The Jacksonville Jaguars have made huge strides in constructing a winning roster since ending their 2021 campaign with a dismal 3-14 record. With big-name free agent additions like Christian Kirk and Brandon Scherff joining the team in the offseason, they are now looking to add as much young talent as possible to develop on their practice squad following cuts that got them down to 53 players this week.
They reached contract agreements with three players on Friday that might be able to make an impact in Duval County with a little time to adjust to life in the NFL. Among the players signed was rookie kicker James McCourt, who was brought in to compete to be the starting leg on field goals and kickoffs for the Jaguars’ special teams unit.
The other two players signed on Friday were standout safety Josh Thompson, who made a big difference for Jacksonville in the preseason, and receiver Seth Williams who was hosted on a tryout for the team yesterday.
All three of these budding young talents have shown an ability to play winning football, but aren’t yet to the point where the coaching staff and front office would consider keeping them on the 53-man roster. McCourt had a promising outing in the Jaguars’ final preseason game but was jilted by Jacksonville in favor of kicker Riley Patterson when he was waived by the Detroit Lions on Tuesday.
Thompson is best known for his role on a punt he helped down inside the five-yard line against the Steelers a few weeks ago. Williams was once a valuable prospect with the Denver Broncos who never got an opportunity to show what he could do against elite talent in the AFC West.
All three of these players will have a legitimate chance to crack Jacksonville’s depth chart at some point this season if they can prove that their previous accomplishments weren’t a fluke. It is hard to tell how long the Jaguars had been pursuing the trio, but if their move to sign them on Friday is any indication, general manager Trent Baalke has liked what he has seen from their previous experience so far.
