Jaguars release 5 veterans, clear $30M salary cap

The Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday released five veterans, including Pro Bowl defensive tackle Malik Jackson, to clear approximately $30 million in salary cap space. The team announced the moves.

Reports emerged last week that the Jaguars were trying to trade Jackson and running Carlos Hyde, and both players were released. The Jaguars also cut safety Tashaun Gipson, offensive tackle Jermey Parnell and long snapper Carson Tinker. The Jaguars presumably are trying to free enough cap room to sign free agent quarterback Nick Foles when the league year begins Wednesday.

The team also could release quarterback Blake Bortles once they know they have his replacement on board. That would save $4.5 million of a $21 million cap hit. Jackson signed a six-year, $85.5 million contract in March 2016. The Jaguars acquired Hyde in a trade with the Cleveland Browns last October for a fifth-round pick. Gipson and Parnell signed as free agents, and Tinker joined the Jaguars in 2013 as an undrafted free agent.

Jackson, 29, was set to count $15 million against the cap in 2019, but the Jaguars will save $11 million by releasing him. The Jaguars already restructured the contract of defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, and they drafted Taven Bryan in the first round last year, leaving Jackson as the odd man out.

The seven-year pro had 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 12 QB hits last year in 16 games, though he was bumped out of the starting lineup in favor of Bryan late in the year. As for Hyde, he totaled just 189 yards on 58 carries (3.3 average) for Jacksonville. He has a career average of 4.0 yards per carry in five NFL seasons, totaling 3,300 yards and 26 touchdowns in 64 games.

Releasing him will save $4.7 million against the cap in 2019. The release of Gipson saves $7.45 million, with Tinker accounting for an $860,000 savings and Parnell clearing $6 million in space.

Gipson, 28, spent the past three years with Jacksonville after starting his career in Cleveland. He started all 48 games and made 159 tackles, including five for loss. Tinker, who spent five seasons with the Jaguars, played just five games in 2018 because of a knee injury. The team signed veteran long snapper Matt Overton to a contract extension on Thursday.

Parnell, 32, was set to enter the final season of a five-year, $32 million deal signed in 2015. In four seasons in Jacksonville, he appeared in 57 games, all starts.

(With inputs from agencies.)