Calvin Ridley to make Jaguars debut as team gets set to take on Cowboys in preseason Week 1

The Jacksonville Jaguars are headed to Arlington (Texas) to face off against the Dallas Cowboys in their preseason opener. It will be the team's second trip to Dallas in the preseason in three years, playing the NFC East foe during their 2021 preseason matchup.

The game is set to kick off Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. It will be aired on WJAX-47 in Jacksonville. The game will be broadcast locally on the team's radio affiliate, 1010XL (1010 AM, 92.5 FM).

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However, this year's Jacksonville team has much higher expectations than that of the 2021 team, which was coming off of the worst record in franchise history the previous year, a 1-15 record in 2020.

This year's team is coming in on the heels of an AFC Championship run and a trip to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season. At 9-8, Jacksonville proved to be one of the best teams in the AFC, bowing out against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.

With heightened expectations, the team's first matchup of the year will draw some eyes. Especially since the team's starters will play at least some of the first snaps of the contest.

Jaguars to play starters, including QB Trevor Lawrence vs. Cowboys

The Jaguars will utilize their starters in some capacity Saturday, head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday.

"I think it's important for them to play, to feel the excitement around the game," he said, adding that he wanted the team to get some quality work in against the Cowboys.

Lawrence, who is entering his third season in the NFL, has had an exceptional training camp, seemingly picking up where he left off last season.

After completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions, Lawrence looks to take his game to another level this season.

That starts in camp and in the preseason. Though it's not yet known how much work Lawrence will get, Pederson indicated he will get some, which is something Lawrence feels is important.

"I think it's valuable to get some reps, especially when you've got a few new pieces, get some live game reps where it is full speed, it's full contact, there's something on the line," Lawrence said Sunday. "That's valuable. Who knows how much that will be, but whatever it is I'll be ready."

The Cowboys are not expected to play QB Dak Prescott or the majority of their front-line players.

Calvin Ridley set to make Jaguars debut

Everyone's eyes will be on sixth-year wideout Calvin Ridley, who is set to make his return to game action in the NFL and Jaguars debut Saturday.

Ridley has been the training camp standout for Jacksonville since he returned to the field earlier this year. He has spent a year out of the league after being suspended for a year for betting on NFL games and missed 12 games the year prior due to mental health reasons.

Now, he's ready to step back onto the gridiron, looking to return to the form he was in while with the Atlanta Falcons.

"I'm ready for whatever," Ridley said last week when asked if he's excited for the first preseason game.

While Ridley is still new to the team, Pederson doesn't feel he needs any extra work as compared to the other starters.

"I don’t need to see him too much longer. I probably won’t play him much past the ones,” Pederson said when asked about Ridley's playing time earlier this year.

Who to watch, what to look for vs. Cowboys

The Jaguars will have a light workload for the team's starters Saturday, but it will be a great time to see other players, particularly the young players on the roster.

Earlier this week, the Jaguars revealed their first unofficial depth chart of the year, giving everyone a closer view of how different the team's makeup will be.

Here are the four players that fans might want to keep a closer eye on this Saturday.

OL Anton Harrison

Harrison, drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, will be the team's starting right tackle this season after Jawaan Taylor left for the Kansas City Chiefs via free agency.

According to Pederson, Harrison will get a bit more time than the rest of the team's starters. That means, there will be plenty of opportunity to see one of the team's newest players who will ultimately protect Trevor Lawrence.

Harrison has dealt with a right shoulder injury but is expected to be fine.

RB Tank Bigsby

Bigsby, selected in the third round of this year's draft, has shown off plenty of speed, athleticism and power through the first couple of weeks of training camp.

Bigsby's role with the team appears to be as the second-team back with Travis Etienne as the team's starter. Still, Bigsby has quickly risen to second on the depth chart ahead of veterans JaMycal Hasty, Qadree Ollison and Snoop Conner.

S Antonio Johnson

Johnson, taken in the fifth round of this year's draft, has been one of the more intriguing players throughout camp. Originally slated to go in the second round of the draft, Johnson's fall continues to be a surprise due to his impressive play on the gridiron.

It is likely Johnson will take the majority, if not all, of his snaps at safety, playing in a similar role to that of Rayshawn Jenkins.

TE Geritt Prince

Prince, signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft, has taken full control of the opportunity he's received this offseason and during training camp.

He has quickly risen to the team's second receiving tight end on the team behind Evan Engram and has a strong opportunity to make the 53-man roster barring injury.

CB Gregory Junior

Junior, drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Ouachita Baptist has received praise from the team's coaching staff for how he's attacked this offseason and into training camp.

Junior looks noticeably bigger and is competing for the team's starting nickel spot with veteran Tre Herndon. Junior will be a player to watch moving forward as the team develops depth at corner.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ridley set to make debut as Jaguars take on Cowboys in preseason Week 1