Jaguars elevate RB Nathan Cottrell, TE Ben Ellefson to team’s active roster

The Jacksonville Jaguars have elevated both undrafted free agent rookie running back Nathan Cottrell and UDFA rookie tight end Ben Ellefson to the team’s active roster, the team announced today.

This brings the team’s active/inactive roster to 55 players ahead of tomorrow’s matchup at home against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Jaguars have underwent multiple losses at running back over the past few weeks. Following the release/waiving of RB Leonard Fournette, the Jaguars placed second-year RB Ryquell Armstead on the team’s COVID-19/Reserve list for the second time since training camp began.

A few days later, the team placed second-year RB Devine Ozigbo (hamstring) on the team’s reserve/injured list. Ozigbo will miss at least three weeks. The Jaguars also added a running back in former Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Dare Ogunbowale.

At tight end, the Jaguars will be without rookie sixth-round pick TE Tyler Davis, who is dealing with a knee injury.

Both Cottrell and Ellefson were previously on the team’s 90-man roster, and were placed on the team’s 16-man practice squad after passing through waivers. Both players will provide depth at their respective positions.

Yesterday, Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone told members of the media that it was possible the team would bring up Cottrell, although they are confident in Ogunbowale’s ability after signing the running back just this week. Marrone also indicated he was comfortable with the team’s tight end situation.

“Nathan’s [Cottrell] been playing running back here so obviously we know what he can do, and we feel comfortable with him,” said Marrone. “So, we’re not in a bad situation. Actually, I just came off the field and the game plan was, ‘Hey, let’s get together this afternoon. Let’s talk about it, see what the best fit is, see where everybody is health-wise first and then make some decisions of what we’re going to do as far as active.’”

In accordance with Article 33, Section 5 of the 2020 CBA, each club may elevate a maximum of two players each week from its practice squad to its active/inactive List as a 54th or 55th player without the player first terminating his practice squad contract.

Any elevated practice squad player shall automatically revert to the club’s practice squad at 4 p.m. ET on the first business day following such game without being subject to waivers.

A practice squad player may be elevated to a club’s active/inactive list as a 54th or 55th player for a maximum of two regular season or postseason games.

If a Practice Squad player is elevated to a club’s active/inactive List as a 54th or 55th player for any regular season game, the player’s weekly compensation specified in Paragraph 4 of the practice squad player contract will be adjusted to one-seventeenth (1/17th) of the Paragraph 5 minimum salary for players on a club’s active/inactive list with the practice squad player’s number of credited seasons for such game

With the new practice squad rules, teams are allowed to bring up, up to two players from the practice squad to the active roster without making further transactions. The same two players cannot be activated twice in a row, and after their third activation, the team must make a roster move to activate them again, placing them on the active roster permanently.

These procedures were set in place due to the complexities surrounding COVID-19. Game day rosters will be set at up to 55 players with an active roster set at 48 players this season.