JACKSONVILLE – Jaguars 2021 Training Camp continued Friday.
It was the 17th day of the team's first training camp under Head Coach Urban Meyer, featuring an hour and a half practice at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex. Each day throughout camp, four members of Jaguars Media – senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton, team reporter Ashlyn Sullivan and senior reporter/editor J.P. Shadrick – will share an observation.
Here are Friday's "campservations:"
Oehser…
With a comparatively short practice on Day 17, a couple of thoughts looking ahead to Monday in New Orleans. One involves the defense, and one of the key storylines there will be whether the Jaguars can repeat their impressive performance against the run in a preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns this past Saturday. The Jaguars stacked the line against the Browns and got the results they wanted by holding Cleveland to 41 rushing on 26 carries. A similar performance would continue to help the confidence of an area that must be stouter this season than has been the case the last several seasons. Another area to watch against the Saints: the rapport between quarterback Trevor Lawrence and veteran wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. That has looked like something the offense is starting to trust and could be a strength early in the season. This sort of trust could be key for Lawrence early in his rookie season.
Sexton …
I'm getting the sense Carlos Hyde might be an X-factor this season. The current and former Jaguars running back is a completely different guy than he was on arrival late in the 2018 season. He's happy to be reunited with Head Coach Urban Meyer, for whom Hyde played at Ohio State – and whom Hyde told me before camp was the most impactful coach in his football career. Hyde is a pounder who can get to the edge and make you pay – as he did to the Jaguars on a 58-yard run for the Texans the season after he left Jacksonville. The good news got even better as far as Hyde was concerned when the Jaguars drafted Travis Etienne Jr. in April, a move that gave the team a full backfield of complementary talents. That also means Hyde – an eighth-year veteran - doesn't have to carry the load and can run with fresh legs. I'm interested to see if the Jaguars are getting the guy who averaged 4.4 yards a carry in 2019 because he doesn't look anything like the guy who averaged 3.3 yards for them in 2018. I'm not just interested; I'm really, really interested to see what Hyde is all about this season.
Shadrick …
After a taxing Thursday practice, Meyer took the pads off the team Friday for our final look at them before the Monday Preseason Week 2 game against the Saints. This practice again had more of a game-week type feel, with the offense and defense working against Saints "looks," and with the offense trying to work with piped in crowd noise. The shortened preseason is the reason Meyer wanted to game plan this week and again for the final preseason game in Dallas next week.
Sullivan …
Head Coach Urban Meyer mentioned the team followed a regular season schedule for the week - trying it out so the roster can get used to it. With that, it meant practicing later in the day when it is much hotter out. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence mentioned you never really get used to this Florida heat but knows the team will be conditioned for it. All of us who are out there can confirm… it's really hot.
