April 30 (UPI) — The Jacksonville Jaguars released wide receiver Zay Jones and kicker Joey Slye, the team announced Tuesday. News of their releases came just days after the Jaguars picked a wide receiver and kicker in the 2024 NFL Draft. Jones, 29, totaled 34 catches for 321 yards and two scores over nine games last season. He missed eight games because of knee and hamstring injuries.
The seven-year veteran signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Jaguars in 2022 as a free agent, but restructured that pact in 2023.
The second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, who previously played for the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders, totaled a career-high 823 yards and five scores on 82 catches in 16 games in his first season with the Jaguars.
Jones’ release clears $4.1 million in salary cap space for the Jaguars.
Slye, 28, made 79.2% (19 of 24) of his field goals last season, the second-worst rate among kickers active for 17 games in 2023 while with the Washington Commanders.
He made 32 of 35 extra-point attempts. The five-year veteran signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars last month.
The former Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers kicker made 82.3% (121 of 147) field goals through his first 78 games in the NFL.
The Jaguars completed a trade with the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday and picked former LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They then selected former Arkansas kicker Cam Little in the sixth round.
The Jaguars, who signed former Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis to a $39 million deal in March, also agreed to deals with five undrafted free agent wide receivers after the 2024 NFL Draft.
Davis, Thomas and Christian Kirk — who signed a $72 million deal last off-season in free agency — are set to enter the season as the Jaguars’ top wide receivers.
