The Jacksonville Jaguars beefed up the offensive line in free agency. Among the players they brought in, Robert Hansey is expected to fill the void at center left by Mitch Morse's departure. But aside from starting at center, he'll also be tasked with helping teach Liam Coen's system to the rest of the offensive line.
Coen met with the local media at the 2025 NFL owner's meeting and said he'll lean on Hansay and fourth-year center Luke Fortner to teach his scheme to the rest of the offensive line.
"I think if you literally look with the four OL, really, those guys at the end of the day, with [Patrick] Makari, Chuma Edoga, Robert Hainsey, and obviously, with [Fred] Johnson," Coen said when asked to take them through the Jaguars' free-agency signings. "These guys, they love to play the game. They love what's about to be an O-lineman, right? That's kind of who they are at the core."
Coen continued, "Hans, he's been in the system, so now you have two O-linemen that have been in your system, some version of it, with Luke Fortner and now Hansey, that'll help spread out to a lot of our players. They'll be able to understand the system a little bit quicker, coaches are going to help in so many different ways."
Hainsey played for Coen last season when he was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although he lost the starting job to rookie Graham Barton, he held his own when he was thrust into action and has ample starting experience.
On the other hand, Fortner suited up for Coen at Kentucky. A third-round pick by the Jags in 2023, he made 34 consecutive starts at center but was benched in favor of Morse last year. He'll tentatively be the primary backup at center behind Hainsey.
Below's Coen's full exchange with the press corps. His remarks about the offensive line start at the 0:53 mark.
Jaguars HC Liam Coen meets with media at the 2025 NFL Owners Meetings.@Dream_Finders | #DUUUVAL https://t.co/zyzf1BFy1q
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 31, 2025
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Robert Hainsay will have an immediate impact for the Jaguars
New head coaches and coordinators tend to bring in past collaborators with them to have a sense of familiarity and help them teach their scheme. It won't be any different with Robert Hainsey under Liam Coen. Having said that, the fifth-year center wasn't signed just to be a glorified coach off the field.
Last year, the interior offensive line was one of the Jaguars' biggest weaknesses, and Mitch Morse's retirement accentuated the need to make upgrades. Hensay will most definitely provide, but he's not the only player that will give the offensive trenches a boost.
Patrick Mekari was brought in to start at guard. He lined up at left guard for the Baltimore Ravens last year, but he's set to replace Brandon Scherff on the right side in Jacksonville. Having said that, nobody would bat an eye if the Jags add another offensive lineman in the draft and plug in at right guard to keep Mekari on the left side.
On the other hand, the Jags also signed Chuma Edoga and Fred Johnson to provide depth. The former can line up either inside or outside, and the latter showed during the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl role that he can hold his own at offensive tackle.
The bottom line is that what was a weakness for the Jacksonville Jaguars could turn out to be an area of strength in 2025, especially if the front office adds a couple bigs in the draft. Having Robert Hainsay and Luke Fortner around should speed up the process.
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