Trevor Lawrence struggles to open Jaguars training camp (but fans shouldn't worry)

The Jacksonville Jaguars gave Trevor Lawrence a five-year, $275 million extension in the offseason because they believe he's their guy. Two days into training camp, they're yet to see a return, as the starting quarterback has struggled to get going. That said, it's extremely early not to hit the panic button.

The defense has shown out in practice, with players such as Andrew Wingard and Jarrian Jones making plays. The offense, on the other hand, is having trouble hitting their stride. Trevor Lawrence, in particular, has been underwhelming, throwing three interceptions on the first two days of training camp.

As Michael DiRocco of ESPN noted on Twitter, the Jags ranked 21st in red-zone touchdown percentage last year and their five turnovers in the red zone were tied for the most in the league. This, along with the team's massive investment in Lawrence, makes their slow start to training camp feel somewhat discouraging.

Hines-Allen told the local media on Day 2 of training camp that they want to be the No. 1 defense, pointing out that Lawrence would benefit from going against top competition.

"We got goals to be the No. 1 defense in the NFL, Hines-Allen said. "That's our standard, and the offense has their standard to probably be the No. 1 offense in the league. We're not competing at a high level if we're not giving them the best looks that we can, what good are we doing to this team totality? We come at it every single day, no let up. If we can end this day with a win as a defense, they're going to get better because they just face against the No. 1 defense."

Lawrence, for his part, said on Day 1 of training camp that he embraces the challenge of having to face a top-notch defense.

"I don't want to get too much away, but very physical. The intensity is super high," Lawrence responded when asked about his early impressions of the Ryan Nielsen defense. "A lot of energy. The defensive staff has been great, really detailed. The guys are on the details all the time. But I'd say the physicality is definitely the biggest difference at the line on, the outside, wherever, just really everywhere. I think that's been a point of emphasis."

Lawrence continued, "You can see it. Every throw seems to be contested. It seems to be a little bit of traffic, which is, for a good quarterback, it's good to see your defense doing that, and it challenges us, and it's going to present some challenges this training camp that are going to make us better as an offense too."

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence has time to fix turnover issues

It would be great to see Trevor Lawrence dominate practice, but it's important to set realistic expectations. The coaching staff is installing the offense, and players are building a rapport, and working on their timing. This means that they're going to have rough moments while they sort things out.

It would be worrisome if Lawrence were throwing three picks in the opener, but he's at the stage of the offseason where he's experimenting and seeing what his supporting cast is capable of doing. Moreover, you could make a case that fumbling is a bigger concern for the former Clemson Tiger heading into the offseason. The good news is that he's aware he must improve in that area and is putting in the work to fix the issue.

In the end, throwing interceptions isn't generally great news, but Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars have ample time to fine-tune the offense before the start of the regular season.

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