The Jacksonville Jaguars realized they needed to bolster their depth at wide receiver so they started making inquiries before the preseason finale.
The Jags called the Denver Broncos about DeVaughn Vele, but he ended up going to the New Orleans Saints. They then zeroed in on Tim Patrick and managed to acquire him not long after the cutdown deadline.
At 6'5", Patrick gives Jacksonville a tower of a receiver who can have an impact in the red zone. On top of that, his chopping blocks will come in handy next season. For his part, Trevor Lawrence is hyped up about the new weapon in his arsenal.
Trevor Lawrence is thrilled the Jaguars have a player like Tim Patrick
Trevor Lawrence met with reporters a few days after the cutdown deadline and heaped praise on Tim Patrick, pointing out that he brings size and experience to the wide receiver room.
"Obviously, he has the size, he has experience. He's played a lot of meaningful football, made a lot of big plays," Lawrence responded when asked what Patrick brings to the table. (20:52 mark). "I think just having a guy that's older in the room, a veteran presence that's valuable. But yeah, as far as the receiving type, something that we don't really have the big body, rangy guys, so I think that's valuable for us, just to continue to make that room better and better.
Lawrence continued, "And we got some really good ones, and he's just another one, and he's just another addition that's going to help us."
Later in the exchange, the fifth-year quarterback said that he'll do his best to help Patrick get acclimated.
"Get some throws, I think all the timing routes. Stuff that you can see, and you don't have to throw it before they break, like certain routes, it's a little different. But the routes where you're throwing it early, anticipating all those things, just got to get those through next week. We'll have an extra practice on Monday, so we'll have some time to get some of those routes, and just kind of get them through the week."
"But then for him, obviously, has to put the time in this weekend, has some time to learn it. It's a big offense to learn and over the weekend, but obviously, I'm going to be there to help him with anything he needs, and he's got my number now. We've already linked up in the locker room and excited to have him, so we'll get him up to speed. We're going to have him ready. If he goes on the field, he's going to know what to do. He's gonna be ready."
After missing two consecutive years with season-ending injuries, Patrick bounced back with the Detroit Lions in 2024, hauling in 33 receptions for 394 yards with three touchdowns.
Before the season-ending injuries, the former Utah Ute was a mainstay of the Denver Broncos, catching 143 passes for 2,009 yards with 12 touchdowns. He went undrafted in 2017 and spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers before landing in Mile High that year.
Related: Urban Meyer should've listened to his own advice during his failed stint with the Jags
Why Tim Patrick will be a key contributor for the Jaguars
Tim Patrick won't start for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's currently behind Travis Hunter, Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and maybe even Parker Washington on the depth chart. That said, the San Diego, California native could carve a niche on offense for a couple reasons. For starters, he's the tallest receiver the Jags have. Already, head coach Liam Coen has stated that he will find ways to scheme around him.
On the other hand, Patrick is an outstanding blocker, and his willingness to contribute in that area will allow him to get ample playing time. Granted, his numbers won't pop off the stat sheet, but that won't make him any less valuable.
When you add it all up, Tim Patrick will have a big impact for the Jaguars next season even though he won't have a featured role.