JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran free agent center Antoine Caldwell and waived injured center Matt Stankiewitch on Wednesday afternoon.
Though the Jaguars have been having issues at center, this move isn’t being done with the intent of having Caldwell compete with starter Mike Brewster. Caldwell was with the Jaguars in May during the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis and the team declined to sign him then, opting to instead go into training camp with Brewster, Jacques McClendon, Stankiewitch and Patrick Lewis.
Brewster had two errant shotgun snaps in the Jaguars’ preseason opener against Tampa Bay last week, and there is concern about his strength at the point of attack. McClendon has gotten first-team reps during practice this week, and the Jaguars also have worked rookies Brandon Linder and Luke Bowanko at center on the second and third teams. Linder was drafted as a guard but played three games at center at Miami. Bowanko started 20 games at center at Virginia.
Houston drafted Caldwell in the third round of the 2009 draft and he played in 39 games (19 starts) with the Texans from 2009-12. He spent time in training camp with Buffalo last summer but was waived during the final cuts and spent the 2013 season out of football.
Caldwell was a four-year starter at guard and center for Alabama and was a first-team All-American as a senior in 2008.
Stankiewitch has a wrist injury. If he clears waivers, he will be placed on the Jaguars' IR.
