JACKSONVILLE – Trent Baalke likes a lot about the preseason thus far.

There's the development of young players and a continuing positive culture. The Jaguars' general manager on Saturday night also said one of the best things about the 2024 preseason is one of the more basic things:

"We're staying healthy," he said. "That's the main thing."

Baalke, in his fourth season as the Jaguars' general manager, spoke to the Jaguars' broadcasting team shortly after halftime of a 20-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Preseason Week 2 game at EverBank Stadium Saturday. Among the topics: The strong preseasons of second-year players such as running back Tank Bigsby, wide receiver Parker Washington and other members of the team's 2023 NFL Draft class.

"That Year One to Year Two jump we always talk about is real," he said. "I think you're starting to see it with these guys."

Baalke also discussed a high-profile 2024 offseason in which the Jaguars signed three recently-drafted players – quarterback Trevor Lawrence, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen and cornerback Tyson Campbell – to long-term "second contracts."

Baalke called the signings "a positive step for the organization."

"We've said from when we first got here that signing the core players had to be our focus," Baalke said. "We were fortunate to get some big deals done this summer with guys we believe are foundational pieces on both sides of the ball.

"These guys want to be here. They want to be in this city. They want to be a part of this organization. We're going to continue to look for guys just like this."

Baalke added, "We have a really good culture right now. These guys want to be here. They want to be involved. They've bought in and they're working tremendously hard both on the field and in the classroom."

Also among the team's major offseason moves: Hiring Ryan Nielsen, the Atlanta Falcons' defensive coordinator in 2023, to the same position with the Jaguars. Baalke called Nielsen "a leader, first and foremost."

"He has a good scheme and he has a tremendous coaching staff assisting him," Baalke said. "The players have really bought into what he's teaching."

Baalke, after speaking during the offseason of the team needing to be more physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage, spoke positively Saturday of progress made in that area.

"It's a mindset," he said. "It's something we worked on all offseason in the preparation phases and in the weight room. We've done a lot of talking about it within the organization. We want to be the most physical team on the field that day. That's our goal."

Baalke, too, spoke of the team's approach to the rookie class and younger players during the 2024 preseason with such players getting more repetitions and opportunities than was the case the previous two seasons.

"We've structured it in such a way that we're giving them more reps than we've ever given the rookie class – for a reason – to put them in those situations," Baalke said. "We have put more stress on them. That was a thing we talked about. We can't give them a rookie season. We have to get them ready to play now. We've demanded more of them, both mentally and physically.

"We've put them in situations in the game that we weren't putting them in the previous two years – early in the game when it matters and it counts. It has been a very successful transition for us."