Doug Pederson reveals key factor that will help Jaguars sort out the depth chart

Head coach Doug Pederson is aware that the offense is off to a rough start to training camp but understands that it's part of the process. The past few days, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been focused on scheming and stressing fundamentals. They'll soon be moving to the next stage, which will allow them to sort out the depth chart.

Pederson met with the local media on Day 5 of training camp and said that having pads on will allow players to start separating themselves.

"Not really, it's kind of where we picked up from OTAs right now," Pederson responded when he asked if he was surprised about how things have unfolded in training camp. "The first four days, it's an acclimation phase and getting their legs back under them a little bit."

"These next three days, and then really four after this next break, are going to be a big test for this team because the pads are coming on, and practices get longer. That's when you're going to start seeing some players maybe start separating themselves," Pederson said.

Pederson is right. Many players who stood out early in the offseason have trouble making the adjustment once it's time to start wearing pads and performing in team drills. It's one thing to make plays without stiff coverage or knowing you'll get hit.

Earlier in his exchange with the media, Pederson talked about the offense's early struggles to start training camp, noting it's a common occurrence and every team goes through it every year.

"A lot of situations are not conducive, a route combination may not be conducive to the coverage that they're playing, and we don't care about that. Again, I want to see what guys know, are they running the right routes? I want to see if Trevor's going through the progression. I want to see if it's a team situation, the protection aspects of that. That's the teaching part of training camp."

Pederson continued. "We're not in Week 5, it's Day 5 of practice. We're not scheming, so it does make it look awkward that the offense may not be scoring every touchdown every time we put the ball in the air."

Early in training camp, the Jaguars got a bit of negative attention because the offense and Trevor Lawrence struggled. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor believes that's mostly due to how the team chose to install the offense this year. Here's Pederson's full exchange with the local media on Day 5.

The Jaguars are embracing the challenges of training camp

Pederson is right not to panic. Like offensive coordinator Press Taylor, he understands that training camp is a process, and there will be a few rough stretches along the way. On the other hand, he sees the whole picture, acknowledging that the offense has struggled because the defense has stood up in practice.

On top of that, the team is getting healthier. Players such as cornerback Tyson Campbell are back at practice. Defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris will also be cleared soon, so there are reasons to think the Jaguars will soon be hitting their stride.

In fact, you could make the case that they're already turning the corner. Trevor Lawrence had his most productive outing on training camp on Day 5, connecting with rookie Brian Thomas Jr. for a deep touchdown throw.

The Jaguars' first preseason game will be on August 10. As of this writing, it's nearly two weeks away, so they have a bit of time to get ready. Having installed the offense, the coaching staff can now turn their attention to see how players perform in the scheme and see who gets more reps in practice (or snaps in a game).

The bottom line is that the Jacksonville Jaguars know that mistakes are bound to happen. But instead of panicking, they're putting in the work to fix them and get ready for the regular season.

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