Sources: Redskins special teams captain Niles Paul to sign with Jaguars

The roster purge for the Washington Redskins continues. This time, Niles Paul may end up leaving the team and joining the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The early going of free agency have not been kind to the Redskins faithful. Every story and rumor coming out seems to be about a key departure, as defensive playmakers Bashaud Breeland and Trent Murphy are gone as are offensive guys like Spencer Long, Ryan Grant, and Kirk Cousins. Now, the team has lost a key member of their special teams squad and tight end depth.

That would be Niles Paul. The Redskins special teams captain for the past couple of years, Paul was considered to be a potential depth player who the Redskins could retain at a cheaper rate. After all, he was an important part of the locker room, so bringing him back with the cap space the team has would make sense, right?

Well, it doesn’t appear that is what’s going to happen. According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, Paul is nearing a deal that will send him into the AFC and play for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

NFL Network’s Mike Garofalo would later confirm that Paul had signed a two-year deal.

This would be a fine acquisition by the Jaguars. The team’s top tight end is Marcedes Lewis, who is well into the back-nine of his career. Top backup Ben Koyack flashed some promise during the 2017 season, but the team could really use a proven, veteran blocker to provide some depth. Paul will give them just that while upgrading their special teams and giving them a potentially decent receiving option.

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While re-signing Paul wouldn’t have made a huge difference for the Redskins, losing him will hurt a bit. Paul did do a lot to help out the special teams unit, but now that will fall onto the shoulder of others. Perhaps Deshazor Everett could take on the role as special teams captain, but until someone emerges, Paul will certainly be missed.

Paul did have his flaws. He was injury prone and only recorded more than 10 catches in a season twice during his six-year Redskins career. But, Paul knew his role as a special teams captain and a blocking tight end, and he fit it well. The Redskins don’t necessarily have to replace him, as they can move Jeremy Sprinkle into the third tight end role, but they could end up with some issues if Jordan Reed gets hurt again.

Next: Trent Murphy to sign with Buffalo Bills

For that reason, this potential loss is hard to stomach, especially when coupled with the other losses the team has suffered on Wednesday. At the same time, if Paul wanted to play more, it was probably in his best interest to get out from behind Reed and Vernon Davis. So, this move makes sense for him, and he will perform well in Jacksonville if given a chance.