JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser examines Jaguars 2016 Training Camp Day Two, with an eye on CB Jalen Ramsey, LT/LG Luke Joeckel and WR Marqise Lee
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Still shining
Jalen Ramsey remained a big story on Day Two of Jaguars 2016 Training Camp.
Part of that was because he spoke to the media Friday for the first time during this year's training camp, but as big a part was that Ramsey continues to merit being a big story.
He's playing that well. He's looking that good. He's transitioning that easily.
The No. 5 overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ramsey continued lining up at both nickel and outside corner in the team's second non-contact practice in as many days at the practice fields adjacent to EverBank Field.
"Honestly, coming in I felt comfortable whether they were going to put me inside or outside because I played it in college," Ramsey said Friday afternoon. "It was just about learning the playbook. It was pretty simple. It wasn't too much."
The takeaway you got from Ramsey Friday was the same one you get listening to people around the Jaguars – that his transition has seemed seamless because it indeed has been seamless. Asked on Friday about already seeming comfortable in the NFL, Ramsey's answer was that of someone who couldn't imagine ever being anything else besides playing this sport.
"I feel like this is one of the things that God put me on this earth to do – was play football," Ramsey said. "I'm just comfortable doing it."
Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley said Friday Ramsey could begin the season starting at outside corner and moving to nickel in passing situations. That's something nickel corner Aaron Colvin did last season. Colvin is expected to play the nickel full time when he returns from a season-opening four-game suspension.
"It all depends on how everything shakes out," Bradley said.
A team official on Friday called Ramsey a "beast" physically. At 6-feet-2, 209 pounds, he's unusually big and tall for a corner. He has covered tight end Julius Thomas, wide receiver Rashad Greene and other wide receivers well, and his ability to close on the ball has been striking.
He made one of the memorable plays of early camp Thursday when he came from across the field to make a stop on an end-around run by wide receiver Marqise Lee.
Ramsey through two days has shown no effects either physically or mentally from having missed organized team activities and minicamp with a small meniscus tear, a time he said on Friday was "tough on me."
"I was frustrated," he said. "It's kind of like you get to your dream and it's taken away from you. … Now, I'm in there playing football again, so I'm fine."
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Images from the second day of Jaguars training camp.
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Notable …
Bradley on Friday made it a point to mention reserve linebacker Jordan Tripp after practice, lauding the linebacker's presence on special teams. "We're really pleased about his ownership in the special teams," Bradley said. "You can see him developing leadership in that aspect." Tripp, a fifth-round selection by the Dolphins in the 2014 NFL Draft, played 12 games for the Jaguars last season and started one. He led the team with seven special teams tackles.
… also notable
Bradley on Friday discussed defensive tackle Malik Jackson, saying while the veteran unrestricted free agent will play mostly three-technique he also has impressed rushing off the edge. "He has done a good job," Bradley said. "He plays on the edge a little bit more and he shows some rushing and does a good job." …
The rotation begins
Kelvin Beachum worked in team drills Friday after being limited to individual work Thursday. As expected, he and Luke Joeckel both worked at left guard and left tackle. Beachum, who spent the offseason rehabilitating a torn anterior cruciate ligament after signing as an unrestricted free agent from Pittsburgh, and Joeckel – the No. 2 overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft – are competing to start at left tackle. The loser of the competition could play guard, which is why both players are playing both positions. Joeckel started at the positon the last two seasons and never had played guard until this offseason. "In some ways, the transition would be pretty easy, but in other ways it would be tough," Joeckel said Friday. "There's some comfort, but it will take time. I feel comfortable there. It's just different techniques and different types of blocks. I'm playing for left tackle, that's my mindset for sure, but I'm going in with the mindset that I'm going to be confident wherever I'm at."
Takeaways
*While the hamstring injury that kept third-year wide receiver Marqise Lee out of practice Friday isn't thought serious, it's important because of Lee's previous injury history. He has missed significant training camp and offseason time his first two seasons, with that time missed keeping him from earning a front-line role in the receiving rotation. The idea entering camp was for Lee to continue the momentum he built during an offseason in which he did not miss a practice. This setback won't be major unless it lingers. .…
*While Ramsey has been an early camp focus, that doesn't mean rookie linebacker Myles Jack should be overlooked. Jack, the Jaguars' second-round selection, continued to work as a backup middle linebacker Friday and Bradley praised Jack's approach. "He's (Jack) like a sponge in the locker room," Bradley said. "He appears to be a pretty quick study. Even though he might make some mistakes, he's playing off his instincts and he's playing fast. That's what you hope. Sometimes you don't want to over-coach that so much that you take away that part, and that's not what's taking place." …