The Jacksonville Jaguars signed unrestricted free agent linebacker Gerris Wilkinson and first-year punter Brent Bowden, the club announced today. The team waived linebacker Alvin Bowen and wide receiver John Matthews. The Jaguars' roster stands at 90 players including nine unrestricted free agents signed since training camp.
Wilkinson, 6-3, 231, has spent the past five seasons with the New York Giants where he was a third-round draft pick in 2006. A special teams standout, he has played in 58 games with seven starts, making 32 career tackles on defense and 36 special teams tackles.
A native of Oakland, Calif., Wilkinson was a college teammate of Jaguars linebacker Daryl Smith and safety Dawan Landry at Georgia Tech. He was a two-time team captain and All-ACC selection for the Yellow Jackets while finishing his career with 253 tackles and 38 tackles for loss.
Bowden was a sixth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 draft and spent a week on the club's practice squad. He was a three-year letterman at Virginia Tech where he punted 214 times for a 42.2-yard average and 36.4 net. His gross averaged ranked second in school history. His older brother, Chris Hall, punted for Florida State and his younger brother, Grant, punts for Virginia Tech.