It didn't take long for Bernard Pierce to find a new home.
The former Ravens running back was claimed by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, one day after being released by Baltimore, per the league's official transactions list. Pierce, 24, was arrested early Wednesday morning on a DUI charge, triggering the end of his three-year stint with the Ravens, who picked him up in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Jacksonville makes for an interesting landing spot. After failing to land DeMarco Murray in free agency, the Jaguars are mining for bodies to challenge Denard Robinson and Toby Gerhart for snaps.
Looking like a future playmaker during Baltimore's Super Bowl run in 2013, Pierce has been a massive disappointment since. Averaging 3.27 yards per carry over the past two seasons, he saw just two playoff carries with the Ravens this past January. It wasn't a hard decision for the Ravens to release him post-arrest, as Pierce sat squarely on the roster bubble heading into camp.
Armed with a fresh start, Pierce tweeted about a silver lining to the week's chaos, writing that "God works in mysterious ways."
The Jaguars hoped Gerhart would be their "bell cow," but he plodded for just 3.2 yards per carry last season, proving that he's little more than an inside pounder. Robinson showed more speed, moves and vision and sits squarely in the driver's seat for the majority of work. Pierce need to shine immediately to change minds.
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