HEADLINES

Brandon Linder

Jaguars C Brandon Linder Retires

March 28th, 2022 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

After eight seasons in Jacksonville, Brandon Linder is calling it a career. The veteran center announced his retirement on Monday (via Instagram). 

“After much reflection, I have realized that the man I currently aspire to be is no longer aligning with the person I must become to play this game”, he wrote. “It is at this time that I have decided to close this chapter of my life and retire from the NFL… I am grateful to fulfill my goal of retiring a lifetime Jaguar. Jacksonville will remain my home. I am excited to chase new dreams and I’m looking forward to all of the great things to come in the future.”

Linder, 30, was drafted by the Jaguars in the third round in 2014. Beginning as a right guard and transitioning to center two years later, he started all 88 regular season games he played in, along with three playoff contests. His play at the new position earned him a then record-breaking five-year, $51.7MM extension in 2017. Injuries started to become an issue not long after that deal, though.

In the four campaigns he played in after signing the new contract, Linder only played a full season once. He was placed on IR this past October, limiting him to nine games played (the same number he was available for in 2018 and 2020). His 62.9 PFF grade in 2021 was the lowest of his career, ending a streak in which he ranked amongst the best centers in the league and was often the best player on Jacksonville’s offensive line.

Linder’s retirement will save the Jaguars roughly $9.5MM in cap space, as none of his salary for the upcoming season was guaranteed. Given how tight to the cap the team was before today, that financial flexibility will be welcomed, though Linder’s consistency and level of play throughout his tenure will likely be difficult to replace.

Jaguars Looking At OL Ekwonu With Top Pick

March 6th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Ely Allen

We wrote a bit in January about NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu potentially being the best offensive lineman in the draft. Well, he certainly thinks so, as he told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine Thursday that he’d “definitely deserve” to be drafted No. 1 overall, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com. 

He’s not totally off base in his thinking. ESPN’s Mel Kiper mocked Ekwonu to Jacksonville in his latest mock draft just before the Combine. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, many at the Combine, including ESPN’s Todd McShay, expected Ekwonu to blow up in Indianapolis.

There’s already been a bit of talk connecting Ekwonu to the Jaguars. General manager Trent Baalke has a tendency to prefer explosive linemen and Ekwonu demonstrated his explosiveness in field drills including an impressive sub-5.00 second 40-yard dash. Baalke and new head coach Doug Pederson will be looking to put together a group at offensive line that can protect former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence and create holes for running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne.

Jawaan Taylor is expected to compete with Walker Little for the right tackle job. Captain Brandon Linder should return to form at center after MCL and ankle injuries forced him to miss a large part of the 2021 NFL season. Andrew Norwell is expected to hit the free agent market and Cam Robinson could join him if the team decides not to utilize their franchise tag on Robinson for the second straight year. Veteran sixth-man Tyler Shatley was recently re-signed and Ben Bartch could help out at guard. So the versatility of Ekwonu could line him up as the perfect choice for Jacksonville’s current situation, where lots of question marks surround the depth chart. Even so, the Jaguars could also fall in love with Evan Neal, who is largely seen as the top pure tackle in the draft.

Still, the redshirt sophomore out of Raleigh is a young, talented prospect with the ability to dominate at tackle or guard. Even if he slips past Jacksonville at No. 1 overall, don’t expect him to be available after both New York teams get a chance to draft. Ekwonu will aim to be only the third Wolfpack offensive lineman in history to be picked in the first round, the highest-drafted Wolfpack prospect since Bradley Chubb in 2018, and, above that, the first top overall pick out of NC State since Mario Williams in 2006.

Will Jags’ Tag Cam Robinson Again?

February 19th, 2022 at 8:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Almost five years ago, the Jaguars drafted Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson. Seen by many as a potential first rounder, Robinson fell to the Jaguars’ second-round pick with some red flags from a previous arrest and some injury issues that held him out of the Combine and parts of his Pro Day. 

Robinson immediately earned the starting left tackle position as a rookie and started 15 games in 2017. After suffering a torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2018 NFL season, Robinson missed the rest of his sophomore year in the league.

Once his rookie contract expired at the end of the 2020 season, it was rumored the Jaguars were going to allow Robinson to test the free agent market. Robinson was certainly not considered a top 5 offensive tackle, so tagging him and paying him the average salary of the top 5 players at his position seemed like a fairly large stretch. But with a lack of options to replace the young tackle and the price tag of what few options were available, the Jaguars bit the bullet and paid Robinson.

Now, a year later, Jacksonville is faced with a similar issue: Do they tag Robinson for a second straight year or trust the options available to them this year?

Tagging Robinson is a simple option. On the upside, it secures three sure starters for the 2022 season on the offensive line, they know exactly what it will cost them, and, while he wasn’t quite a top 5 offensive tackle, Robinson played the best football of his career this past season. The downside is that, when you tag a player two years in a row, you don’t pay the average of the top 5 players of the position in Year 2, you pay 120% of the previous year’s salary. With Robinson’s salary last year paying him $13.75MM, a 20% raise would net him $16.5MM in 2022.

If the Jaguars decide to let Robinson walk, they’re not bereft of options. Internally, they did draft Walker Little in the second round last year and saw him start three games in limited time this season. If they think Little can play up to or near the level of play of Robinson, he would be a much cheaper option. The Jaguars also hold the number one pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Many mock drafts have seen fellow Alabama-alum Evan Neal mocked as the top draft pick, but few see Neal as a true homerun pick at the top of the draft.

There’s lots of work to be done on the Jaguars’ offensive line, and new offensive line coach Phil Rauscher will likely have a say in the game plan. Jawaan Taylor has started every game since being drafted in 2019 and is expected to start at right tackle. Veteran and captain Brandon Linder should return to form after MCL and ankle injuries forced him to miss a large part of the 2021 season. Tagging Robinson would secure another tackle position and leave the guards as the only questions. With Andrew Norwell expected to hit the free agent market, Ben Bartch could fill one of the open guard positions, but the other would be open to either an unproven back up or a rookie.

Regardless of where it comes from, Robinson’s next paycheck is expected to be a large one. If the Jaguars decide not to tag or extend him, a team hungry for offensive line help is sure to take a flier and pay out for the 26-year-old tackle.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/27/21

November 27th, 2021 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how teams finalized their Week 12 rosters:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

  • Promoted: WR Matt Cole, OL Austen Pleasants

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

  • Promoted: LB La’Darius Hamilton

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/17/21

November 17th, 2021 at 4:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Jaguars Place C Brandon Linder On IR

October 12th, 2021 at 2:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after beginning his eighth season as a Jaguars starter, Brandon Linder is heading back to injured reserve. The Jags are placing their starting center on IR due to multiple injuries.

Linder is expected to miss at least four games due to an MCL sprain and a high ankle sprain, Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk notes. The veteran blocker left Jacksonville’s Week 5 game in the fourth quarter, being carted off the field during the team’s loss to the Titans.

This continues a trend for Linder, who missed seven games in both the 2018 and ’20 seasons. Although Linder is one of the NFL’s better centers, he has missed 33 games over the course of his Jaguars run. Ankle and knee issues have dogged Linder in the past, with an ankle malady ending his 2020 season and a knee issue shutting him down in 2018.

Although the Jags changed regimes this offseason, they kept all five of their primary offensive line starters from their 1-15 2020 campaign. Linder graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 overall center last season; this year, he slots 24th through four-plus games. The 29-year-old snapper had been on the field for all the Jags’ offensive plays until the cart-off sequence Sunday. Linder’s four-year, $51MM deal runs through 2022.

The Jags signed Rashaad Coward off the Steelers’ practice squad to fill Linder’s roster spot. Coward logged 15 starts with the Bears from 2017-20.

Jaguars Move C Brandon Linder To IR

December 16th, 2020 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars will be without their top offensive lineman for the rest of the season. They placed center Brandon Linder on IR Wednesday.

Linder did not play in Jacksonville’s loss to Tennessee, with an ankle injury sidelining the veteran blocker. He will join guard Andrew Norwell on the Jags’ IR list. The Jags did designate Norwell to return from IR Wednesday, however.

Pro Football Focus’ No. 3-ranked center, Linder has missed some time this season. He has suited up for nine games in his sixth NFL slate but will now be shut down. The Jaguars have Linder under contract through 2022. He is due a non-guaranteed $8MM base salary next season.

Linder will now see a season capped at nine games for the second time in three years. A knee injury sidelined him midway through the 2018 campaign. The 28-year-old snapper has only played one 16-game season (2019) in his career.

While the Jaguars are 1-12 and reside as the only non-Jets team with a realistic chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick (widely expected to be the Trevor Lawrence slot), rookie UDFA running back James Robinson has already cleared 1,000 yards and sits third in rushing yards this season. Linder certainly played a key part in Robinson’s breakout and should be expected to reprise that role next year.

Jaguars LB Leon Jacobs Done For Season

September 26th, 2020 at 9:05am CST by Ben Levine

Leon Jacobs‘ season is over. The Jaguars linebacker tore his ACL during Thursday’s loss to the Dolphins and will miss the rest of the 2020 campaign.

It’s a tough break for Jacobs, as the 24-year-old was establishing himself as a starter. After starting seven of his 14 games in 2019, the 2018 seventh-rounder had started two of his three appearances in 2020, compiling three tackles and one tackle for a loss. In 29 career games (12 starts), Jacobs has 66 tackles, two sacks, and one fumble recovery.

When Jacobs went down in the first quarter on Thursday, Cassius Marsh was the first choice to fill in at linebacker. The 28-year-old ended up playing 62-percent of Jacksonville’s defensive snaps, collecting three tackles.

ESPN’s Michael DiRocco passed along injury updates on some other notable Jaguars player. Wideout DJ Chark was sat out Thursday’s game with a chest/back injury, but he should return to the practice squad next week if his recent test results come back clean. Center Brandon Linder is also expected to return from a knee injury, while safety Andrew Wingard‘s core muscle injury isn’t as serious as initially thought.

Meanwhile, rookie kicker Brandon Wright suffered a groin injury during Thursday’s loss, forcing the Jaguars to start hunting around for some reinforcement. Wright was already filling in for starter Josh Lambo, who’s sitting on the IR with a hip injury. The 23-year-old Wright has connected on one of his two extra point tries this season.

Jaguars To Place K Josh Lambo On IR

September 23rd, 2020 at 2:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars will need a fill-in kicker for the foreseeable future. They are placing Josh Lambo on IR, Doug Marrone said Wednesday. Lambo will miss at least three games due to a hip injury.

The former Chargers kicker has been in place as the Jags’ field goal man since the 2017 season, when he replaced Jason Myers. Lambo has missed time due to an injury in the past, finishing the 2018 season on IR because of a groin injury. The Jags signed Kai Forbath that season.

Brandon Wright will kick for the Jags on Thursday against the Dolphins. The Jaguars signed Wright as a UDFA out of Georgia State this year and stashed him on their practice squad. This will be Wright’s first NFL action.

Jacksonville will also be without starting center Brandon Linder against the Dolphins. The team ruled Linder out with a knee injury he sustained against the Titans.

Jaguars C Brandon Linder Out For Season

November 12th, 2018 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Brandon Linder‘s season is over. The Jaguars’ center will undergo surgery on his right knee, ruling him out for the remainder of the year, head coach Doug Marrone announced.

The Jaguars have dropped five straight and the loss of Linder will not help in their quest to get out of the hole. The 26-year-old ranks as one of the league’s better centers and his importance to the team was underscored by the six-year, $54MM extension he inked in 2017.

Even before the Linder injury, the Jags’ offensive line was weakened by the loss of left tackle Cam Robinson. The Jaguars were hoping to turn things around after getting Leonard Fournette back in the lineup, but he won’t get far if the club’s reserves cannot step up. Tyler Shatley figures to slide into the starting lineup in Linder’s place as the team hopes to get more than the 2.2 yards per carry Fournette averaged against the Colts.

Linder, a former third round pick, missed the majority of the 2015 season due to a shoulder injury and had to sit out for five games between 2016 and 2017. He’s been starting for Jacksonville since entering the league in 2014, but after five years he’ll have missed 26 out of a possible 80 regular season games.

Load More Posts