JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Tim from Jacksonville
Zone, here come the injuries again. SMH.
I confess I usually must look up "hip," "young-people" abbreviations – and I had to google "SMH" upon reading this email. As nearly all English-speaking peoples other than your humble senior writer no doubt know, SMH means "Shaking My Head" – but while the Jaguars have sustained a few injuries in recent days, I don't know that we're "shaking our heads" just yet. Linebacker Ventrell Miller sustained a hand injury Friday, left tackle Cam Robinson left that practice with a shoulder injury and tight end Josh Pederson sustained an ankle injury. And tight end Patrick Murtagh sustained a really ugly ankle injury the same day. Lineman Cooper Hodges is currently out with a back injury, and safety Andrew Wingard is out with a knee injury with right tackle Anton Harrison out with a concussion. Guard Ezra Cleveland left with a leg injury Saturday. That's indeed a decently long list, with a lot going on in the last few days. Still, it's not as if we're seeing front-line players lost for the season. These seem withstandable and navigable thus far. We'll see.
Michael from Orange Park, FL
Cam hurt again? I could have told you that. Why didn't they see it?
You're presumably asking about Robinson leaving practice with a shoulder issue Friday and why the Jaguars didn't project this happening. Robinson, an eight-year veteran, indeed has missed significant games the past two seasons – and his durability indeed is an issue entering the 2024 season. Why couldn't the Jaguars have predicted it? Why did they retain him? Because Robinson's a good player and his injuries in recent seasons haven't necessarily been a harbinger of future injuries. We might want to relax a bit before jumping to conclusions about the severity of this one, too. Robinson was limited in practice Saturday, participating in individual drills. There's no indication this one's a long-term injury.
TC from Kingsland, GA and Section 38
I went to the stadium practice Saturday and was impressed with a couple things. First No. 36 Jalen Jackson seems to have moves, hands and intensity. He seems to have some real potential, I hope he makes the cut. The most impressive thing I saw though was the coaches. Especially the line coaches. It looks like they get a bigger workout than the players in some cases. They seem to be full of intensity and flying around keeping the players pumped up. They also seem to be watching the details and do not hesitate to grab a player and give him some on the spot help. That level of engagement will develop trust and make players focus and get on board with the program. I know "it's not always coaching" in the NFL but the engagement and intensity these coaches have will sure not make it a problem from a lack of trying.
A couple thoughts on your thoughts. One is that rookie running back Jalen Jackson indeed has made an impression in 2024 Training Camp. Jackson, who signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft, had a big-time catch and a strong run Saturday. He has impressed since arriving with the Jaguars with his speed, intensity and approach. If he doesn't make the active roster, I can't imagine him not being on the practice squad. As for the coaches … while I hate to always play the cynic, on-field intensity to the level of "getting a better workout than the players" doesn't do much to separate a good and bad coach in the NFL – and I've seen plenty of plenty of hyper-enthusiastic coaches in practice who weren't all that effective. Many of the more active coaches I've seen were sometimes more flash than cash. The key is to have the ability to connect, teach and communicate – whether that's done by flying around the field or delivering the message subtly. That doesn't mean this coaching staff is bad. It seems quite the opposite is true, and players throughout camp have talked of clear communication and clear understanding of what's expected. That's a huge positive, particularly for a defense with a new coordinator (Ryan Nielsen) and a largely new staff with a new scheme.
Kevin from St Johns (by way of section 214)
Training camp is boring? Good! In fact, that is awesome. Boring training camp means nothing crazy is happening, and in the context of preparing for the season, anything crazy is probably a negative –i.e., injury, crazy contract negotiations, or random coaching scandal. Let's keep it boring and get ready for the season. Am I right?!?
Yes.
Rob from the duuuuuuuu
One fer Cam Robinson. You said Camp really begins when Cam decides he isn't taking any more.... And we love him for it! The meanest, toughest guy on the field in most cases is Cam Robinson. He sets the tone for this team. Love that man he is irreplaceable. Speaking of irreplaceable and setting the tone: One oder Foye Aluokun!!! He seems mad that he was not recognized for his incredible play.... I would hate to play against him this year or ever!!! Sign them both for another 5 years!!! Go Jags!! PS.... Still trying to make Mooodachay happen, we are not ready for GET OFF MY LAWN! Moodachay should be our WHODEY. Moodachay!!!
Rob is ready for some football.
David from The Island
Does being a defensive end now versus an linebacker No. 44 a bigger bag of money down the road?
You're referencing Travon Walker now being a defensive end as opposed to an outside linebacker. Such a designation could matter if the Jaguars opt to use the franchise tag on Walker, though we're likely a few offseasons from such a decision. It wouldn't matter too much in negotiations for a long-term contract.
Nick from Palm Coast, FL
How bad is Andrew Wingard's knee injury? Will we be looking to replace him on the roster ?
Wingard, the Jaguars' sixth-year safety, is out for an extended time. Indications are that the injury is not season-ending. I don't know that there will be a rush to sign a veteran safety. One "short-term" injury is something you want to address with depth. A "long-term" injury or two is when you start signing street free agents.
Michael from Orange Park, FL
What gives you confidence about this team? What's the biggest thing?
There are probably a few big things rather than particular biggest thing. One is Trevor Lawrence continues to very much look the part of a quarterback in control of his situation. There's a maturity about him that's hard to quantify, but you feel it. If he turns that into being a bit more consistent and reducing turnovers by a bit, those small things could make a tangible difference. I also sense that this offense is a more mature unit overall. Remember: Players such as Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne Jr., wide receiver Christian Kirk and tight end Evan Engram have played in the same system together two seasons now. That sort of experience and cohesion matters. I also like what we're seeing from the Jaguars' defensive line. Walker and Josh Hines-Allen were really good and improving late last season, and there's no reason to think they'll decline. Nose tackle DaVon Hamilton has looked really good in training camp and it's fair to expect defensive lineman Arik Armstead to be at a high level once he returns from the physically unable to perform list. That's the core of a strong defensive line. If all three of these areas are strong, that forms the core of a good team. We'll see.
Rob from the duuuuuuuu
It's not the Prowler logo. It's the gold and black outline. The gold is what makes it a "Jaguar" color. Outlining the current numbers in gold and black would make our current uniform epic. Our current white is basically the raiders uniform. Add some teal, gold and black so we know who we are! Moodachay!
OK.
Tim from St. Johns, FL
The college football playoff is expanding, and the NFL is staring down the barrel of an 18-game season. It's already a long grind for rookies And they will soon be looking at playing more games than ever over the course of their final collegiate season and their first pro one. Once we reach 18 regular-season NFL games, do you think the league would ever consider allowing teams to designate some rookies who would not play until the second half of the season, but would not count against practice squad or 53-man roster spots and would be allowed to practice and acclimate to the league?
This is a decent idea in theory – better than decent, maybe. In practice, teams feel too pressured to play rookies immediately to put in place a rule that allows rookies to be developed at a realistic pace.
Gary from St. Augustine, FL
Even during training camp, you still suck.
Now we can start.
