JACKSONVILLE – Caution remains the watchword.
Still, despite working limited this week with a hamstring issue, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence – the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft – likes his progress in recent weeks.
"I feel good," Lawrence said Monday on Day 1 of 2021 Jaguars Minicamp presented by Baptist Health at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex.
"Obviously, I still have a lot to learn. The more you practice something, the better you get at it. So, I still have to get a lot of reps. We still have some work to do."
Lawrence said he "feels really good" about his grasp of the Jaguars' offense, and Head Coach Urban Meyer on Monday agreed.
"His retention and carryover has been very good," Meyer said. "Execution at times, like you would imagine, has been up and down – especially when you start changing looks up on defense – which obviously didn't happen a ton [during the offseason]. We're very pleased with where he is.
"The summer's going to be great and training camp is going to be great."
The Jaguars selected Lawrence on April 29, and he has been with the team throughout the offseason program since the draft. Meyer on Monday said Lawrence and passing-game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer began working together on the offense since "well before the draft."
"From a knowledge and memorization standpoint, I feel really good with the system," Lawrence said. "I think it [the offense] is great. We've got a lot of answers. Now, it's just working out all the little details to be a really good offense. We're working toward that."
Lawrence, after initially sustaining the hamstring issue during the final week of Organized Team Activities last week, practiced on a limited basis Monday. He threw during 7-on-7 work but did not participate in team drills.
Meyer said caution was being used to ensure Lawrence can maintain his conditioning and strength in the offseason, and to ensure he can participate when Jaguars 2021 Training Camp opens July 27.
"If had to go, he could have gone," Meyer said. "We're a month out. You yank a hamstring now, you're going to miss the early part of training camp. We're just being cautious. We're being somewhat conservative on it. He actually could play a game if he had to."
Lawrence called the situation "a little frustrating, just not being able to go full speed."
"I'm feeling good," he said. "Just trying to not have any more setbacks. It's doing great, just trying to work it back."
Meyer, asked Monday about balancing developing a rookie quarterback and winning games, said he will lean heavily on Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell in that area.
"Whoever is going to be on that field is going to give us the best chance to win," he said. "Ultimately, I've got to make a decision on the guy who's going to help us win. That's a daily conversation as well."
Meyer said the coaches are working with Lawrence on what is often a learning area for young quarterbacks – the tendency to try to fit the ball into tight coverage, something that becomes more difficult in an NFL compared to even the highest levels of college football.
"We did have a couple of bad practices where the balls were trying to pound them in there," Meyer said. "It's a much faster game. It's the best of the best on that side of the ball. That's something we're coaching him through, but it is a concern.
"It's our job to get him those situations as much as possible. We have not been able to do that much. You're not allowed [in the offseason] to be in those situations where the defense is breaking on the ball hard. They're laid off right now. That will be something that will be instrumental in training camp once we start."
Lawrence, for his part, said his primary focus is on simply being as ready as possible come the end of July.
"I want to just master the offense," he said. "I want to have complete control, know everything and be comfortable. You can't really play free and play really well if you don't know what you're doing. That's the goal, to master the offense by the time training camp comes around so in training camp we can focus everything forward on being the best team we can come August 14 and then going on into the regular season as well.
"That's the plan. It starts with the quarterback. Obviously, I have to be ready and I'm going to do everything I can to ensure that's the case. I'm excited to get started.
"We've had a great past three weeks and it's been really good work."
