Jacksonville Jaguars considered pursuing QB Tyrod Taylor in free agency

The Jacksonville Jaguars will face off against the Houston Texans in Week 1 of the regulars season. Ahead of the matchup, head coach Urban Meyer had a sitdown with the local media and discussed several topics, including the selection of the team captains and the preparation for the season opener. Meyer once again praised Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor, whom he’s described as a dual-threat. Moreover, he noted that the team’s brass considered signing him in free agency.

"We went back and watch Buffalo. I got a lot of respect for Tyrod, we looked at him when we were looking at possible quarterbacks and obviously they signed him and then Texas. But I’ve always thought he’s a heck of a player I like the guys that can move, he’s a dual-threat guy. In Buffalo, he was outstanding, and then he got injured at the Chargers. But I’ve always really thought he’s a heck of a player."

The Jaguars signed C.J. Beathard in free agency and he’s currently the backup behind rookie Trevor Lawrence. Taylor, along with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jacoby Brissett, and Andy Dalton were the top passers in free agency. It looks like Jacksonville made the right decision, as Beathard outplayed Gardner Minshew in the preseason.

Meyer has previously described Taylor as a very talented quarterback, and even though there’s a dropoff in talent from Deshaun Watson to him, the Jags can’t afford to underestimate him. A sixth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2011 NFL draft, Taylor has appeared in 72 games with 47 starts and earned a Pro Bowl designation in 2015. He has a 24-21-1 record as a starter, completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 9,770 yards with 54 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Moreover, he’s racked up 342 carries for 1,850 rushing yards and 16 trips to the end zone.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ quarterback room is set ahead of Week 1.

The Jaguars’ brass decided to hold a quarterback competition in training camp. Lawrence split first-team reps with Minshew. Lawrence was named the starter after the team’s Week 2 preseason matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Minshew was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles not long after. The fact that C.J. Beathard performed well in the preseason probably played a factor in the team’s decision to send the mustachioed passer to Philly.

The Jaguars are a 3.0-point favorite ahead of Sunday’s game. If they want to win their first game of the 2021 season, they will have to neutralize Tyrod Taylor. The Texans quarterback will try to make Jacksonville regret the decision to sign Beathard over him.