Doug Marrone Puts Wrap On Jacksonville Jaguars Minicamp

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone told the media on Thursday he was pleased with what he has seen during OTAs and minicamp.

Judging by what he saw over the past three days, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone deemed the team’s three-day minicamp a success. After 10 OTAs and the work this week, the team is progressing in a direction he and the coaching staff wanted before the 40 days in between now and the start of training camp at the practices fields adjacent to TIAA Bank Field.

“We had more progress in these two days then maybe in times before being able to do more things and get into more situations just because I think the players have done a good job of becoming aware of that,” Marrone told the media on Thursday. “I don’t think that it is any indication or it is going to show you, ‘Hey, listen, this is who you are going to be when you start playing.’ But my goal coming in and watching the way we looked on tape and the players and talking to them, we have to make sure that when we come back.”

Marrone has taken the stance this has been a dress rehearsal these past four weeks, with players learning how the process for this franchise continues. For the veterans, it’s a repeat of last season with more intensity in scrimmages and drills. For the rookies, it has been an introduction to life in the NFL and how the Jaguars want to prepare for the 2018 season.

From what Marrone and his coaches have seen, the team has responded well to what has been thrown at them. It continues to fall in line with what was defined last season at this time – when this was still a 3-13 ball club.

Now, things change a bit as training camp gets more intense, the heat becomes a factor and players get to show more physicality than they did in helmets and shorts this past month.

“I think that is a different mentality of when you come into a training camp. When you come into a training camp and you are looking at the first day and you are looking at the training camp, the next thing is the season starting. It’s pretty far away,” Marrone added.

It’s five weeks the players will be asked to maintain their focus on the playbook without the schematics of being on the field or in the classroom, defensive coordinator Todd Wash explained on Wednesday. While it may be a long period of time until the team gets back on the field, it’s a short time in terms of continuing to prepare for what’s ahead.

“You just keep your head down and keep working. I think that if we can come in and have the types of practices that we have had the last couple days and be consistent throughout training camp, I think we will be on the right track,” Marrone said. “Because make no mistake about it, I know I say this a lot and you guys are probably getting tired of it – there is still a long way to go for us to get ready to start playing because we have not even put the pads on yet.”

The team will also continue to monitor the progress of Tashaun Gipson, Myles Jack, and Dante Fowler, Jr. Gipson was on hand to participate with the team in minicamp. Jack was held to the side to do individual work and continue to progress this offseason.

Fowler is still working toward getting back on the field. Marrone said the team is evaluating him to see if he will be 100 percent ready for camp at the end of July.