JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Subsequent week, the Jacksonville Jaguars open coaching camp for the 2024 season. After an offseason of extensions and signings, the Jaguars hope to maneuver on from the late-season collapse that noticed them miss the playoffs.
Listed below are 4 under-the-radar storylines to observe when the Jaguars start coaching camp on Wednesday:
New and skilled faces
Head coach Doug Pederson realized an vital lesson from his group’s late-season collapse: The Jaguars did not know methods to deal with being atop the AFC.
It is a totally different mindset fully to be the group that is being chased, slightly than the underdog. There’s extra strain, much less room for errors and choices — particularly people who do not work nicely — appear to get magnified exponentially. Only a few gamers on the Jaguars roster had been in that scenario earlier than, and it confirmed with a 1-5 end that left them out of the playoff image.
So the Jaguars entrance workplace acquired gamers with playoff expertise in free company. The group’s six main free agent signees all got here from perennial playoff groups and have appeared in convention title video games or a Tremendous Bowl.
“I suppose, now we’re going again to [being] the hunter once more,” Pederson mentioned. “That is the tradition that I wish to set up in Jacksonville and that is the rationale why you go get guys like Mitch Morse and Arik Armstead and the Darnell Savages, and guys which have been to the postseason. These guys have been captains on their groups and so they’ve been to Tremendous Bowls, they have been to AFC Championship Video games. These guys know methods to win and that is the inflow of expertise that we wish to carry onto our younger roster.”
Morse, Armstead, Savage, returner/receiver Devin Duvernay, receiver Gabe Davis and cornerback Ronald Darby have been to a mixed 49 playoff video games, which incorporates 12 convention championship video games and three Tremendous Bowls. Armstead has 4 of these convention title sport appearances and two of the Tremendous Bowl appearances.
Armstead was a four-time captain with San Francisco, which was one other factor Pederson preferred in regards to the former 2015 first-round draft decide.
“They’re the top of our sport and I would like guys on our group which have had accolades and awards like that,” Pederson mentioned, “in order that our guys can see precisely what that appears like.”
In 2022, the Jaguars have been chasing the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans and needed to win 5 consecutive video games to win the division and make the playoffs. Then a come-from-behind postseason victory over the Los Angeles Chargers and an in depth loss in Kansas Metropolis despatched the Jaguars into the offseason with some momentum and the tag of “the group to beat” within the AFC South.
The momentum carried on after beginning 8-3 in 2023, and the Jaguars have been in rivalry for the No. 1 seed within the AFC. However the group suffered accidents to its extensive receivers and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and the run protection gave up 44.4 extra yards per sport within the last six weeks of the season than it did the primary 12. The Jaguars misplaced 5 of their final six video games and missed the playoffs.
Essentially the most damning indictment of that collapse was how pass-rusher Josh Hines-Allen, whereas within the locker room following the season-ending loss at Tennessee, described the ultimate six weeks: “I really feel like final 12 months [2022] we had a spark and we lit [it] and we simply adopted that and rode that wave. After which this 12 months we have been wanting ahead an excessive amount of hoping that it was going to come back and it by no means got here.”
The Jaguars went out and received six gamers they’d be relying on to supply that spark.
“I feel what we have been by way of the final two years, I feel these gamers are understanding which you could’t simply wait, you may’t wait round,” Pederson mentioned. “We have been sitting there at 8-3 and we had an opportunity to maintain our foot on the fuel and maintain pushing. A few of the gamers we have gone out and dropped at this group…These guys are winners.
“We now have a younger soccer group, however the tradition is on course and simply having extra guys like that in your roster, who’ve been there and have executed it, can assist the gamers.”
The Jaguars drafted a working again in April — Texas’ Keilan Robinson — however GM Trent Baalke mentioned they chose him primarily as a kick returner. Kickoffs are altering considerably with the brand new guidelines that will likely be carried out within the preseason and one of many issues groups are planning on making an attempt is having two returners on the sector on the identical time.
Robinson averaged 23.6 yards per kickoff return on 39 profession returns, however he had simply 37 carries mixed the final two seasons. Free agent signee Duvernay was a two-time Professional Bowler (2021 and 2022) and first-team All-Professional (2021) as a returner in his 4 seasons with Baltimore. He has averaged 12.8 yards per punt return and 24.8 yards per kickoff return in his profession.
With Robinson deliberate as a kick returner, the Jaguars are content material to do what they did in 2023: Go along with Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson as the highest two choices behind Etienne. However that did not actually work out too nicely, with Etienne having 75% of the working again carries and 76% of the working again touches final season. Bigsby and Johnson each averaged simply 2.6 yards per carry.
However Pederson preferred what he noticed from Bigsby throughout spring exercises and is assured the second-year participant can rebound from a disappointing rookie season.
“Tank has executed an excellent job going into 12 months two,” Pederson mentioned. “He is a wise participant. For him now, it is simply understanding what he’s seeing significantly within the run sport, anticipating the place the outlet goes to be.”
The Jaguars additionally selected to re-sign Johnson to a one-year contract in March, and solely assured him $200,000. With no different offseason strikes on the place, the Jaguars appear assured of their present backfield.
Backup QB battle
The Jaguars acquired former first-round decide Mac Jones in a commerce with New England Patriots this offseason. He’ll battle incumbent C.J. Beathard in camp to be Lawrence’s backup.
Beathard has been the veteran presence Lawrence wanted throughout his first three seasons as a professional. However after Lawrence’s 4 accidents final season — knee, ankle, concussion and shoulder — the Jaguars wished a backup with extra expertise if Lawrence does get harm once more.
Jones began 42 video games for the Patriots after being drafted within the first spherical in 2021. He accomplished 66.1% of his passes, threw 46 landing passes and 36 interceptions in three seasons. Beathard has began 13 video games in six seasons, accomplished 60.4% of his passes, and thrown 19 landing passes and 14 interceptions. And Jones is youthful (25) than Beathard (30).
“Mac’s executed an excellent job simply getting in right here and studying the offense,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor mentioned. “He is a sponge. He loves studying soccer, speaking soccer. He is continuously within the constructing, he is continuously asking questions. … He is performed quite a lot of soccer. All of the ideas we run he is run sooner or later in time. A few of it’s translating and then you definately strive as rapidly as you may to get away from the previous language you’ve got.”
One of the simplest ways for the battle to play out for the Jaguars is have Jones out-play Beathard as a result of it is probably the group might re-sign Beathard to the observe squad in the event that they lower him. If the Jaguars lower Jones, it could be a shock if he wasn’t signed by one other group.
Kicking battle
An attention-grabbing kicking battle? Say no extra. One of many extra compelling place battles will likely be between veteran kicker Riley Patterson and rookie Cam Little.
Patterson has historical past with the Jaguars — he hit the game-winning subject purpose within the Jaguars’ playoff victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in January 2023 earlier than the group traded him to Detroit in Might 2023. Final season, the Jaguars wished to go together with a kicker — Brandon McManus — who had a stronger leg. McManus labored out for probably the most half, with 10 subject targets of fifty yards or longer in 2023 however was solely enjoying on a one-year contract.
The Jaguars signed Patterson again this offseason whereas McManus signed with the Commanders in free company, however then was launched shortly after allegations of sexual assault on a Jaguars group constitution surfaced.
Little, whom the Jaguars drafted within the sixth spherical, is probably the most correct kicker in Arkansas historical past and his seven subject targets of fifty or extra yards is second in class historical past. He presents a stronger leg than Patterson, who has made simply three subject targets of fifty or extra yards in his 39-game NFL profession.
“When now we have kicking days they’re getting equal photographs, whether or not it is the sector targets or kickoffs,” Pederson mentioned. “Sure, it is competitors, however on the identical time, we’re getting everyone some work and seeing the place they’re. Each guys have executed an excellent job. Cam, clearly we’re nonetheless studying him and what he can do, however he is received some leg expertise. So does Riley. It will be attention-grabbing in camp to see the place it performs out.”
