The Jacksonville Jaguars are currently on their bye week and will look to hit the ground running next week against the Indianapolis Colts. However, before we progress to our evaluations on them, let’s take a look at five winners on the Jags’ roster at the bye:
Winners
QB Nick Foles
Having Nick Foles on this list was a given. After breaking his collarbone and watching Gardner Minshew II take the nation by storm, he was given his job back. Simply put, it came down to his experience and the staff needing to climb out of the hole with their job situations being on the line.
Foles has been down this road before in 2017 with the Philadelphia Eagles. It would only help his legacy if he was able to lead the Jags from a 4-5 record to the playoffs and also validate the front office giving him the most expensive free agent contract in team history.
WR Chris Conley
Chris Conley is a winner for the bye week for the simple fact that Foles is back. Both previously played in Kansas City together and had a strong bond this offseason. Conley’s production could increase now that the veteran signal-caller is back, but he’s the team second-leading receiver already with 23 receptions for 461 yards and two touchdowns.
There were times when fans believed Conley could’ve been more productive with Gardner Minshew II under center before now as he favored DJ Chark and James O’Shaughnessy while starting. In the offseason, Conley proved to be Foles’ No. 1 target, and the veteran will likely look to re-establish that as early as possible. If they get going early after the bye week, it’s possible Conley and Chark could both be 1,000-yard receivers the end of the season.
WR Keelan Cole
Keelan Cole is a winner entering the bye week for the simple fact that he’ll get more snaps after it with Marqise Lee on injured reserve. Before Lee going on IR last Tuesday, the highest amount of snaps Cole saw on offense was 34 percent against the New York Jets. Afterwards, he saw the field for 82 percent of the offensive snaps against the Houston Texans, which is telling.
Fans had high hopes for Cole coming into this season, but with his role being diminished to mostly special teams duty, they quickly forgot about him. However, with Lee being in and out of the lineup, he’s utilized the opportunities given to him, scoring a touchdown in two of the Jags’ last three games and registering his highest catch and receptions total Week 9. All of that in mind, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Cole attempt to recapture the magic we saw from him previously.
DL Taven Bryan
Taven Bryan has greatly improved as a player. He’s lived in the backfield this season and his play hasn’t declined as a result of the increased snaps he’s seen with Marcell Dareus going on IR. He’ll enter Week 11 with 20 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, and a Pro Football Focus grade of 78.6, which is one of the highest on the team.
Bryan will get to register some more starts to his name after the bye, and the Jags’ remaining schedule is set up for him to flourish with run-heavy teams like the Colts (twice), the Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders remaining. Fans should expect him to continue to grow, especially with the defensive line playing well around him.
CB Tre Herndon
With Jalen Ramsey gone and Tre Herndon replacing him, a grand opportunity awaits the second-year corner. Depending on how he plays from this point on, he can make a case to be the Jags’ starting corner alongside A.J. Bouye.
Herndon has had his ups and downs since being named a starter, but it’s clear the Jags front office believes he has potential. With 35 tackles and two picks to his name, Herndon’s play moving forward will give the Jags an idea of whether they will need to prioritize a corner in next year’s draft or free agency.
