Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby had a buzzy summer last year and opened the season as Jacksonville's clear No. 2 RB. But he wound up having an awful rookie season, averaging 2.6 yards per carry, fumbling twice, and dropping three of his four targets. Bigsby is again having a strong summer and drawing praise from coaches and beat writers. So will he actually be a factor this year?
Jaguars WR Christian Kirk will not practice this week due to a calf injury, HC Doug Pederson said Monday. Kirk missed the final few practices of last week with what Pederson at that point called a "minor" injury. Pederson again expressed optimism today, saying that Kirk is "feeling good."
Sports Illustrated's John Shipley writes that Jaguars WR Gabe Davis has been running more intermediate routes than downfield routes in training camp.
Jacksonville's preseason opener found WR Christian Kirk excluded from two-WR sets. The Jaguars opened Saturday's game against the Chiefs with Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. as the WRs in "12" personnel (two TEs) for the first two plays. Kirk entered for three-WR sets and ultimately played seven snaps vs. nine for Thomas and Davis. (QB Trevor Lawrence played nine as well.) Thomas and Davis ran five routes to Kirk's four. Davis drew the only two WR targets before the first team left.
Jaguars first-round WR Brian Thomas Jr. has reportedly struggled a bit at the start of training camp. "Maybe he's just on a rookie learning curve, but the Jaguars' first-round wide receiver has yet to make an impact through three days of team drills," writes Zach Goodall of Jaguars Wire.
"If there is any Jacksonville Jaguars player who boosted their stock this offseason, it is second-year wide receiver Parker Washington," writes SI.com's John Shipley. Washington has reportedly garnered accolades from coaches and teammates for "an offseason of exceptional practices." Washington arrived in the sixth round of last year's draft. He played just 12 offensive snaps before WR Christian Kirk went down in Week 13. The rookie flashed for a 6-61-1 receiving line as the fill-in that game but followed with a modest 10 receptions for 71 yards and 1 TD over the remaining five contests.
Jaguars insider John Shipley was not impressed by RB Tank Bigsby this offseason. "Bigsby had some issues with drops during the summer and didn't have the standout offseason program that he had last year," Shipley wrote.
SI.com's John Shipley calls LB Devin Lloyd the biggest defensive "winner" this offseason among Jaguars. "He looked like he got noticeably bigger in terms of muscle mass," Shipley writes. "Lloyd looked and sounded significantly more confident and aggressive as well, which could be the key to him having a breakout season."
ESPN's Michael DiRocco writes that Jaguars TE Evan Engram "plans to become a bigger downfield threat than ever before" in 2024. The TE says he wants add explosive plays to his profile and become more of a red-zone option. Will his situation support that?
The Jaguars and QB Trevor Lawrence agreed to a five-year, $275 million contract extension with $200 million guaranteed, ESPN reports. Lawrence now ranks second in the NFL in average annual salary and fourth in guaranteed money. The extension tacks on to the final two years of his current contract, meaning that Lawrence is now signed with the Jaguars through the 2030 season. He'll be 32 when the deal expires.
The Jaguars drafted LSU WR Brian Thomas in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. After two relatively quiet seasons to open his college career, Thomas busted out as a junior this past year. He racked up 1,177 yards and an FBS-high 17 TDs on 68 receptions. The big-play machine averaged 17.3 yards per catch on a 13.9-yard average target depth. He hauled in 15 of 22 targets 20+ yards downfield for 670 yards and 12 TDs. The catches, yards, and TDs were all top-3 marks in the nation, and Thomas was one of 24 WRs to score a 99.9 PFF receiving grade on deep targets. With a 4.33-second 40 time, strong ball-tracking ability, and high-end ball skills, Thomas has all the tools to be a dominant deep-ball weapon in the NFL. He wasn’t nearly as productive on short and intermediate routes at LSU and needs to improve as a route runner to emerge as a No. 1 WR in the NFL. But his combination of size (6’3, 209 lbs.) and athleticism (9.84 RAS) gives him the potential to do so. Thomas should at least be a valuable best-ball asset as a rookie. But with Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Evan Engram, and free-agent addition Gabe Davis rostered, the weekly floor figures to be low here. We’ll also see if Trevor Lawrence can improve after plateauing in 2023.
The Jaguars are signing WR Gabe Davis to a three-year deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That could signal the team doesn't expect to be able to re-sign WR Calvin Ridley, who reached unrestricted free agency today. Jacksonville would have trouble fitting Ridley and Davis contracts under the cap, especially with Edge Josh Allen currently on the franchise tag ($24 million in 2024 salary). It also wouldn't make much sense for the team to pay both guys plus WRs Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, both of whom remain under contract. TE Evan Engram also got a hefty extension just before last season. There's room for Davis to earn at least as much target share as he found in Buffalo. The crowded Jacksonville corps could keep him frustrating as a fantasy option, though. Davis has been a nice best ball value so far this draft season, going 62nd among WRs. We'll see whether his new contract delivers a big boost. But we'll likely keep buying Davis in best ball. Check our best ball rankings to see how his new home affects him.
The Patriots are sending QB Mac Jones to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. That should be enough to set Jones as Trevor Lawrence's backup, given that he carries a $5 million cap number. It's also almost certainly just a one-year setup. Jacksonville must now decide this offseason on Jones' fifth-year option (for 2025) -- and that'll be an easy "no" on a year that would guarantee nearly $26 million in salary. We'll see whether Jones gets a shot to redeem himself in Jacksonville ... and where he lands in 2025. His only real dynasty value at this point is as a handcuff to Lawrence in superflex formats.
LSU WR Brian Thomas blazed a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the Combine on Saturday -- second-fastest among the 30 WRs that ran. It certainly matches his pre-draft profile as a deep-ball weapon. Thomas averaged 17.3 yards per catch last year, with 15 of his 68 receptions coming 20+ yards downfield. He earned a 99.9 Pro Football Focus receiving grade on targets of 20+ yards. Thomas also registered a 36.5-inch vertical and 126-inch broad jump in Indianapolis. His 9.97 Relative Athletic Score is. the 10th-highest out of 3,063 WRs from 1987 to 2024. Thomas has been widely considered the No. 4 WR in this year's class and a potential top-20 pick. His Combine showing will only boost his draft stock.
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson said this week that he'd like to limit the 2024 workload for RB Travis Etienne vs. what the starting back got in 2023. Pederson pointed to a D'Ernest Johnson injury and rookie Tank Bigsby's learning curve as two key factors in Etienne's touch total, which ranked third-highest behind Christian McCaffrey and Rachaad White. "It's not the recipe, necessarily, to put Travis in that situation," Pederson said. "So I would consider knocking a few of those reps down to keep him healthy throughout the course of the year." That makes sense. Etienne struggled with efficiency at times in 2023. You'll still find him inside the top 10 in our 2024 RB rankings, though. Johnson is headed for free agency in March. Bigsby obviously remains under contract heading into his second season, and it doesn't sound like the Jags have given up on him yet. "We really like Tank, and he'll have a bigger impact for us this year," Pederson said. We're certainly not betting on strong production from the former third-round pick after he managed just 51 touches and 2.7 yards per touch as a rookie. But consider Pederson's words enough to make Bigsby worth keeping on dynasty benches and considering in the mix of last-round best ball picks.
Bills HC Sean McDermott said Friday that WR Gabe Davis (knee) won't play Sunday against the Chiefs. That should mean a continued role increase for WR Khalil Shakir. But WR Trent Sherfield got an even bigger bump the past two games. He has played his two largest snap shares of the season -- 71% at Miami, 63% vs. Steelers -- in the game Davis left and then the playoff opener he missed. Sherfield didn't see a target against Pittsburgh, so he's only in range as a DFS flyer and for deeper fantasy formats. Shakir racked up 6-105 receiving in the regular-season finale but then drew just 3 targets against the Steelers. He presents intriguing upside but is also no lock for opportunities. The Bills will also go without CB Christian Benford and S Taylor Rapp.
Bills WR Gabriel Davis (knee) remained sidelined on Wednesday. We're currently projecting him to miss Sunday's Divisional Round game vs. the Chiefs but will continue to track his status over the next few days.
Bills WR Gabriel Davis (knee) is out for Sunday's Wild Card game vs. the Steelers. He didn't practice all week and could certainly miss more time if Buffalo advances to the Divisional Round. Trent Sherfield replaced Davis as a primary outside WR in Week 18.
Bills WR Gabriel Davis (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. His sprained left PCL is reportedly not a major injury, but Davis seems unlikely to play vs. the Steelers on Sunday. We'll keep you updated on his status over the next few days. Trent Sherfield replaced Davis as Buffalo's primary outside WR in the Week 18 win over Miami.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Bills WR Gabriel Davis sprained the PCL in his left knee in Sunday night's win over the Dolphins. The injury is "not considered major," but Davis' status is reportedly uncertain for Sunday's playoff opener against the Steelers. We'll see how Davis fares through the practice week. He'll be a risky pick for NFL playoffs fantasy football drafts this week. But we also like the chances of the second-seeded Bills to play at least two games -- with a shot at four if they reach the Super Bowl. Watch for the knee concern to push Davis down those draft boards and potentially turn him into a value pick.
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