-3 safeties. That puts even more pressure on the next man up in a game Jacksonville needs to handle cleanly if it wants to move to 4-1.
Campanile said the group behind Murray is ready for the moment.
“Other guys, if they have to step up and do that, I have total confidence that they will, because we've really got a good bunch of communicators back there," Campanile said. "And that's one of the things we're always looking for at that position.
A guy who has position flexibility, one. And then two, smart guys, guys that love to play, that love to learn and obviously, know the ins and outs of all the calls, learn football.”
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