JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the fourth time since training camp opened last week, the Jacksonville Jaguars have added a new veteran face to the roster.
The Jaguars officially signed offensive lineman Geron Christian on Saturday morning, placing rookie offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio on the Reserve/Injured list and ending his first season in the process.
But what does the signing of Christian really mean for the offensive line and the roster at large moving forward after Friday's scrimmage? We offer some thoughts below.
October 23, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Geron Christian (74) during halftime against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
Like most players signed at this time of the year, Christian is going to be expected to step in and give the Jaguars some depth at a spot where they are low on numbers. So while the signing is not for a player who is going to come in and get reps with Trevor Lawrence and the first-team offense, it is notable that the Jaguars felt like they needed to add someone to the mix for practice reps.
The Jaguars moved Digiorgio from the Active/PUP list to the injured reserve to open up a roster spot, meaning the Jaguars are clearly feeling the effects of a string of injuries that have hit the offensive line. The Jaguars had several offensive linemen exit Thursday's scrimmage , while they were already dealing with a few injuries to start camp.
The Jaguars did have two of those injured linemen accounted for during Saturday morning's 45-minute walkthrough with veteran lineman Chuma Edoga and rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon, but the Jaguars were still without veteran left tackle Cole Van Lanen and right guard Patrick Mekari , though Mekari was at least on the field for the walkthrough to watch. With that in mind, the Jaguars did have a notable absence at Saturday's walkthrough in offensive lineman Walker Little .
Sep 20, 2020; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Football Team tackle Geron Christian Sr. (74) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
That is notable and is one potential injury to track entering Sunday's padded practice. The fact the Jaguars felt like they are banged up enough that they can no longer stash DiGirogio's roster spot on the Active/PUP list could indicate that they are working to address the offensive line injuries. If Little misses any time, though, the Jaguars could be in a serious spot depending on the timeline's of Van Lanen and Mekari.
Without those three veteran options, the Jaguars' offensive line would be (left to right) Anton Harrison , Ezra Cleveland , Robert Hainsey , Jonah Monheim , and Wyatt Milum . That would be quite the contrast from the projected Week 1 starting lineup, and would especially create a need for offensive tackle depth. The fact that 24 of Christian's 25 career starts have come at left tackle is probably not a point worth ignoring.
This, of course, is one reason the Jaguars have cross-trained their offensive linemen at different spots over the last two years. Milum has been at guard in the past and has taken reps at tackle lately; Monheim took his snaps at center last year but has stepped up at right guard; Anton Harrison has played both tackle spots; Emmanuel Pregnon has played both guard spots; and finally, Walker Little has played left tackle, right guard, and right tackle.
Oct 3, 2021; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Geron Christian (72) walks to the field prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
"I think everyone who comes in and out has done a great job. Everyone's getting better, everyone's improving, everyone's working together, and it's been super helpful for all these guys to get all the reps, because you never know when you're going to need them," Jaguars center Robert Hainsey said on Saturday after practice.
"You never know when you're going to need to lean on that experience so it's a great opportunity for all the guys that have come in to get those live reps next to different guys, myself included. Whenever we figure out how things are going to shake out, then I've had reps with everyone that could be there, so that's helpful."
The signing of Christian should not raise any alarms, but it does indicate the Jaguars have started the process of getting reinforcements for a unit that has been banged up at the start of camp. How much this matters for Week 1 in September remains to be seen, though.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jaguars/onsi as What the Jaguars' Signing of Geron Christian Actually Tells Us .
