/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49964919/usa-today-9012437.0.jpg)
Jacksonville Jaguars strongside linebacker (because OTTO is a silly term that needs to go away) Dan Skuta was arrested last weekend in Orlando on charges of battery, according to a police report.
Skuta allegedly pushed a woman's face with his open palm that forced her head to hit a glass window... all because she denied his advances.
There is no reason for the Jaguars to "let this play out" as the woman is pressing charges and, by most accounts, this may look like an open and shut case. If he did what he allegedly did, he needs to be punished.
And if that is the case, then the Jaguars need to cut ties with Skuta as soon as they can.
The league has been blasted in recent years for how it has improperly handled physical abuse against women, with the most notable cases being Ray Rice and Greg Hardy. Case after case, somebody is making the mistake of letting the player off the hook simply because they are an NFL player and because we have long lived in a culture that devalues women.
This is the Jaguars' chance to take a stand and not become one of the many examples in the NFL of how not to handle abuse against women.
Skuta also plays the least important position on the defense. This is not the reason to cut him. If he did what is alleged, he should be cut no matter what position he plays, be it quarterback, defensive end, etc...
But Skuta plays strongside linebacker, the most replaceable position on our defense and quite possibly the whole team. If the Jaguars choose to not cut that guy then they have made their priorities abundantly clear. And they have made a big mistake.
The Jaguars have other options for strongside linebacker, such as Ryan Davis and Myles Jack, though that should be the least of their concerns.
Dan Skuta allegedly screwed up in a big way... in a way that too many players have screwed up... in a way that too many teams have made clear that they are okay with as long as you are good at football.
If it comes down to that decision, then the Jaguars need to show that they are not one of those teams.