JACKSONVILLE – Special teams was a focus for the Jaguars Thursday.
That was evident in several announcements on a busy Thursday at EverBank Field, and it was particularly evident in the signing of tight end Niles Paul.
Paul, an eighth-year veteran who spent his first seven seasons with the Washington Redskins, signed with the Jaguars Thursday as an unrestricted free agent. The team signing became official Thursday morning.
"It's a good fit for me for a lot of reasons, special teams being the primary reason," Paul said Thursday. "I also look at it as an opportunity to showcase my abilities as an offensive weapon, too."
Paul was the Redskins' special teams captain the last two seasons.
"I knew the [Jaguars'] special teams coach [Joe DeCamillis] from when he was in Dallas," Paul said. "We had played against each other a few times. He knew how serious I took special teams and how I approached the game – and how I approached football in general."
Paul (6-feet-1, 242 pounds), originally a fifth-round selection by the Redskins in the 2011 NFL Draft, has played in 82 career games and started 36. He has 68 career receptions for 856 yards and two touchdowns, catching 13 passes for 94 yards in 14 games this past season.
Paul, originally drafted from the University of Nebraska, moved to tight end in 2012.
Welcome free agent tight end Niles Paul to Jacksonville.
