JACKSONVILLE – Jaguars 2021 Training Camp continued Monday.
It was the fifth day of the team's first training camp under Head Coach Urban Meyer, featuring an unpadded 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 Monday's "campservations:"
Oehser…
Breathe in, breathe out and relax. That's more "advice" than "observation," but it's pertinent on Day 5 of Jaguars 2021 Training Camp – because while quarterback Trevor Lawrence struggled more that day than he did the first four days, all rookie quarterbacks will have such days. Even generational ones. The other observation: second-year wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. is having a really good camp. Monday was a day on which no offensive player stood out all that much; there were perhaps fewer standout offensive plays Monday than on any of the previous four days of camp. But even on a day lacking in highlights, Shenault's quickness and ability to get open stood out. Shenault's physicality always has made him intriguing. If he continues to play with the suddenness he has shown early in camp, this could be a serious breakout season for the 2020 second-round selection.
Sexton…
The Jaguars have something building on the offensive line. We know the starting five, who have taken every rep together through camp thus far and who return for a third season as a unit. Behind them, however, is a group that looks like excellent depth. Tyler Shatley is and has been the guy you could count on at center or guard and he still looks ready to go. I think most people forget he was the starting center during a key stretch of that 2017 season that ended in the AFC Championship Game; he kept it together then and he can still get the job done. Ben Bartch looks like an NFL offensive lineman, physically, after arriving from St. John's College last season as a mid-round pick; he has really taken advantage of the strength program put in place by Head Coach Urban Meyer. Mix in a veteran swing tackle in Will Richardson – and a guy who will at some point in the future will start at offensive tackle in Walker Little – and you have your nine offensive linemen. Depth is a luxury in the NFL and it's rare that you find it on teams coming off a 1-15 season, but it's there in that offensive line room – and it's a reason this team could win more games than most outside observers believe possible.
Shadrick …
Rookie running back Travis Etienne Jr. met the media after practice Monday, and he looks forward to the different ways he could make an impact on this offense. Lining up wide, going in motion, lining up in the backfield or anywhere else could exploit a matchup against the defense. He has the burst and game-breaking ability to score from anywhere. Even if he doesn't get the ball, you must account for him – that could open up some other playmakers to favorable matchups: wide receiver DJ Chark Jr., Shenault, wide receiver Marvin Jones, etc. He has the personality to go with it also and could be a breakout star from the jump.
Sullivan …
Despite a shaky day from the quarterback, Etienne looked explosive and confident. He ripped open a couple runs during team period where he was in No Man's Land and caught two swing passes for first downs. On one play, quarterback Gardner Minshew II checked down to Etienne and half the defense was chasing him down the sideline. It's good to know that Etienne can pick it up if the offense is not having its best day.
