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Cooper Hodges

Jaguars Release Veteran S Tashaun Gipson

November 4th, 2024 at 6:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Shortly after releasing Rayshawn Jenkins near the opening of free agency, the Jaguars signed a potential replacement in veteran safety Tashaun Gipson. Unfortunately, Gipson will not be able to stretch his second stint in Jacksonville to the field as the Jaguars announced his release today from the exempt/commissioner’s permission list.

Gipson was placed on the list in preparation to return from a six-game suspension levied by the NFL for violating the league’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs. Some posited that, at 34 years old, Gipson might avoid the suspension altogether by retiring after 12 seasons in the league, but Gipson made it clear that he would not appeal the suspension and had intentions to play in 2024.

An undrafted free agent out of Wyoming for the Browns in 2012, Gipson almost immediately found his place in the NFL becoming a full-time starter and intercepting five passes in 2013. The following year, Gipson made his only Pro Bowl, leading the NFL with 158 interception return yards. That yardage came off six picks in just 11 games. Since then, Gipson has played full-time starting roles with the Jaguars, Texans, Bears, and most recently, the 49ers. His 33 career interceptions rank fourth among active defenders behind only Patrick Peterson (36), Tyrann Mathieu (35), and Harrison Smith (35).

The Jaguars were hoping to pair Gipson with Andre Cisco at safety, but knowing that he’d miss at least six games, they figured to use fellow Wyoming alum Andrew Wingard as a starter in the interim. Unfortunately, a knee injury in August landed Wingard on injured reserve, where he’s remained to this day. With Wingard and Gipson out, Jacksonville has split time between Antonio Johnson and Darnell Savage next to Cisco with less than satisfactory results.

The release of Gipson is interesting as the team ranks 31st in the NFL in passing yards allowed through nine weeks. Even if he’s a step slower at 34, one would think that Gipson would be an immediate upgrade next to Cisco. Sitting in the AFC South basement at 2-7, the Jaguars may be accepting their lot for the 2024 season. With eyes towards the future, an aging veteran on a one-year contract doesn’t really fit into the picture.

Additionally, Jacksonville announced that offensive guard Cooper Hodges has been placed on IR, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster. A seventh-round pick last year out of Appalachian State, Hodges made his NFL debut this year after spending his rookie year on IR. After appearing in all nine games and making his first career start last week, Hodges suffered a serious leg injury on a two-point conversion attempt, getting carted off the field and transported to the hospital.

Jaguars Place DT DaVon Hamilton On IR, Sign DL Angelo Blackson

August 31st, 2023 at 9:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the Jaguars’ pass rushers will be out of the mix to start the season. In addition to Dawuane Smoot staying on the PUP list, the Jags will be without DaVon Hamilton, who landed on IR on Thursday.

Jacksonville shifted Hamilton and offensive lineman Cooper Hodges to IR, sidelining each for at least four games to start the year, and signed veteran D-lineman Angelo Blackson and O-lineman Blake Hance.

A back issue sidelined Hamilton late in training camp. The Jaguars had given the former third-round pick a lucrative extension — three years, $34.5MM — this offseason. But both he and Smoot, who re-signed late this summer, will make delayed debuts for the defending AFC South champions. Neither can return until at least Week 5.

Hamilton moved into the Jags’ starting lineup on a full-time basis last season, starting 14 games. Pro Football Focus rated Hamilton as a top-30 interior D-lineman in 2022, but his status will be worth monitoring ahead of his fourth NFL slate. The Jags announced recently Hamilton’s back trouble is a “non-football-related medical issue.” Doug Pederson said recently Hamilton does not have a return timetable. The Jaguars guaranteed the Ohio State alum $20MM at signing.

While teams often use post-cutdown-day IR moves to bring back veterans who went through training camp with the squad, the Jags are adding Blackson, who went to camp with the Ravens. Baltimore released the interior D-lineman on cutdown day, doing so after signing him in the offseason. Blackson, 30, is going into his ninth NFL season.

The Jaguars move Blackson closer to an AFC South career sweep. The former Titans draftee spent two seasons in Tennessee and three in Houston earlier in his career. Blackson migrated to Arizona and then Chicago, playing the past two seasons with the Bears. With Hamilton out indefinitely, the Jags have some insurance in Blackson, who has made 42 career starts. The eight-year veteran finished the 2021 season with 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits. In 15 games last year, Blackson did not register a sack and tallied one QB hit.

Jaguars Sign Round 2 TE Brenton Strange, Several Others

May 12th, 2023 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars used their franchise tag on Evan Engram in March, and while the parties have until mid-July to finalize an extension agreement, the team added another tight end in the draft. Brenton Strange, Jacksonville’s second-round pick, agreed to terms on his rookie deal Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets.

Strange will head to Florida after a career at Penn State. Scouts Inc. slotted the ex-Nittany Lions pass catcher as this draft class’ seventh-ranked tight end. He went to the Jags at No. 61 overall. Jacksonville moved down from its No. 56 overall slot, sliding five spots and picking up a fourth-round pick (No. 136) from Chicago to do so.

In Strange, the Jags will pick up a 253-pound pass catcher who totaled 32 receptions for 362 yards and five touchdowns last season. Strange earned third-team All-Big Ten honors for his senior-year work. This is the highest the Jaguars have drafted a tight end since taking Marcedes Lewis in the 2006 first round.

Prior to Engram’s promising 2022 season, the Jaguars had encountered steady trouble generating much production from the tight end spot. The former Giants first-rounder’s 766 receiving yards represent a franchise single-season record. Engram has said he wants to stay with the Jags on a long-term deal, but the sides were not believed to be close on terms yet. If Engram does not sign by July 17, he will play the 2023 season on the franchise tag.

In addition to Strange, the Jags also inked third-round running back Tank Bigsby (Auburn) to his four-year rookie contract. They also signed fourth-round linebacker Ventrell Miller (Florida), sixth-round cornerbacks Christian Braswell (Rutgers) and Erick Hallett (Pittsburgh), seventh-round offensive lineman Cooper Hodges (Appalachian State) and seventh-round defensive tackle Raymond Vohasek (North Carolina). The Jags began their rookie minicamp Friday.