Quarterback Gardner Minshew isn’t throwing in the towel just yet even though Trevor Lawrence is set to be the Jacksonville Jaguars starter in 2021. The 2019 sixth-round pick isn’t paying much attention to things he can control and is doing his best to prepare for the upcoming season.
Minshew recently had a sitdown with the local media. He talked about his mindset in training camp and his relationship with Lawrence.
"I can control how I work, how I prepare, so I’m trying to get better every day. I think when you start playing the comparison game, you’re worrying about somebody else and not yourself. It’s only a negative impact. So, really just focusing on myself trying to get better every day, trying to be the best leader I can be for these guys. It’s all things I tried to do."
Later, Minshew described Lawrence as an “awesome dude and super humble”. He added that he’s ready to work and ready to learn, “it’s been a lot of fun working with him, and I’m excited to continue to build that relationship”.
Although Minshew has been mainly working with the second team, he practiced with the ones Friday. Per Michael DiRocco of ESPN, he was 17-of-21 and had a fourth-down incompletion in an end-game drill towards the end of the day.
Lawrence has had the better training camp, and he will most likely be the Jaguars’ starting quarterback in Week 1. Nevertheless, that hasn’t deterred Minshew from working hard. Even if he doesn’t start, he will still have an important role in Jacksonville.
Here are a couple more observations about Day 8 of Jaguars training camp.
Jacksonville Jaguars fans should be excited about DT DaVon Hamilton.
With the additions the Jaguars’ brass has made on defense and all the attention EDGE rusher Josh Allen and linebacker Myles Jack get, it’s easy to forget that defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton is still with the team. However, the Ohio State product has been dominant throughout training camp and should take on a bigger role in Year 2.
Last season, Hamilton worked his way up the depth chart and made his first start in Week 6 against the Detroit Lions. He earned the highest Pro Football Focus grade among Jaguars defenders in Week 7 and Week 9 but a knee injury cut his rookie campaign short.
Defensive coordinator Joe Cullen also met with the local media and said that Hamilton and Malcom Brown have been working great every day, “Wednesday, we had our challenge day. They both really stood tall”.
Cullen had nothing but positive things to say about the former Buckeye.
"Ham’s a second-year guy, loved him coming out. He’s got the make-up of what we need in the middle big 330-pound girth nose tackle that can get knocked back and he showed that on Wednesday with pads."
The 2020 third-round pick won’t garner as much attention as Allen or Jack. While he may not offer much in the pass rush department, he will still play a key role against the run in 2021. The sophomore defensive tackle has dominated through training camp and has been the offense’s toughest assignment in one-on-one drills, per John Shipley of Jaguar Report.
Hamilton showed flashes in 2020. He’s ready to take the next step in Year 2.
There’s a reason why the Jacksonville Jaguars signed TE Chris Manhertz.
There are several tight ends the Jaguars could have signed in free agency, including Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. However, they zeroed in on Chris Manhertz. Despite the fact that the former Carolina Panther has just 12 career receptions, the team’s brass believes he could have a key role in pass protection.
Manhertz also spoke to the media and touched on several topics. Regarding his transition from basketball to football back in 2015, the Canisius product he says he saw an opportunity and seized it.
"It was a hell of an opportunity that was was presented to me and I tried it. I think it’s safe to say it’s one of the best bets I ever made, but it’s been great as a whole."
Earlier this year, Manhertz offered an invitee to attend Tight End University, a clinic Travis Kelce and George Kittle organized earlier this year. He said it was very humbling to be invited and being around a great group of guys, “a lot of guys at the same position just picking each other’s brains and learning from each other”.
Later, Manhertz says he doesn’t think there should be a distinction between pass-blocking or pass-catching tight ends. Rather, he sees himself as a Swiss Army Knife, someone who’s asked to do many things on offense.
"As a tight end, you’re expected to make a play when you know the quarterback throws into you, and you’re also expected to make a play in the run game to clean our run game for the running back so you just have to embrace all of it."
Ben Ellefson is having a terrific training camp and rookie Luke Farrell is making strides but until further notice, Manhertz is the top tight end on the Jaguars’ depth chart.