The Jacksonville Jaguars head into training camp looking to rediscover the form that had them one-quarter of football away from the Super Bowl in 2017. 2018 struck the team hard with devastating injuries and unrelenting regression. Such is life on the roller coaster that is the National Football League. Here are some key training camp battles that could make or break their hopes of returning to contention in 2019.
Who will be the starting offensive tackles?
The offensive tackle position was a sore spot (literally) for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018. Starting left tackle, Cam Robinson suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament just eight snaps into their second game of the season. Rookie fourth-rounder Will Richardson would be shut down due to lingering knee issues just six weeks later without seeing the field at all. Much maligned former-New York Giant Ereck Flowers was signed mid-season to mixed results over eight starts. In all, six different players would see time at one of the bookend spots throughout the season. Veteran Jermey Parnell was the only one to log double-digit starts (13).
The Jaguars will bring to camp an almost entirely different group from the platoon that manned the edges last season. Cam Robinson is expected to return from his ACL injury at some point during the preseason. Barring any setbacks, he will be the starting left tackle. Will Richardson also returns from injury but will work cut out for him in the form of University of Florida standout Jawaan Taylor. The bear-sized prospect that miraculously fell right into the Jaguars’ collective laps in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Taylor was previously projected to be a top-10 pick before missing the combine and college all-star circuit with a hamstring injury.
Despite the uphill battle he faces in Taylor, Richardson has remained focused on his own development:
“The whole offseason I thought about what I could do to get better,” Richardson said. “I came in a few weeks early before we started the first phase of the offseason program, and I worked and worked. Coming out here last year, I got thrown everything at once. I was a little off on certain things.”
While I expect Robinson and Taylor to be starting week one, there is enough uncertainty here to keep an eye on as things develop. If the former Gator hits the ground running, look for Richardson to compete with five-year veteran Josh Wells for swing tackle duties. The team has also given him some work inside at guard during OTA’s which could make him a valuable reserve should he cede right tackle to Taylor as expected.
Wide-open at wide receiver
The most wide-open camp competition for the Jacksonville Jaguars will undoubtedly be at wide receiver. Much like at left tackle, likely starter Marquis Lee is recovering from a torn ACL and is not expected to be available until later in the preseason. As with Robinson, the team is taking an ultra-cautious approach. Last year’s second-most targeted receiver Donte Moncrief has moved on in free agency. Free-agent additions Chris Conley and Terrelle Pryor join returning contributors Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, and D.J. Chark.
One can make a case for and against each player, which is what makes this competition so intriguing. Lee has made steady year-to-year progress since being drafted in 2014, but has struggled with drops and is coming off major knee surgery. Keelan Cole struggled mightily with six drops and two fumbles last season but has reportedly looked re-focused throughout minicamps and OTA’s. Chris Conley brings blazing speed and an established rapport with new quarterback Nick Foles, but was never able to break out with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dede Westbrook took a major step forward in 2018 but had his own issues with ball-security (6 drops, 2 fumbles). I honestly have no idea what to make of Terrelle Pryor after these last two seasons, but we have seen his talent shine before. Perhaps D.J. Chark is ready to break out after a quiet rookie campaign. Jaguars receivers coach Keenan McCardell believes he can:
“I’ve seen him grow as a football player,” McCardell said of Chark. “This year, I can tell he really understands what’s going on with our offenses and what we’re really trying to do.”
“Things start to slow down for you in your second year,” McCardell said. “Being in your first year is like a tornado. Everything is all the same, it sounds the same. Now he can pick and choose how to run routes, how to decipher defenses and stuff like that, which will make his game improve just understanding defenses in his second year. In his first year, he says he knows defenses, he’ll tell you he knows it, but you can see it and understand in his route running. That’s when you know he knows it.”
Who will replace Telvin Smith?
Telvin Smith shocked both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the football world when he announced he would not play football in 2019. Smith leaves behind a sizeable role for the team to fill as he exceeded 1,000 snaps in each of the previous three seasons. Veterans D.J Alexander and Najee Goode both come over from the Philadelphia Eagles but have been special-teamers throughout their careers.
The odds on favorite to emerge thus far has been 2019 third-round pick, Quincy Williams. The undersized (5-feet-11, 226lbs.) linebacker out of Murray state is the older brother of former Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. You may have heard of him. And while he does not possess the size of his All-American little brother, he certainly has the physical mentality. Count Murray State head coach Mitch Stewart has a fan:
“That’s his biggest strength,” Stewart said. “Every scout that came through would say, ‘This guy’s got old-school contact courage.’ When you watch his tape, that’s the first thing you see. The act of hitting somebody is not normal. When something’s coming at you, the normal human reaction is to duck or move out of the way, or dodge, or turn your head, or stop your feet.”
Williams’ willingness to stick his nose in the action is certainly a good fit for the Jacksonville Jaguars style of defense. The question will be how fast he can pick up the mental side of the game. Telvin Smith had just about every responsibility a linebacker could as a member of every personnel package. Defensive coordinator Todd Wash spoke about potentially lessening the rookie’s role to temper his learning curve:
“We’ve played with rookies before in the system,” Wash said. “If we have to calm his role down a little bit, that’s my job. We’re going to put the best player out there. I think we have some really excellent depth at linebacker. I like where are linebackers are.”
How large of a role Williams is able to carve out will likely depend on how quickly he can digest the defense and his keys. He will also have to prove he can hold up in base against the run. If he proves a quick study, people may have forgotten all about Telvin Smith come this time next year. The Jacksonville Jaguars report to training camp on July 22.
Ken Grant is a writer for PFN covering the AFC South. You can follow him @KenGrantPFN on Twitter.