JACKSONVILLE – Trevor Lawrence likes this offseason so far.
The Jaguars opened 2022 Organized Team Activities Monday. That's the beginning of the final phase of the '22 voluntary offseason program, which means Lawrence – the Jaguars' second-year starting quarterback – now has seen much of a new Jaguars offense.
So far, so good.
"I really like where we're at," Lawrence said.
Lawrence, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, spoke Monday shortly after the first '22 OTA practice at TIAA Bank Field – his first media availability since the beginning of the offseason program in mid-April.
Lawrence has spent the past five weeks learning Head Coach Doug Pederson's offense and learning a new coaching staff that includes offensive coordinator Press Taylor. Both Pederson and Lawrence spoke positively this week of Lawrence's progress in his second offense in as many NFL seasons.
"He's been focused," Pederson said of Lawrence. "He's been here, he's been attentive, he's done a good job on the football field, he's a leader, and those are the things we want to continue now as we head into training camp.
"For him, just again, staying comfortable and getting more comfortable with the offense. I really like his dialogue with [quarterbacks coach] Coach [Mike] McCoy, and Press and myself, and things that he likes and doesn't like.
"[We] just want to see that growth in him here as we sort of wind down the offseason and gear up for training camp."
Lawrence said he is pleased with the progress of the offense overall during the offseason.
"I don't want to say 'ahead of schedule,' but I really feel like we're right where we need to be," Lawrence said. "The way that Coach Pederson and Press, all of those … our whole staff has installed the offense really strategically. I really like where we're at and the guys are picking it up great."
While the Jaguars are running a different scheme under Pederson and Taylor than the one employed by '21 coordinator Darrell Bevell, Lawrence said there are similar elements.
"We've already talked a little bit about what those things are that we can carry over," Lawrence said. "We haven't installed everything yet, but a lot of the things that we did last year that I liked, we have, we just call them something different. The communication has been really good so far. We've already had a couple of those meetings and that's the best way to do it – when you can just collaborate. Coach Pederson, Press … they have final say but I want to be a part of that process. They've been awesome in just working together.
"We see things the same way and it's fun having a group that communicates really well."
Lawrence, too, said Pederson's 13 years as an NFL quarterback has been quickly evident in their discussions.
"You can always tell the way a coach communicates with a quarterback," he said. "He's been in my shoes. At every play, he gives you a piece of feedback that another coach might not give you just because he knows what it's like and it's something little that he might see that someone else doesn't see.
"Having the head coach be able to step in, even today a couple of times, three or four times, after a play, he'll come over and give me a little tip or whatever. Just having a head coach that can do that and really, really knows what he's talking about is cool."
QUOTABLE
Lawrence on using OTAs to reestablish trust and culture: "I think that's the biggest thing in a team is just trusting each other, trusting the guys in the locker room – but also the staff. That's something, clearly, we didn't have a lot of last year. I think our locker room did a great job last year of staying together. But it's cool to see him (Pederson) make that a priority and he knows and understands that that is definitely something that we have to make sure that we have in this building. I do think we're building that. From everything I've seen, everyone's trusting one another, really just going to work, and preparing ourselves."
