Next up for GM James Gladstone and the Jacksonville Jaguars is roster cutdown day. By 6:00 PM ET on Sunday, the Jaguars' roster must be at 53 players.
Given everything we've seen over the last month of training camp and the preseason, I put together my final prediction, taking my best guess at what the Jaguars' 53-man will look like.
But to get to that point, there were several difficult roster decisions that had to be made. These were the most difficult cuts.
RB Ameer Abdullah
We saw the Jaguars carry four running backs for much of last season, but doing so takes away a roster spot from another position, and having all four backs active on game day is not an easy task. That said, Abdullah had made a strong case for a roster spot. He's been productive on the ground
and through the air, and while LeQuint Allen remains sidelined, Abdullah could handle the passing-down duties, not to mention that he has return experience as well.
TE Quintin Morris
It was a quiet training camp for Morris, so I ended up keeping only three tight ends on my roster projection. What made moving on from Morris difficult is that he's a capable blocker and emerged last season as a special teams contributor.
DE Bryan Thomas Jr.
Thomas Jr. was one of the standout performers in the preseason this year, showcasing his ability to get into the backfield and make plays. However, he finds himself at a crowded position group with established players and recent draft picks. Rostering seven defensive ends wasn't in the cards.
LB Jahlani Tavai
Tavai was a late addition to the training camp roster, but he made a quick impact, particularly as a blitzer. He also brings both defensive and special teams experience to this Jaguars team. However, I went with Jalen McLeod, who had a strong finish to camp, can double as a pass rusher, and as a young player, he has more upside.
CB Christian Braswell
For much of the offseason, I had Braswell penciled into a roster spot after he saw regular snaps on defense during the second half of last season. But this summer, his play was up and down. I ended up keeping only five cornerbacks, with that fifth spot going to Jabbar Muhammad.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 5 toughest cuts from final Jaguars 53-man roster projection
