Gladstone details reasoning behind Jaguars surprise cutdown day move

One of the surprise decisions during roster cutdown day for the Jacksonville Jaguars was the team’s decision to release cornerback Jabbar Muhammad.

Dating back to offseason programs, Muhammad was often a standout performer. This included coming away with a game-winning pass breakup in the preseason opener against New Orleans.

However, instead of rostering Muhammad, the Jaguars chose to keep Christian Braswell, who, at least defensively, didn’t seem to stand out as frequently.

So what was the reasoning behind this decision? Well, as GM James Gladstone explained on Tuesday, Braswell’s ability to contribute on special teams was a differentiator.

“I think there’s tough dynamics with a lot of these decisions,” Gladstone said. “Christian’s been there, done that. Has a notable role on special teams come game day and you talk about actives versus inactives and what it is that is going to differentiate guys.”

As the fifth cornerback on the depth chart, the bulk of that player’s snaps will come on special teams. And last season, Braswell was a core special teams contributor, playing 168 snaps, regularly contributing to four of the six different phases.

Although Muhammad was released, the Jaguars did get him back on the practice squad. Jacksonville remains bullish on Muhammad’s ability to contribute long-term.

“Whereas Jabar, clearly a hungry player who has made his presence felt in a few different settings, whether that’s our own internal practices, joints, or preseason games,” said Gladstone.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Gladstone details reasoning behind Jaguars surprise cutdown day move