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The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the more disappointing teams in the NFL during the 2024 season. Jacksonville finished the regular season 4-13 and missed the playoffs, netting them the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It got so bad that the Jaguars decided to fire head coach Doug Pederson and replace him with Liam Coen.
One of the worst parts of Jacksonville's demise was that it was foreshadowed in the 2023 season.
In 2023, the Jaguars entered Week 13 with a 8-3 record. However, they lost five out of six games to end the season and finished 9-8. They also missed the playoffs because of their epic collapse.
Now Jacksonville will go back to the drawing board with Liam Coen and whoever is hired as his general manager.
Coen and friends have a good starting position with the Jaguars. QB Trevor Lawrence is locked up on a monster contract extension. The Jaguars also boast some talented players on defense, headlined by Joshua Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and Foyesade Oluokun.
That being said, every new regime goes to great lengths to rebuild a team in their image. Sometimes that means instilling a certain culture in the locker room, or adding players familiar with a coach's offensive or defensive scheme.
It is too early to tell with Coen and the Jaguars what that will look like. But change is certainly coming. As a result, Jacksonville may be willing to part ways with some surprising players this offseason. Especially if those players don't fit the timeline of Jacksonville's rebuilding efforts.
Below we will explore on Jaguars player who could become a surprise roster cut at some point during the 2025 NFL offseason.
Now could be the perfect time for the Jaguars to move on from TE Evan Engram
It is undeniable that Engram turned his career around in Jacksonville.
Engram spent five seasons with the Giants and never lived up to his huge expectations. However, all of that changed when he left during free agency and headed to the Jaguars.
Engram has played three seasons in Jacksonville, though 2024 was by far his worst season. In 2022 he had a respectable 73 receptions and 766 receiving yards with four touchdowns. This was his best statistical season of his career, and it clearly earned the confidence of Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville coaching staff.
In 2023, his production exploded to 114 receptions for 963 yards and four touchdowns. He was a hugely important piece of Jacksonville's offense and finally delivered what fans always expected from him.
However, his 2024 season was cut short due to injuries. Engram battled a hamstring injury early in the 2024 season that caused him to miss a few games. Then he suffered a torn labrum in December that ended his season.
This history of recent injury, plus the fact that the 2025 season will be Engram's age 31 campaign, make him a tempting cut candidate.
There is no telling how Liam Coen will try to put his stamp on the Jaguars. One thing that is easy to assume is that the Jaguars will need cap space to bring in new players. If cutting Engram can save the Jaguars enough money, they should not hesitate to move on from him.
According to Over the Cap, Engram could save the Jaguars ~$6 million in cap space if cut before June 1st. If he is cut with a post-June 1st designation, Jacksonville can save as much as $15.5 million in cap space for 2025.
If the Jaguars do cut Engram, they will be tempted to add new talent at the position via free agency or the draft. Aside from Engram, the Jaguars have both Brenton Strange and Shawn Bowman are still under contract at the position. No offense to either player, but that does not create much confidence.
There are a few players in free agency who could be suitable replacements for Engram. Tyler Conklin and Juwan Johnson could both be short-term starters for the Jaguars at an affordable price.
If the Jaguars want to really invest at the position, they may attempt to target one of this year's exciting rookie prospects.
Penn State's Tyler Warren and Michigan's Colston Loveland are the trendy names from the 2025 NFL draft class. However, Jacksonville would likely have to trade up in the draft to select either player, assuming they don't use their first-round pick on a top-five tight end.
Finally, it's possible that the Jaguars simply do not prioritize the tight end position during year one of the rebuild. If they take that path, Engram could be even more expendable.