JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser's notes and observations Thursday from the eighth day of Jaguars 2018 Organized Team Activities at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Fields …
1. Keenan McCardell isn't worried about the slot receiver position. "There are lot of guys [who can play the position]," the Jaguars' wide receivers coach said Tuesday before OTA practice No. 8. "I coach it like this: everybody should be able to play all the positions – not just slot. Everyone is talking about size, speed – or always talking about the smaller guys being in the slot. I tell these guys, 'You have to be able to play every single position because I am going to teach you how to play the slot, even if you are a bigger guy. I am going to teach you how to play outside, even if you are a smaller guy.' We have choices. It is great to have choices. We are going to put the best three out on the field, or four or five." Marqise Lee, expected along with Donte Moncrief to be one of the team's starters next season, could slide inside to the slot in passing situations. Veteran Rashad Greene Sr. also has played the role, but has played just 17 games in three NFL seasons. The likely scenario is the one McCardell outlined Tuesday – a slot-by-committee with most of the Jaguars' receivers playing the role at various times. …
2. McCardell discussed multiple receivers Tuesday, calling unrestricted free agent-signee Donte Moncrief "a really skilled receiver, a guy that can really position himself and make tough catches, a guy that can create separation." Moncrief, a third-round selection by Indianapolis in the 2014 NFL Draft, caught 152 passes for 1,875 yards and 18 touchdowns in four seasons with the Colts. "Now that I have him here, I can see some things that we cleaned up – just different coaching and stuff like that," McCardell said. "I am not saying it was the wrong coaching in Indy, just some things that we'd like for him to do. Being a skilled receiver and being able to play in multiple systems, it helps him. You can see him get deep with his speed, you can see him create separation on some stop routes. I am enjoying coaching him, and it has been fun." …
3. When discussing second-year veteran Dede Westbrook, McCardell lauded the former Biletnikoff winner's competitiveness and said he has been "impressed with Dede from Day One." Westbrook caught 27 passes for 339 yards and a touchdown in seven games last season, starting five games after injuries had cost then-Jaguars receivers a total of 21 regular-season games last season. "Some people kind of fold the tent with competition," McCardell said of Westbrook. "He is a guy that steps up." Westbrook was a key part of the offense in the second half of last season despite missing the first nine games of the season on injured reserve following sports hernia surgery. "He is playing well, he is playing fast." McCardell said. "People don't realize he is healthy. He came off sports hernia surgery right into starting for us. It is not that easy to come off sports hernia and then play at a high level and have to start and have to make plays. This year, he has gotten some rest and healed up. You can see his quickness. His hands are there and it has been fun." …
4. McCardell on Tuesday also had high praise for Keelan Cole, also emphasizing that there is much the second-year veteran can improve dramatically from a 42-reception, 748-yard, three-touchdown season as a rookie. "My point of emphasis with him is to continue to get better: 'Don't rest on what you did last year; you want to be ten times better than you were last year,''' McCardell said. "He looked at me like, 'Huh?' 'Yeah, ten times better. You are scratching the surface. We always want him to gain weight, but I just want him to get stronger, faster and work on routes. Work on being a complete receiver and as you all saw last year [that] I put him wherever. Inside, outside and I want him to understand that you are not just an outside receiver. You are a complete receiver and I want you to understand how to run all these routes, understand defenses (by) looking at the coverages and understand it."
