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Jaguars Strengthen LB Depth Through Bartlett Signing
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- Jaguars Strengthen LB Depth Through Bartlett Signing
(Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union)
The Jacksonville Jaguars added much-needed linebacker depth after signing Jared Bartlett on Sunday morning and waived wide receiver Ben Patterson.
Jacksonville had six linebackers before adding Bartlett to the mix. He's been a journeyman over the last year after going undrafted. The New York Jets , Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals signed him at various points.
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Arizona signed him to its practice squad on Sept. 2. Two months later, the undrafted linebacker made his debut against the Seattle Seahawks , but did not record a stat.
He was signed to the active roster on Nov. 15, but was waived two days later and signed back to the practice squad on Nov. 19.
Bartlett started the new year by joining his fourth team, the Carolina Panthers , on a reserves/future contract. His tenure didn't last long, as Carolina waived him on July 26.
The former Second Team All-Big 12 linebacker had a successful college career. He played at West Virginia for four seasons before transferring to Cincinnati .
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Throughout his career as a Mountaineer, Bartlett played 50 games and totaled 134 tackles (21 TFLs). He was a two-time recipient of the Iron Mountaineer Award and earned Bronco Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week in 2023 for his three-sack performance against Virginia Tech.
As a fifth-year at Cincinnati, he became one of its most productive defenders. Bartlett led the team in tackles (69), tackles for loss (11.5), and sacks (7.5).
The 25-year-old is now competing for a roster spot in Jacksonville, reuniting with his former high school teammate Travis Hunter .
Patterson was an undrafted rookie in an overcrowded wide receiver room. Jakobi Meyers , Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. headline the starting positions. Hunter is still taking offensive snaps as a dual-position player.
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The Jaguars added two rookie receivers in CJ Williams and Josh Cameron. Williams has impressed quarterback Trevor Lawrence with his mastery of the playbook and has caught passes from backup Nick Mullens .
It was an uphill battle for Patterson, who had little margin for error in training camp, especially given his place on the depth chart.
Jacksonville added much-needed linebacker depth. Ventrell Miller (Mike), Foyesade Oluokun (Will) and Jack Kiser (Sam) are the starters for the group. Miller is aiming to become the leader after Devin Lloyd departed for the Panthers.
Behind the trio are Branson Combs , Parker Hughes and Yasir Abdullah . All have played three seasons or less, including Bartlett.
Bartlett has bounced around the league, but could find a home with the Jaguars, filling a position of need.
