With the regular season inching closer, teams around the NFL have ramped up the level of intensity in training camp. On Day 5, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense was finally allowed to make plays on the ball. The unit made the most of the opportunity, intercepting quarterback Trevor Lawrence three times. Now, this was going to happen at some point of the summer, so there’s no reason to overreact.
The Clemson product has had a string of solid practices but no process is linear and he was bound to have a bad day eventually. All NFL players (or most of them) are going to go through a learning curve in their rookie seasons, and Lawrence is no different. As running back Travis Etienne told the local media, it’s better that it happens right now and not later in the season.
Etienne said the Jaguars quarterback might spend the evening watching tape and looking at things he could have done better.
"It’s all about mindset. Trevor, he’s been a professional. It’s how he carries himself. As a football player, you can’t let a bad play beat you twice, and now we all have that mindset out here, so he’s not going to let the day linger behind him, he’s going to go home and watch film, and come back tomorrow with a different mindset and win the day."
Jamal St. Cyr of News4Jax believes the rookie passer might not have been on the same page with his receivers. Moreover, he thinks his interceptions were the result of miscommunication. If that’s the case, that’s something the team can work on. As Lawrence himself said just a few days ago, that’s what training camp is for, to work out the kinks.
As talented as Lawrence is, he’s likely going to have more days like Monday. However, that’s part of the learning process and should recover nicely. Here are other takeaways from Day 5 of Jaguars training camp.
Should the Jacksonville Jaguars be concerned about CB C.J. Henderson?
The Jaguars made it a point of emphasis to bolster their cornerback room. Besides bringing back Sidney Jones and Tre Herndon, they signed Shaquill Griffin in free agency. At the time, it looked like the team’s brass was done adding cornerbacks but they went on to take Tyson Campbell in Round 2 of 2021’s draft. Looking back, it’s a good thing Jacksonville made so many additions to the unit.
C.J. Henderson, the ninth overall pick in 2020’s draft hasn’t practiced in training camp. He was placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list and it may be a while before he returns. Nobody pops on the list voluntarily and there’s not much the second-year cornerback can do right now. Nevertheless, he’s currently behind his teammates in terms of practice reps and will need to make up for the days he’s missed.
Last season, Henderson appeared in eight games and displayed flashes before landing on the Injured/Reserve list with a groin injury. Although he had a few bad games, he also shined in others and the Jags expect him to pick up where he left off. There’s a chance his absence won’t affect him much and maybe he will return without a hitch. Nevertheless, the fact he hasn’t practice could hinder his development in Year 2.
On the bright side, the Jaguars will be able to withstand Henderson’s absence. They have a crowded group of cornerbacks in Griffin, Herndon, Jones, and Campbell. They can surely hold the fort while the 2020 first-round pick returns to practice.
Lawrence wasn’t the only Jacksonville Jaguars player to have a down day.
That’s right, players have bad days, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence wasn’t the only Jaguars to have a down practice. K’Lavon Chaisson had several productive practices early in training camp. However, he struggled on Day 5.
The LSU product got crushed in 1-on-1 drills against offensive tackles Cam Robinson and Walker Little, per Mark Long of the Associated Press. This really the first off day Chaisson has had in training camp, so it shouldn’t be a cause of concern unless he struggles in the padded practices. Moreover, defensive coordinator Joe Cullen praised the 2020 first-round pick just last Friday.
"K’Lavon Chaisson is playing fast. He knows what he is doing, so our coaching has done a really good job with that and the young guys too."
Chaisson was a non-factor early in the 2020 season but he finished the year strong, logging 21 pressures in the last seven weeks. The fact that he rushed the passer with his hand on the ground affected his ability to make plays. Nevertheless, that should change in 2021, as he’s making the switch to strong linebacker, where he will be playing in a more familiar two-point stance.
The Jaguars expect Chaisson to make a leap in production in 2021. Not long ago, he was named a potential breakout candidate. Cullen said that he doesn’t think the defense should have any trouble doubling their sack totals from last season. For that to happen, the former Tiger will need to live up to his first-round draft billing.