Eric Murray could fall behind after Jaguars training camp

Another day, and another article where I'm asking myself where the Jacksonville Jaguars got all this depth from. I still don't think James Gladstone addressed the roster's need for more star-level talent during free agency or the draft, but the second- and third-strings at almost every position are due to be fierce competitions once training camp begins.

In Eric Murray's case, that's bad news, as the 32-year-old Minnesota Gopher will be staring down at least one young defender who could convince the coaching staff to make a shocking decision this August.

You'd never know that Caleb Ransaw experienced a major setback before he could play an NFL down, as he's emerged as one of the hottest names in Duval County during OTAs. Back in May, First Coast News' Rachel Phillips wrote that Ransaw "turned heads last training camp and has every intention of doing the same this year."

Phillips didn't stop there, as the reporter continued that "[if] he does, [Ransaw] could push Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray for a starting spot." Now, I don't completely agree with her since we could use blue, black, or red ink to write Antonio Johnson's at the top of the depth chart.

After all, some have argued that Johnson could be due for a breakout campaign similar to the one Devin Lloyd enjoyed during his last hurrah as a Jaguar. However, Murray's long-term future in Jacksonville is definitely up in air; and it could be even more precarious if Ransaw steps up.

Caleb Ransaw could put Eric Murray in a horrible position

Eric Murray's low number of forced turnovers throughout his career was a cause for concern when he first arrived in Jacksonville, but his six passes defensed and one interception partially addressed that by the time the season was over. However, those numbers aren't strong enough to keep the coaching staff from playing a younger option if they show signs of having more top-end potential.

An interesting thing to keep an eye on is all the young studs that James Gladstone has found in the third round over the past two drafts. In the DB room alone, the former Los Angeles Ram has invested Day 2 selections in Caleb Ransaw and Jalen Huskey.

Last August, Ransaw was sent to injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury that progressively got worse. It sucks even more after realizing that he was probably going to get a lot of playing time after being the franchise's second-earliest pick in 2025.

If Ransaw can usurp Murray as one of the best two safeties in Anthony Campanile's defense, the 11th-year pro could be too pricey to keep around as an older backup. This is ultimately why falling behind during training camp would be a disaster for the former Houston Texan, as there are more than enough safeties in the building for the defense to keep moving after his departure.

Despite that, Murray shouldn't be that worried at all

It's been a long time since the Jags had a star safety roaming the backend. When Tashaun Gipson joined Jacksonville in 2016, he had made the Pro Bowl two years prior after snagging six interceptions in 2014. The year before that, he had 95 combined tackles and five interceptions during his second season as a Cleveland Brown.

Gibpson never managed to match that production as a Jaguar, but, honestly, he didn't have to. AJ Bouye and Jalen Ramsey were an All-Pro duo who made the secondary a no-fly zone while the pass rushers up front made it home as much as possible.

In a perfect world, Travis Hunter and Montaric Brown would be able to provide the same kind of air support for Eric Murray while he works to keep his spot during training camp. Anthony Campanile's aggressive philosophy relies on a secondary filled with pros who can do their jobs and cover up each other's mistakes.

Murray's played for four different franchises since entering the league in 2016, which is a sign that he's adaptable and has a knack for absorbing new systems and their many wrinkles as often as needed.

Caleb Ransaw has potential, but Murray's experience should be the ace in the hole that helps him keep in the lead throughout training camp. Liam Coen and James Gladstone have made it clear that they're aiming to return to the postseason ASAP, and that means they might not have time to wait for a second-year player to adapt to the challenges that come with more responsibility.

At the same time, we won't know how much patience they'll have for veterans who are out of position more than once until things get started. Either way, somebody has to win, and the other guy's gonna lose. That's the way pro football works this time of year. Ideally, I'd like to see Eric Murray in a Jaguars uniform no matter what in 2026, but it's his job to lose heading into camp.

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This article was originally published on blackandteal.com as Eric Murray could fall behind after Jaguars training camp .