Former Packers Starter Signs With Jaguars: Report

Another former Green Bay Packers is starter is signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, with tight end Josiah Deguara finding a new home.

Bleacher Report NFL insider Jordan Schultz posted to X on Thursday, March 28 that Deguara was signing a one-year deal with the Jaguars.

Deguara joins former Packers first-round pick Darnell Savage in Jacksonville. Savage signed a three-year deal worth up to $21 million with the Jaguars at the start of free agency.

The emergence of rookie tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft last season made Deguara expendable. Now, he will have an opportunity to carve out a larger role in Jacksonville with a fresh start on a new team.

Josiah Deguara Took His Lumps in Green Bay

There was a point where Deguara could have become the top tight end in Green Bay. Unfortunately, he was never able to recover from a rocky start with a future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Deguara was a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, coming out of Cincinnati. He was a two-time All-AAC selection during his time with the Bearcats, operating in a hybrid tight end/fullback role with over 1,110 yards and 13 total touchdowns during his college career.

It took some time as a rookie for Deguara to start seeing the field. Unfortunately, his rookie season was cut short due to a torn ACL he suffered in Week 5, ending his season.

Deguara returned to the field in 2021, but never had the kind of impact that Packers fans were hoping for from a third-round pick. Aaron Rodgers likely played a big role in Deguara’s lack of production, as he was seen screaming at Deguara on multiple occasions during games for missed assignments.

That lack of trust with a future Hall of Fame quarterback made it hard for Deguara to stay involved in the offense. This past season could have been different for him with a new quarterback in Jordan Love, but the emergence of younger, more versatile tight ends in Musgrave and Kraft made it harder for him to carve out his own role.

Deguara’s story in Green Bay has been one of consistently bad timing. Hopefully, he can change that narrative with more opportunities in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars Are Excited About Darnell Savage

While Deguara will be hoping to have an impact on offense, Savage is already coming into Jacksonville with big expectations from the coaching staff.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson talked a bit about Savage during league meetings in Orlando. Along with being generally excited about his team’s new free agent, Pederson gave some insight on what they expected from Savage.

“His nickel coverage ability inside his ability to blitz he’s a good tackler. He’s a willing tackler,” Pederson told reporters. “He’s a pretty good cover guy. Just all the things that we were looking for at that position. He’s got the versatility to play multiple spots on defense, so he does give you that safety flex. If you want to do it. You can play that nickel spot if you want to move them in there.”

Pederson and his staff sound like they want to play Savage all over the field, and that should give him more opportunities to make big plays.