JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars released a high-profile veteran Monday.
Jared Odrick, a seven-year veteran who started 22 games at strong-side defensive end for the Jaguars over the past two seasons, has been released. The team officially announced the move Monday afternoon.
Odrick, who signed as a prominent unrestricted free agent in the 2015 offseason, started 16 games during his first season with the team. He had some strong moments that season, including a late-game sack that helped the Jaguars beat his former team, the Miami Dolphins, in Week 2.
But Odrick struggled through an injury-plagued season this past year.
Odrick, after starting the first two games of the season, sustained an elbow injury in a Week 2 loss at San Diego. He started just four games thereafter – in Weeks 6 and 7 against Chicago and Oakland and in Weeks 10 and 11 against Houston and Detroit.
The Jaguars placed Odrick on injured reserve on December 10.
Tyson Alualu, a seven-year veteran, started at strong-side end last season when Odrick was injured. He played at a high level, and the Jaguars' defense overall played well with Alualu playing the position and finished sixth in the NFL in total yards allowed. Alualu is scheduled to become a free agent on March 9, the start of the new league year.
Jonathan Woodard, a seventh-round selection by the Jaguars in the 2016 NFL Draft, missed his rookie season with an Achilles injury. He can play the strong-side end position. Strong-side end also is considered a strong area early in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft. Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen is considered a potential elite player at the position and has been projected by many analysts as a Top 5 selection. The Jaguars hold the No. 4 overall selection in the April draft.
