With less than a month to Week 1, the Jaguars are doing everything they can to make sure they come out on top of the AFC South, even if that means rapid mid-camp signings and waivers.
Tuesday came with another one, as Jacksonville signed former Raiders linebacker Amari Burney.
To open a spot for Burney on the 90-man roster, cornerback Keni-H Lovely was waived.
Burney isn’t the only late arrival crashing the Jaguars’ linebacker room. Jacksonville already made a splash last week by signing veteran Jahlani Tavai to patch up the starting defense, but Burney fills a completely different, urgent need at the bottom of the roster.
Jaguars’s Make Splash with Back-to-Back LB Signings
GettyJacksonville Jagaurs sign LB Amari Burney
When primary backup Jack Kiser clutched his knee on Day 1 of camp and limped off, Jacksonville’s depth vanished instantly. And this was right after LB Jared Bartlett was waived with an injury designation.
Even before Kiser went down, Jacksonville’s off-ball linebacker room was light. Now, with Kiser sidelined, they are essentially down to just a handful of healthy guys to eat up defensive and special teams snaps during camp and preseason games.
Bringing in Tavai stabilized the starting group alongside Foyesade Oluokun and Ventrell Miller, but signing Burney gives the Jaguars a proven body to handle special teams and stop the bleeding.
Burney has 24 NFL games under his belt as a true off-ball linebacker and proven special teamer from his time in Las Vegas.
The former Raiders sixth-round draft pick brings natural coverage traits (having played safety early in his college career at Florida) and real NFL speed to fill Kiser’s exact role.
LB Battle Continues
GettyJacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile on LB battle.
Bringing in fresh faces gives the Jag’s some obvious depth, but they can only relax once Tavai and Burney actually prove themselves.
It’ll be a tall order for Tavai, since Brandon Combs and Ventrell Miller are already locked in a head-to-head for the starting role.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is confident in Tavai and even has a vision for him.
“Obviously, we’ve had some injuries in camp,” Campanile said, “but I’ve seen Jahlani play over the years. Some guys who I know really, really well have coached him, been around him. So there’s definitely a familiarity with him and the way he plays.”
He’s been in a system that has a lot of the same tenets as ours when he was in Detroit and then New England. We played very similarly in Miami when I was there. So there’s a lot of carry over even just the verbiage to everything — it’s an easier transition for him.”
As for the LB1 battle between Combs and Miller, Oluokun parised Combs for not repeating the same mistakes as last year, and actually showing promising improvement.
“I love seeing his competitive spirit and he kind of rises to the occasion no matter what he’s put in,” Oluokun said. “He’s coming back not making the same mistakes as before and now letting his athletic ability show. So, I just love seeing him grow as a player, as a person, but somebody who I can trust when he’s next to me as well.”
As unexpected as it was to see Combs improvement and actully giving Miller a run for his starting spot, he is slowing starting to earn the trust of his teammates.
Jaguars Sign Former Raiders Draft-Pick In Latest Roster Move