Three Jacksonville Jaguars players set for breakout season on offense

Can these three players on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster have the kind of impact on offense that changes the 2020 season?

Now it’s the offense’s turn. How will the Jacksonville Jaguars add more firepower to its stagnant offense from the 2019 season? How does new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden get the most out of his players in the regular season?

If there was ever a need for the Jaguars to put your foot on the gas and show they can become a viable downfield offense, it must be the season. Gruden was brought in because he has a keen mind for the West Coast offense and the ability to use a short and intermediate passing and a quick-strike game plan.

The addition of Gruden alone should make things a little easier for quarterback Gardner Minshew. Whether that equates to this team running up and down the field has yet to be determined.

Based on what fans saw last season, even the slightest amount of progress will do this franchise some good. And now that Minshew has more weapons to work with, there is no excuse why the Jacksonville Jaguars can’t be one of the more improved teams this season.

Once the players are able to get on the field and implement what has been installed by the team’s coaching staff, there should be more reason for optimism.

While it is the quarterback position that is expected to make magic this year, other players must take their step forward And show progress. Here are three players on offense who could have a breakout season in 2020 for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Any Jaguars Tight End

The last time Jacksonville had a tight end who made the Pro Bowl, was 2010 when Marcedes Lewis was honored. That could change the season now that the team assigned Tyler Eifert to fill the role. But the former Cincinnati Bengals star isn’t the only one who could impact the position.

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James O’Shaughnessy returns from injury after missing the final 11 games of the season. He was having his best year as a Jaguars player when he suffered an ACL injury. He figures to be a key contributor in Gruden’s offense.

Josh Oliver will get another chance to show that he can become the past catching a tight end the Jaguars need underneath and in the red zone.

Oliver was a third-round draft pick last year, but injuries took away his season. The Jaguars still believe he could be a special part of this passing attack. The San Jose State player will get as much of an opportunity as anybody else to prove he can be a starter in this league.

Will Richardson

When head coach Doug Marrone made the announcement that Will Richardson was moving back to left tackle this season, it meant to things. First, the team wants competition for starter Cam Robinson.

The second is there is a strong possibility that Richardson, who was a fourt- round draft pick in 2018, could unseat the former Alabama star as the starter. Richeson faced adversity after his first season where he never got on the field, and then nearly beat out A.J. Cann at right guard in 2019.

Richardson’s flexibility and versatility give the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line options. But should he be able to beat out Robinson, it would signify the potential end of this experiment with the former second-round draft pick.

Robinson could become a swing tackle, or he could move inside on the right side to play guard. Because the Jaguars didn’t do much to improve the line this off-season, it’s possible Marrone wants more options across the front five.

Dede Westbrook

This is the final year of Dede Westbrook’s rookie deal. Last season he caught 66 passes while playing injured. In 2018 he caught 66 passes to lead the team. The Jacksonville Jaguars have an improved wide receiver corps, which may mean Westbrook becomes the third or fourth option in Gruden‘s passing game.

Westbrook could be the key receiver in the slot, or he could be a homerun threat with his sub 4.4 speed. Again he gives Minshew another option in the passing game. And if he can stay healthy, which is something that has been questioned, he could catch 80 passes this season.

It’s not known whether the Jaguars will offer the former Oklahoma star a contract extension after this season. But for now, he is not only playing to remain on the team’s 2020 roster and also for a new contract with his current team or auditioning to play for another team in 2021.