JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ready or not, Jaguars season is here.
With Wednesday’s start of training camp at the Miller Electric Center, the march to the regular season begins for the rebuilt Jaguars and first-year head coach Liam Coen.
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It’s the first of 12 training camp practices as Jacksonville attempts to scrub away the residue from a 4-13 season that ended with owner Shad Khan firing head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke.
But there’s quite a bit to get caught up on for fans.
Will it all click for Trevor?
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is healthy. He ended last season on injured reserve after a concussion and then shoulder surgery. Lawrence’s season was his worst since his rookie year with Urban Meyer. A healthy Lawrence learning under Coen could be what helps to unlock the franchise player’s potential.
Throughout his first four seasons, Lawrence, one of the most hyped quarterback prospects in the last 30 years, has been hot (for the second half of 2022 and start of 2023), cold (rookie season) and frustratingly inconsistent (the rest of his time).
Coen steered Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, like Lawrence, a former No. 1 overall pick, to his best passing season last year. Lawrence needs to show the franchise that he can be the long-term answer at the position.
The Heisman factor
Jacksonville made its boldest draft move in its 31-year history when it traded up to the No. 2 spot to select Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, one of the most intriguing players in the history of the sport. Hunter won the Heisman Trophy last season and has said he intends to keep playing both ways in the NFL. Hunter spent most of OTAs and minicamp working at receiver, but did get a limited number of reps on defense in the secondary.
Can what Hunter wants to do in the NFL be done? The last full-time two-way player in the league was Chuck Bednarik in 1962. There have been players since who have played in spurts on both sides of the ball, but Deion Sanders and Arizona’s Roy Green are the two best comps for what Hunter wants to attempt.
Sanders, of course, was Hunter’s coach at both Jackson State and Colorado, and his 1996 season with the Cowboys is perhaps the closest recent comparable that aligns with what Jacksonville could expect from Hunter.
Sanders was a first-team All-Pro that season who had 36 catches on 67 targets for 475 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Sanders’ primary position, he had 33 tackles, a couple interceptions and three fumble recoveries. But that was Sanders’ heaviest workload as a two-way player during his Pro Football Hall of Fame career. Of his 60 all-time catches, more than half came in 1996.
Green played both ways in 1980 and ’81, picking off three passes and forcing four fumbles. He switched to receiver full time in 1983 and earned All-Pro honors in that season and also in 1984. He caught 156 passes for 2,782 yards and 26 touchdowns in those seasons.
The new is everywhere
Coen is a first-time head NFL head coach. General manager James Gladstone is a first-time general manager. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski are both first-timers, too. Add in rookie executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli and it’s an organization with low NFL mileage on the coaching and operations odometer.
Young and new doesn’t necessarily translate into a bad thing. It actually may translate better for players than the Pederson and Baalke regime. Former players said in the wake of Pederson being fired that a younger head coach who has navigated this era of player may work better in the locker room.
Roster projections
Cutting from 90 players to the required 53 doesn’t happen until Aug. 26, but we gave trying to project the roster a shot. We did once before we saw rookies take the field in May and once at the beginning of the summer.
For a team that has very few players who the current regime drafted, there’s plenty of opportunity for more than a few undrafted players to make the roster.
Camp days open to fans
Camp will be open to fans nine times this year. Tickets are free but fans looking to attend need to register. Camp begins at 8:30 a.m. daily with the exception of the stadium practice on Aug. 1. Click on the links to register for tickets. Free parking will be available throughout camp for Lot J, Lot Z and Lot P North.
Wednesday, July 23 (tickets claimed)
Friday, July 25 (season ticket member day)
Sunday, July 27 (tickets claimed)
Monday, July 28 (tickets claimed))
Tuesday, July 29 (discounted concessions)
Friday, Aug. 1 (stadium scrimmage, 5:30-8:30 p.m.)
Sunday, Aug. 3 (tickets claimed)
Tuesday, Aug. 5 (discounted concessions)
Notable dates
Camp is the kickoff to the regular season. Here are some notable dates to be aware of for the Jaguars:
Saturday, Aug. 9, Steelers at Jaguars, preseason opener, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 17, Jaguars at Saints, 1 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 23, Jaguars at Dolphins, preseason finale, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 26, Teams must cut rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 7, Panthers at Jaguars, regular season opener, 1 p.m.
