The Jacksonville Jaguars began the tough process of trimming their roster and salary cap this week, which meant parting ways with several key veterans.
After Foley Fatukasi and Darious Williams, the next of such releases was safety Rayshawn Jenkins, who the Jaguars signed to a four-year, $35 million deal in 2021.
So, what does the Jenkins release mean moving forward? We break it down below.
Jaguars might not have made this move were it not for Antonio Johnson's breakout
The timing of the Jenkins release obviously has to do with how much cap space the Jaguars saved in doing so, but there are levels to the move. While some teams will willingly open holes ahead of free agency, the Jaguars have rarely operated like a team in recent years that is eager to do so. If they didn't have a backup plan to replace Jenkins, he could have finished out his deal in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars did have that backup plan, though, and it comes in the form of an immensely team-friendly contract. Fifth-round pick Antonio Johnson finished the 2023 season on a high note and did enough to project him as a starter in the secondary moving forward. He is a better fit as a safety than as a slot cornerback, and the release of Jenkins opens the door for him to start.
How big of a need is safety now?
It would make sense for the Jaguars to add another safety at some point this offseason, whether that is via free agency or the draft. The only safeties under contract for the Jaguars as of this writing are Antonio Johnson, Andre Cisco, and Andrew Wingard. Daniel Thomas is an impending free agent, and the Jaguars have gone into past seasons with five different players at safety.
Is safety anywhere near as big of a need as cornerback, offensive line, defensive line, or even wide receiver? Not quite, but the Jaguars still have to bolster the back end of the room since Johnson will be rising up the depth chart. Re-signing Thomas would go a long way toward accomplishing this, too.
What Rayshawn Jenkins' legacy in Jacksonville should be
While Jenkins' time with the Jaguars has come to an end, this isn't a release that should harbor many negative feelings. Jenkins' legacy won't be of a failed free agent signing or of a player who didn't reach his potential. Instead, Jenkins' three years as a starter in the secondary should be celebrated for the big moments and the plays he made, not for the ones he didn't.
While the Jaguars' 2022 season seems like a lifetime ago, it can't be ignored how electric the second half of that season was and the impact it had on the city and community as a whole. And ultimately the story of that season can't be told without mentioning Jenkins and his massive turnovers vs. the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans, the latter of which sent the Jaguars to the playoffs. And that is what his lasting legacy as a Jaguar should be.
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