Wide receiver Zay Jones wasn’t good to go against the Philadephia Eagles in Week 5 but Swiss Army Knife Jamal Agnew filled in nicely for him, hauling in four receptions for 50 yards and two touchdowns. On Tuesday, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor met with the media and talked about what makes Agnew such a well-rounded player.
Taylor points out that the Jags believed it was in Jones’ and the team’s best interest to let him heal a bit longer, and they felt comfortable with that decision because they know what Angew is capable of doing, “we had a lot of confidence that he and Tim Jones could step up and fulfill that role”.
Later in the exchange with the media, Taylor praised Agnew’s ability to play different positions on call.
“The greatest thing about Jamal is his mental flexibility”, Taylor said. “We can tell Jamal the day of the game, ‘hey, I need you to play X and on this point, I need to play F’. He can handle it. He’s one of the smartest guys we have. Communicates really really well in the huddle. And he’s going in the huddle with other smart guys”.
“So he’s able to talk with Marvin [Jones Jr.], Christian [Kirk], Tim Jones and they’re a lot of times where you probably don’t notice it but they’re switching positions and you would never know that unless you knew exactly what our formation was called”, Taylor said.
“We have a lot of smart guys that give us the ability to do that.”
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 6, 2022
Press Taylor on @jamalagnew's ability to play multiple positions. pic.twitter.com/Hfw7INbAkL
The Jaguars have a movable chess piece in Jamal Agnew
The Jags signed Jamal Agnew to mostly play special teams but he’s shown he can be an X-Factor when given the chance. Last season, he earned an extended role on offense when injuries struck. And from Week 7 to Week 10, the former San Diego Torero was targeted 25 times and caught 12 for 83 yards and one touchdown. Moreover, he broke off a 66-yard touchdown run against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10.
Of course, Agnew’s biggest plays of the 2021 season were arguably his two returns for touchdowns.
.@jamalagnew is the first player in NFL history with 100-plus yard TDs in consecutive games.#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/iL0NBabdnk
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 28, 2021
This writer thought that Tim Jones was going to step up in Zay Jones’ absence but it was Agnew the one who ultimately answered the call. The Jaguars now face a dilemma. How many snaps can they give Agnew without reducing his performance on special teams? The coaching staff must find the right balance to make sure they maximize his big play potential.
Zay Jones might be back in the lineup against the Houston Texans in Week 5 but the Jags need to sprinkle a few doses of Agnew on the offense.