Jacksonville Jaguars cut Uche Nwaneri
Jacksonville Jaguars guard Uche Nwaneri (77) against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially announced the release of starting right guard Uche Nwaneri, and this move clears about $3.7 million in cap space for David Caldwell. It also gives the Jaguars yet another hole on their offensive line, and they need to replace every starting position on the interior now. With a ridiculous amount of cap space in tote, that shouldn’t be too difficult, even if center Alex Mack is no longer an option after receiving the transition tag from the Cleveland Browns yesterday.
Nwaneri should receive some interest on the free agent market, as he’s a about an average starting guard in this league. At the age of 29, he should receive about a two-year deal worth around $3 million per year, and he could help out a team in need of a veteran starting guard.
His release from the Jaguars was a long time coming, and I wonder if the Jaguars were also looking for a better run blocker than Nwaneri. It will be interesting to see if they can find a younger alternative out there this offseason, and guard is undoubtedly a massive need for this organization. Geoff Schwartz, Jon Asamoah, and Rodger Saffold are three guards worth watching for closely, as at least one of those players is bound to hit the open market and would be a big upgrade. I’m sure Caldwell and the Jaguars are also looking closely at interior OL draft prospects due to their youth and low cost.