Injury holding back Jaguar QB Jordan Rodgers
The Jaguars didn't select a quarterback in last month's college draft despite speculation that they would bring in someone to challenge Blaine Gabbert or Chad Henne for the starting spot, or at least the backup spot.
Instead, the team signed a pair of undrafted rookie free agents in Jordan Rodgers from Vanderbilt and Matt Scott, out of Arizona.
With only those four quarterbacks on the roster, it appears that Rodgers or Scott have a chance to make the roster as the No. 3 QB, if not higher.
But it's been anything but smooth sailing for Rodgers, the younger brother of Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers. Jordan Rodgers had surgery for a sports hernia this week and will miss the rest of the OTAs as well as the veteran mandatory minicamp, giving Scott a clear path to winning the job as the third quarterback.
Rodgers suffered the injury while running on a slippery turf in the rain on the first day of the rookie minicamp on May 3. He practiced the next day, but has been sidelined ever since. He's one of 12 players who missed OTAs for either an injury or other commitments, like school.
Most noteworthy on the injury list are defensive end Jason Babin (knee), defensive tackle Roy Miller (tendonitis in the knee) and rookie wide receiver/returner Ace Sanders (ab and hip injures). The first two do not appear serious and could rejoin their teammates in practice next week. Sanders may not be back until the mandatory minicamp in June.
--The thinking was that any player released by the New England Patriots must at least be offered a chance to make your roster, which is why the Jaguars put in a claim on waived defensive end Brandon Deaderick.
Deaderick was a 7th round pick of New England in 2010 and played in 34 games with 14 starts over the past three years. He had 51 tackles and five sacks and started at least four games in all three seasons.
Defensive end was another position that the Jaguars have done little to help themselves. With one of the weakest pass rushes in the NFL, they claimed Deaderick to see if he could help strengthen that spot.
Another player who might do just that is veteran defensive tackle Tyson Alualu. The former first-round pick from the University of California has started every game for the Jaguars at tackle the last three years. But that could be coming to an end as Alualu has been moved to a defensive end spot on first and second downs to help stop the run. He would then be moved back to his normal tackle spot on passing downs.
"We felt in the defensive line he had the most ability to play multiple positions, to give us different looks," head coach Gus Bradley said. "We want to try him out there and he's all in favor of it."
