Jaguars coach Doug Pederson praises team for their attendance in first voluntary OTA
Think the Jaguars aren’t bought in?
Consider Monday’s Organized Team Activity at TIAA Bank Field, the first of 10 over the next two weeks: 87 of the 90 players on the preseason roster were in uniform and at work, a 97 percent attendance figure.
The OTAs are voluntary.
“It falls back to the number of guys who are here, the commitment they have made to be here,” coach Doug Pederson said before the practice. “I keep stressing it’s a voluntary program but to see these guys in the building every single day shows me they want to win, and they want to win here.”
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The only players who missed the first session were tight end Evan Engram, offensive tackle Cam Robinson and outside linebacker Josh Allen.
All had good reasons.
Engram, who was given the franchise tag by the team, is working with the team on an extension of his one-year contract and isn’t likely to take the field until that’s done; Robinson and the team are waiting for the NFL’s decision on the length of his suspension for the use of PEDs (and he’s still recovering from a knee injury); and no one with the team is worried about whether Allen is somewhere hard at work.
Lawrence, offense sharp
It was a sharp practice for as much as that was possible with no contact allowed.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was accurate during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods, wide receiver Calvin Ridley was smooth on his patterns and went high for one pass and a deep running back room, with returnees Travis Etienne, JaMycal Hasty and Snoop Conner and newcomers D’Ernest Johnson and third-round draft pick Tank Bigsby went through their paces with few if any, stutter-steps.
Pederson expected no less.
"Trevor, the receivers, tight ends, running backs being on the same page ... there shouldn't be any balls on the ground," Pederson said. "They should be completed at a high percentage."
Wide receiver/returner Jamal Agnew had perhaps the best practice at the position group and rookie tight end Brenton Strange, who was limited on the second day of the two-day rookie minicamp, looked comfortable wherever he lined up.
Pederson was happy with roll call. But he wants production during the OTAs – especially from the veterans, if they want to get rewarded like last year with being excused from the minicamp June 10-12.
“I can’t let them be a one-and-done season,” Pederson said of building on last year’s AFC South championship and a playoff victory. “We talked last year about consistency in winning goes a long way. And that’s what I’m seeing from the guys and the effort they’re putting in.”
Offense a matter of refining
One other advantage Pederson will have in OTAs and mandatory minicamp is that his offense installed last year succeeded beyond most expectations, finishing fifth in the AFC and ninth in the NFL with 357.3 yards per game.
The only losses to free agency were tight end Chris Manhertz and wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., and the only offensive coaches to depart were passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter (to Indianapolis) and wide receivers coach Chris Jackson
With the exception of rookies and incoming free agents, the work on and off the field is a matter of refinement – and without the need to teach a new language.
“I think in year two and beyond, there’s not a lot of change,” Pederson said. “There are some new wrinkles here and there that we want to see on both sides of the ball. But the guys are further along in their knowledge of the offense and defense and it feels good to the coaching staff … we can continue to teach the finer points of routes, coverages, rush techniques.”
Offensive coordinator Press Taylor said eliminating the need to go over plays and formations has created more time for that refinement.
“They’re not hearing something for the first time,” he said. “We install something or talk about a concept or get into detail and the questions they’re asking are much further beyond what they were asking last year. Now you have a deeper level of conversations, especially with the quarterbacks. It's been fun to see all our guys take the next step in the system.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Showing up, showing out: Jaguars have strong showing at first OTA
