JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars went through their second practice of 2017 Training Camp Friday.
The Jaguars practiced for about two-and-a-half hours in 90-degree temperatures on the practice fields adjacent to EverBank Field. Wide receiver Allen Robinson and safety Barry Church spoke to the media afterward; Head Coach Doug Marrone is scheduled to speak to the media following practice Saturday.
We spoke to the star of the day, wide receiver Keelan Cole, who is trying to make the team as an undrafted rookie from Kentucky Wesleyan. He caught three long passes Friday, and we'll cover that later in this story.
We also caught up with guard Tyler Shatley and cornerback Doran Grant, the latter of whom is working with the starters early in '17 camp. We'll cover that later in this story, too.
Church, meanwhile, discussed practicing with the Jaguars for the first time since signing as an unrestricted free agent from Dallas in March. He missed the on-field portion of the offseason with an injury, and said Jaguars training camp practices under Head Coach Doug Marrone are tougher than what he experienced in recent seasons with the Cowboys.
Take a look at images as the Jaguars complete the second day of training camp.
"It is a lot more demanding – a lot more periods," Church said. "I think we had about 18 today. Back on my old team, we probably had about 12 or something like that. Like coach said, there are a lot of new players in here. The coaching staff is trying to figure out who fits where.
"We need a lot of periods and we need all that to get the chemistry down. We are just working on that and getting ready."
Notes and observations from Day 2 of Jaguars 2017 Training Camp practice:
*Cole was the easy selection as Friday's star of the day. The undrafted rookie, among the players who dealt with cramps on Day 1 Thursday, caught three long passes Friday – one from Brandon Allen and two from Chad Henne. The highlight was a one-handed reception down the right sideline on a pass from Henne. "It's only been two days," Cole said. "I have a lot more to prove. I have to make every catch, not just the great ones."
*Church on Friday was asked about a possible comparison of Jaguars rookie running back Leonard Fournette and Ezekiel Elliott, who rushed for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns with Dallas last season. Fournette was the No. 4 overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft; Elliott was selected No. 4 overall by Dallas in '16. "I definitely see a little bit of similarity. They are both very strong backs," Church said. "They run very hard and they have great vision. Like I saw in Zeke last year – you knew from OTAs that he was going to be the real deal. I saw the same thing with Leonard this year." …
*More from Church on Fournette: "He is running hard. He is making all the great cuts. His vision is unbelievable for a guy that young. He just brings a lot of power and pop to his game. I am excited to see what he can do out there. We definitely have to go out on the field and once we get those pads on see what really is going on. I feel like the sky is the limit for that kid." …
*Third-year veteran Tyler Shatley worked with the first team at left guard for a second consecutive day Friday. The competition along the interior of the line is expected to heighten next week, with players such as Shatley, Patrick Omameh, Earl Watford, Chris Reed and A.J. Cann likely to work at the guard spots. Marrone said five padded practices next week will go a long way toward determining the makeup of the line. "It's day-by-day," Shatley said. "Right now, I'm just trying to play my best. I've got a lot of getting better to do, whether it's with the ones, the threes or the 15s. It's not about where you start, and this is just a starting point. It's a good opportunity to try to get better." …
*Second-year veteran Josh Johnson, who got work in the Jaguars' nickel packages last season, worked with the first team at corner Friday. This came a day after second-year veteran Doran Grant worked with the starters. The two are getting a chance to work with the starters in the absence of starter Jalen Ramsey and nickel corner Aaron Colvin, both of whom are on the physically unable to perform list to start training camp. "It was the same thing as in the offseason," Grant said. "I've just got to take advantage of my opportunity and do what I can do." Grant had several standout practices during the offseason program. "I just have to continue to perform day-in and day-out," Grant said. "It's just a day-by-day process. You just keep going and keep playing." …
