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Jaguars set to re-sign RB D'Ernest Johnson to one-year deal, report says
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- Jaguars set to re-sign RB D'Ernest Johnson to one-year deal, report says
The Jacksonville Jaguars are bringing one of their own home and, it's not wide receiver Calvin Ridley just yet.
According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are bringing back running back D'Ernest Johnson on a one-year deal. Johnson signed with the Jaguars last offseason as one of their few free-agency signings in 2023 .
Johnson, 28, played in all 17 games last year for the Jaguars in a reserve role. He totaled 41 carries for 108 yards. He added 10 receptions for 140 yards. Johnson also played special teams, participating in 32% of the snaps on that unit. Johnson also operated as one of the team's backup kick returners, tallying seven kick returns for an average of 18 yards per return.
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Johnson gives the team another backup running back behind Travis Etienne and last year's third-round pick, RB Tank Bigsby . Bigsby totaled 132 yards on 50 carries for 2.6 yards per carry and two touchdowns. The Jaguars would like to see an increase in both reps and production for Bigsby in 2024, taking some of the wear and tear off of Etienne's body.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back D'Ernest Johnson (25) rushes for yards as Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods (25) looks to tackle as Panthers linebacker Yetur Gross-Matos (97), back, can’t make a tackle and Jaguars quarterback C.J. Beathard (3) looks on during the third quarter of a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars blanked the Carolina Panthers 26-0. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
With Johnson involved again, the Jags will have an opportunity to do just that, giving them a trio of backs heading into training camp with plenty of experience in the team's roster.
Johnson is the fourth player the team has retained thus far, including guard Ezra Cleveland , safety Daniel Thomas and defensive tackle Jeremiah Ledbetter . The Jaguars are expected to allow return specialist Jamal Agnew to walk in free agency after agreeing to terms with former Ravens return specialist Devin Duvernay on Monday.
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Jacksonville still has many outstanding free agents set to hit the open market on Wednesday, March 13 at 4 p.m.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: D'Ernest Johnson, Jaguars agree to one-year deal in free agency
