Zane Beadles Released by Jaguars: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they released offensive guard Zane Beadles on Thursday.

NFL Media's Rand Getlin and ESPN.com's Adam Caplan initially reported the move.

Beadles spoke about his release on Twitter:

Beadles spent the last two years in Jacksonville, starting all 32 regular-season games for the Jaguars. According to Over The Cap, he carried a $5.5 million cap hit for 2016.

The Jaguars signed the 29-year-old to a five-year, $30 million deal in 2014. At the time, it looked like a good move in order to shore up the interior of the offensive line.

Beadles' impact since then has been negligible. Football Outsiders ranked Jacksonville 30th in run-blocking and 32nd in pass protection in 2014. The unit improved slightly in 2015, moving up to 16th in run-blocking but still sitting 25th in pass-blocking.

This clip from Drew Copley of WJAX-TV succinctly sums up Beadles' Jaguars career:

According to Pro Football Focus, Beadles was one of the worst guards in the league last year. His 47.9 grade ranked 64th out of the 81 qualified players.

The silver lining of this move is that the Jaguars aren't responsible for any dead money going forward. Beadles' deal was such that Jacksonville didn't owe him any guaranteed money beyond the first two years. Between 2016 and 2018, they'll save a total of $17.5 million, per Over The Cap.

The Jaguars have more salary cap space than any other team in the league, so they have some options with regard to replacing Beadles. General manager David Caldwell could target a marquee free agent such as Geoff Schwartz or Evan Mathis, or he could look to the 2016 draft.

Beadles, meanwhile, won't initially be one of the most sought-after free-agent guards in the league, but he should find a home once the top talent comes off the market.