JACKSONVILLE – The 2024 roster is set … for now.
General Manager Trent Baalke and Head Coach Doug Pederson spoke to the media Tuesday afternoon – shortly after the Jaguars trimmed their roster to the NFL-mandated regular-season limit of 53 players. Their assessment?
They like the roster, and they'll continue to do what's necessary to like it more.
"The roster is never done," Baalke said.
Tuesday's roster breakdown: 24 offensive players, 26 on defense and three on special teams.
"Every position is tough," Pederson said. "You find the best 53, and we're not done. We have to continue to improve. The guys we have, we're confident in and we'll go play."
NFL teams had until Tuesday at 4 p.m. to reach 53 players, with the Jaguars announcing 27 roster moves early that afternoon: 13 players waived, nine released, one waived/injured, one released via injury settlement, two injured reserve and one reserve/suspended. They waived six players on Sunday and released four.
"You just try to put the best 53 together," Baalke said. "Sometimes you go heavy in certain areas. Sometimes injuries play a part. Sometimes availability plays a part. Those are the best 53 for the time being. The roster is never done. We're going to keep looking and keep putting guys in position where they have to keep their spots."
Sixteen players can be signed to the practice squad – 17 if one of the players is assigned to the NFL's International Pathway Program – and six of those players can be veterans of any experience.
"It's never easy," Pederson said. "This is a tough day for all 32 clubs, because you invested so much time in these guys in the development process. It's not done. We have a chance to hopefully get some guys back on the practice roster and keep improving the roster.
"You sit here today and you let a number of players go. At the same time, you communicate with the guys that you want back. You have 31 other teams that are looking at our roster, too. There's a plan in place and if we don't get guys back, we'll get the next guy."
Tuesday's 53-player roster was a line-heavy group, with 10 offensive linemen and 11 defensive linemen.
"You can never have enough bigs, guys that can play," Baalke said. "We felt really good about these 21 guys, obviously well enough to keep all of them."
Nineteen of 23 selections from the last two NFL Drafts made the roster. Eight of nine players from the 2024 NFL Draft made it, with fifth-round running back Keilan Robinson placed on injured reserve with a toe injury.
"You keep the best 53 guys, regardless of age," Baalke said. "Everybody that's in those rooms earned it. Now it's their job to keep it. That's just the business. It's What Have You Done for Me Lately?"
Safety Andrew Wingard also was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with both he and Robinson eligible to return in four weeks. This is the first season teams have been able to place players on injured reserve before determining the 53-man roster and have those players eligible to return.
"It's a very positive change for the league," Baalke said. "It's definitely an advantage. You don't have to play the roster gymnastics you used to."
Pederson, as he did Monday, spoke positively of the depth of the roster. The Jaguars went unbeaten in three preseason games, beating the Kansas City Chiefs (26-13) at home in Preseason Week 1, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20-7) at home in Preseason Week 2 and the Atlanta Falcons (31-0) on the road in Preseason Week 3.
"It goes back to what I've been saying all spring and summer is the development of our entire roster," Pederson said. "I think that's what showed up in in these games and these guys have earned these spots."
Said Baalke, "We feel good about the 53 guys. You're only as good as the record you put out there. That remains to be seen. This group of guys, they work hard. They're great teammates. They love coming to work every day. From that standpoint, we feel really good about the locker.
"How good it ends up being, we're going to find out 18 weeks from now."
