The Jacksonville Jaguars resumed training camp after their 27-11 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the Hall-of-Fame game. While it would have been great for the Jags to get the ‘W’ and build confidence ahead of the regular season, there are still three games left in their preseason slate.
The Jaguars will now prepare to welcome the Cleveland Browns at TIAA Bank Field Friday. With that in mind, here are four takeaways about the Day 9 of training camp.
4. Jaguars HC Doug Pederson is taking the loss to the Raiders in stride
Nobody likes to lose but it’s irrational to get worked up about a loss in the preseason. Head coach Doug Pederson told the media Sunday that things are never “as good as you think” nor “as bad as you think”, which is precisely the way he’s supposed to react to a contest that won’t count in the standings.
It’s not that Pederson doesn’t care. It’s that he and the team’s brass know this is the time to assess the roster. If they can get a few wins along the way, that’s fine but that’s not what the preseason is for.
This shows the contrast between Pederson and his predecessor, Urban Meyer, who didn’t take their preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns well and got very upset in the aftermath.
Pederson is aware that the Jags have three weeks to correct whatever issues have arisen in training camp. Thus, it doesn’t make sense to overreact to what’s basically an exhibition game.
3. Jaguars RB Travis Etienne has the right mindset coming off an injury
You have probably heard that football is a contact sport but that’s not entirely true. Basketball is a contact sport, and so is volleyball. Players often make contact in either sport, whether it’s intentional or not. but neither one features the kind of collisions that football players are exposed to and no other position gets dinged up as much as running backs.
Jaguars running back Travis Etienne was reminded of this when safety Andre Cisco hammered him Sunday. Regarding the collision, Etienne told the media that “he needed that” The former Clemson Tiger went on to say that he “needs to get tackled” to get his body acclimated once again.
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The Louisiana native embraces the physicality of the sport and understands that he needs to be exposed to hits to fully come back from the Lisfranc injury he suffered last season. And that’s a good thing. It sounds like something basic, silly even, but you can’t play scared in the NFL, where the mental side of the game is as important as the physical one.
Etienne sat out the Jaguars game against Las Vegas but says he can’t wait to face off against the Cleveland Browns. Coincidentally, the running back got hurt against the Browns last year but it doesn’t look like it will be an issue.
Of course, the Jaguars aren’t going to overwork Etienne but he should definitely be thrilled to be back on the football field after a one-year absence.
2. Jaguars RT Jawaan Taylor ready to resume battle for starting job
An old adage says something along the lines of, ‘you miss 100 percent of all the shots you don’t take”. Similarly, you will lose all the battles you don’t show up to, which is the situation right tackle Jawaan Taylor finds himself in right now.
Earlier this year, it looked like the competition for the starting job at right tackle was going to be the Jaguars’ most important training camp battle. However, Taylor dealt with a hamstring injury over the last few days that paved the way for Walker Little to get plenty of reps and playing time.
Fortunately, Taylor did individual work Sunday and is close to returning. It’s uncertain when he will be able to practice without any restrictions but he will have to make up ground if he doesn’t want Little to unseat him.
Little is getting acclimated to playing on the right side after lining up at left tackle throughout his football career. However, the coaching staff won’t probably name him the starter until they can see what Taylor can do.
If Taylor can make a positive impression in the upcoming days, it won’t matter that he missed the early portion of training camp. Having said that, he’s got his work cut out for him. Last season, he committed 12 penalties and gave up six sacks. He will need to show the coaching staff that he’s improved considerably if he wants to keep his job.
1. The Jaguars are getting Jamal Agnew back soon
The Jaguars suffered a big blow last year when they lost Jamal Angew to a season-ending hip injury. After all, he was one of their few playmakers on offense and one of the most electrifying returners in the whole league.
Agnew is now practicing with full pads and partook in team drills Sunday. He’s trending in the right direction and should return early in the regular season, maybe even in Week 1, when the Jags will face off against the Washington Commanders.
Even though the Jaguars have several players that could handle return duties, including Laviska Shenault and Chris Claybrooks, Agnew is the best of the bunch, and having him back for the season opener would be huge. Last season, he returned a kickoff and a missed field goal for touchdowns. He also took a 66-yard carry to the house.
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The Jags will try to keep Agnew as fresh as possible and will probably limit the number of snaps he will get on offense this upcoming season. Having said that, they will likely design a few plays where they will get him involved.
Not many things went right for the Jaguars last season but landing Agnew in free agency was a bright spot. Looking back, giving him a three-year deal worth $14.5 million wasn’t probably a bargain but it was money well spent.
The Jaguars bolstered their offense and their defense in the offseason. If they can get adequate production from the kicker position and Agnew can have the impact he had last year, they will be a well-rounded team in 2022.