Jaguars add linebacker Jared Bartlett, waive WR Ben Patterson

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced the signing of linebacker Jared Bartlett, adding another player to their offseason roster construction. The move, reported as taking place Sunday morning, is the latest example of how the Jaguars are using roster spots to evaluate depth and fit across positional groups.

In a corresponding transaction, Jacksonville waived wide receiver Ben Patterson. That pairing matters because it suggests the Jaguars are balancing the roster in-season style, even if the team is still shaping its final player pool during the offseason. With NFL rosters under tight limits, teams often treat moves like these as both a football decision and a roster-management necessity.

Bartlett’s addition keeps linebacker depth in focus for Jacksonville, a group that can be especially important for special teams roles and situational packages. While the specific role Bartlett will be competing for is not detailed in the announcement coverage, adding a linebacker typically indicates the organization is continuing to sort through options for run defense, coverage support, and depth behind the starters.

Patterson’s waiver indicates the Jaguars are also continuing to refine the wide receiver group. For teams building toward the next phase of training camp and preseason preparation, the receiver corps frequently becomes a moving target as coaches compare separation ability, route consistency, special-teams value, and how quickly players can pick up the playbook.

As with many offseason transactions, the competitive implications depend on how the team uses the new arrival in practice and preseason preparation, including whether Bartlett earns snaps on defense, contributes to special teams, or becomes part of the rotation in sub packages. For Patterson, the next step would be determined by whether another team claims him or he lands on a different roster spot.

What to watch next is whether the Jaguars follow up with additional moves at linebacker or receiver, and how the coaching staff deploys both players in the team’s subsequent roster evaluations. The impact of these transactions tends to become clearer once players are placed against consistent competition rather than just within the initial phase of offseason evaluation.