The Jacksonville Jaguars have decided to use their lofty waiver position in an effort to improve their NFL-worst pass rush.
The Jaguars claimed former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jason Babin off waivers Wednesday, a source close to the player told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport and the team later confirmed.
The Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins also placed claims on Babin, but only the Kansas City Chiefs had a higher position in the NFL's waiver-claim priority list than the Jaguars, so he went to Jacksonville, which has an NFL-low 13 sacks this season.
The Jaguars will be responsible for the remaining $1.69 million of Babin's 2012 salary. They also will inherit the terms of the rest of his contract, which calls for $4.225 million in 2013 and, as ProFootballTalk.com points out, can be voided by Babin after that season.
"We've got five games and we're trying to win these games," Mularkey said, via The Associated Press. "It's a sign that we're trying to show our team that we're trying to win right now, that this is not 'play the young guys and do the evaluating.' We're trying to win, and we're doing whatever we can to improve our roster. This is a great move."
It's a smart move by the Jaguars: They are looking for pass-rush help, and Babin fits their 4-3 scheme well. More importantly, the Jaguars get a five-week test drive to see if they want to keep Babin at a relatively low rate for 2013. If Babin doesn't play well, the Jaguars easily can release him in the offseason, just like the Eagles did Tuesday.
The news will come as a disappointment to fans of some contending teams that hoped for a random late-season acquisition. But the NFL rules favor parity, and that means small advantages for squads like Jacksonville at the bottom of the standings. This is a perfect example of that concept in action. @ nfl.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Philadelphia Eagles, in a midst of a seven-game losing streak and with their defense struggling, surprisingly released defensive end Jason Babin on Tuesday.
Babin told ESPN's "NFL Live" on Tuesday that his release caught him by surprise.
"Anytime your cell phone rings and it says Andy Reid, you know it's not good," he said.
He said Peyton Manning's release by the Colts last year proved that no player was untouchable, however.
"In the game of football, you can never be too sure of anything," he said.
Babin's release came after the team had earlier placed starting receiver DeSean Jackson on injured reserve with fractured ribs.
"We appreciate everything that Jason has given this team over the last couple of years. We wish him all the best as he continues his career," coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "By releasing him today, this gives us an opportunity to give more playing time to some of the younger guys in the defensive line rotation."
Babin, 32, had a career-best 18 sacks for the Eagles last season after re-signing with the team as a free agent two offseasons ago with a five-year, $28 million contract.
He had 5.5 sacks this season.
The Eagles fired defensive coordinator Juan Castillo on Oct. 16, but Philadelphia has actually performed worse under new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Philadelphia has allowed more than 30 points in four of the five games since Castillo's firing and 28 in the other -- all losses.
Babin said the Eagles' defensive struggles were a matter of execution and that Reid still had the respect of the Eagles' players.
"We were practiced hard, coached well and we just didh't execute as a whole," he said.
Babin sounded confident that he will soon find a new NFL home.
"I like to win, I like to compete and I like to sack the quarterback. I imagine there's a team out there looking for that," he said. @ espn.com
