JACKSONVILLE – This was a move that just made sense.
Because of that, the feeling around the Jaguars the day after wide receiver Allen Hurns signed a four-year extension was the same as the night before.
There was a lot of confidence in the move from a football standpoint – and there was a lot of happiness personally.
"I thought it was great – what a great deal," Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley said Friday after Day Six of Jaguars 2016 Organized Team Activities at the Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields. "He's exactly what we're all about – his work ethic, how he comes in …
"We asked [players] to be on a race to maturity and asked [young players] to act like six-year veterans. He's done that. He has the respect of the locker room and the coaching staff. I'm really excited for him."
The Jaguars could extend Hurns' contract because he signed as a free agent following the 2014 NFL Draft. Players such as quarterback Blake Bortles and wide receiver Allen Robinson, both of whom were drafted in 2014, cannot have their contracts extended until after the 2016 season.
Hurns, a starter in 23 of 31 games played in two seasons, had 115 receptions for 1,708 yards and 16 touchdowns during that span. He caught 64 passes for 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
"He's an extraordinary individual and we want to make sure we treat our guys right," Jaguars General Manager David Caldwell said. "We felt like it was well-deserved. This was really about Allen. It was what Allen deserved. He did everything right.
"He's done it two years in a row; he wasn't just a one-year wonder. That's another reason we felt comfortable with it. He has two years production – plus, the kind of character and person he is. It was the right decision on all fronts."
Also around the Jaguars Friday:
*Hurns said teammates teased him extensively Friday morning about the deal, with veteran tight end Julius Thomas perhaps the most vocal of the group. Hurns noted the irony of being teased about signing a big contract by Thomas, who signed with the Jaguars last offseason for $21 million fully guaranteed. "Like he wasn't paid," Hurns said, laughing and adding, "At the end of the day, it's all love. It's all genuine. That's what I love about those guys." Hurns' contract reportedly was for $20 million guaranteed.
*Caldwell discussed rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has attended OTA practices this week after undergoing surgery early last week to repair a small tear in his meniscus. "He's doing really well," Caldwell said. "You see him out here walking around. He feels great and I think the expectation is he should be 100 percent ready for training camp [In late July] and probably before then." …
*Bradley discussed Thursday's signing of four-year free-agent veteran guard Patrick Omameh, who has started 25 of 30 career games with the 49ers, Buccaneers and Bears. "He can play guard and tackle, and he has started some games – so that part we like," Bradley said. Omameh, who practiced with the Jaguars Friday, started nine games for Chicago last season. The Jaguars this offseason have added four veteran linemen with starting experience – Omameh, Jeff Linkenbach, Mackenzy Bernadeau and Kelvin Beachum. "You want to be young but you don't want to be so young that you're talking no games of experience," Bradley said. "It's getting to the point with some of our draft picks and some of our veterans that we're getting to be a team in the age group we like." …
*Bradley said through two weeks of OTAs the Jaguars appear faster offensively and defensively. "I'm hoping defensively we're faster and that offensively we're more consistent," he said, adding that the roster is at a point where roster decisions likely will be difficult after training camp. "That's a good thing. We've been wanting competition throughout, but it has to be real. You can have four guys at one position, but the players have to feel it. I think this is the first year they are really feeling it." …
