HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2023
“…We do, I do. Brings back a lot of memories as a player and as a young head coach in this league. These
days never get old, this is why you’re in this business, for days like this. We understand it’s a long
process, though. Camp is for several weeks. It’s great to get everybody on the grass and we got, what?
Two beautiful fields, we’ve got a beautiful building that we’re breaking in and everybody is excited.”
(On setting the tone and expectations for day one of camp) “Well, I kind of set the expectations last
night in the team meeting and what to expect. Really, expectations for us is that we’ve got to get better.
We’ve just got to focus on us and take it one day at a time, camp is long with three preseason games.
We just have to continue to grind and continue to work.”
(On liking leadership within players) “Yeah, I do. We saw that towards the end of the year last year,
players really took it upon themselves to lead the football team. That’s a good sign of the leadership you
have in the locker room. Obviously, we’re not an old football team, but for some of the young players to
step in those roles. We’re going to need more of that this year. It is good as a coach so you can lean on
those guys and they can handle a lot of situations for you.”
(On having a sense of normalcy after last season) “It doesn’t matter where you go, but I think last year
was great from the standpoint of us being at Episcopal, we appreciate everything they did for us. We
were on buses and transporting back and forth. We became a little closer group for a couple of weeks as
we did that. Now, the excitement and enthusiasm of a brand new building and two great fields and
having fans back at practice that we’ll have today. Those are the excitable things that we look forward
to.”
(On having a different coaching approach with OL Cam Robinson) “Well, yeah, we understand the
situation. We have to prepare both guys [OL Cam Robinson and OL Walker Little], honestly. I would say
that if Walker [OL Walker Little] is the guy there, we got to make sure he’s ready to go and get him all
the reps. But at the same time, Cam [OL Cam Robinson] is going to practice and be apart of the football
team. Both guys understand their roles and what we’re trying to get accomplished. As a staff, we’ve got
to make sure that both of those guys are prepared. Particularly, Walker getting the majority of the snaps
to get him ready to go possibly for Week One.”
(On giving OL Walker Little reps at left guard) “Yeah, I think there’s scenarios where we can do that.
That’s something early at camp you want to see, your offensive linemen playing multiple spots and
having that versatility. Yeah, he’ll get some work in there.”
(On reasoning of not signing another pass rusher) “Well, number one, really comfortable, I say
comfortable, but really need to see Travon [OLB Travon Walker] take another step this year. We need to
see, when I’m talking about the edge guys, we need to see Josh [OLB Josh Allen] continue to improve
and get better. Coming out of the spring, and really, coming out of last season, evaluating K’Lavon [OLB
K’Lavon Chaisson] and where he is, he’s more of an outside guy, seeing where he’s at. We like where
Roy [DL Roy Robertson-Harris] was at the end of the year and the pressure he was putting, DaVon
Hamilton [DT DaVon Hamilton] was. Fatukasi [DL Folorunso Fatukasi] is a guy that, now in year two of
our system, we can see the improvement there. You just don’t go out and get a player that you think can
‘fix’ a spot. Our job, as coaches, is to make sure that we coach our players and that’s what we’re going
to do in this camp and particularly when we get the pads on. We like the guys we have, obviously, and
we’re comfortable with that. We’ll get them ready to go.”
(On where OLB K’Lavon Chaisson stands) “When we’re in base defense, he’s a guy that’s going to be a
rotational guy. Depth chart wise, he’s probably three behind Josh [OLB Josh Allen] and Travon [OLB
Travon Walker] right now, then KC. I see if he continues to work and improve the way he’s been working
in the offseason, hopefully this camp is a good camp for him and you can see him in a little bit more.”
(On timetable of OL Ben Bartch) “Don’t like to put timetables on guys as you know, but he’ll start camp
PUP. Smoot [OLB Dawuane Smoot] will be the same way. Those two guys will be PUP. He’s progressing
really well, and we will continue to show and monitor his progress. Optimistic, maybe, a lot like James
Robinson [former Jaguars RB James Robinson] was a year ago in camp, maybe towards the end of camp
getting him in there and in the mix.”
(On what OLB Dawuane Smoot brings back for the defense) “Well, number one, leadership. He was
another one at the end of the year before the injury that was being disruptive. Another one, obviously,
in the pass rush conversation. He’s probably a little later as for coming back to the football team
because of a later injury during the season. I think his leadership, his pass rush ability, the fact that he
can play inside and outside, his versatility there. Those are the guys that we were hoping to get back,
right? One of the free agents on the team we were trying to resign, and we were excited that we did.”
(On how OLB Dawuane Smoot’s recovery is going so far) “Good.”
(On approaching situation of CB Chris Claybrooks) “Right now, obviously, still ongoing the investigation.
He’s still a part of the football team. We take these things very serious here. We want to make sure that
Chris [CB Chris Claybrooks] understands that, number one. At the same time with things being ongoing
and waiting for any kind of official ruling with him, he’s apart of the football team and getting himself
ready to play.”
(On if there’s a need to continue preparing WR Calvin Ridley) “No, he’ll be full-go.”
(On performance of WR Christian Kirk in offseason) “He came back very excited, very enthusiastic as for
the way we left off at the end of the year. Again, what I saw, second year in our system now, the
familiarity, the comfort level in the offense, the leadership ability. He was someone, too, with him and
Calvin [WR Calvin Ridley] having a great relationship, just being able to help coach him on the field.
That’s something that I really respect with Christian. We don’t ask them to be coaches, but it’s kind of
natural for guys like that to take guys under their wing and teach the offense.”
(On expectation of TE Josh Pederson) “Listen, he’s someone we looked at. He played in the USFL with
Houston and had a good season with them. With Leonard Taylor’s [TE Leonard Taylor] injury, it freed up
a spot. It’s like any other young player coming in and competing and when he gets opportunities, he
tries to make the most of them. That’s with any young player. Part of me is the coach, part of me is the
dad side of it, but we’ll do everything we can with all of our players to make sure they’re ready to go and
give them opportunities to compete.”
(On TE Josh Pederson’s mother have to sign off of his participation) “No.”
(On possibility of cutting TE Josh Pederson) “It’s possible. Those are decisions we’ll have to make at the
end. But, just having him here, seeing what he can do and competing with the guys, he’s gelled well.
He’s been around our team, right? You’ve seen him out at training camp practices and he knows a lot of
the guys already. There’s that familiarity with the team. It’s just a matter of him coming in, embracing
the role and doing good on the field.”
(On TE Josh Pederson being a spy for Head Coach Doug Pederson) “A spy? An espionage now? No, not at
all. I’m not going to him for questions or answers or anything, no.”
(On what it means for TE Evan Engram to resign with the team) “Obviously, longer. It took probably
longer than we had hoped for. We felt, Trent [General Manager Trent Baalke] and I, even on his side,
felt like we were going to get something done. It was just a matter of letting the dust settle around the
league and seeing where things were going to shake out, and obviously on our football team. We’re just
excited to have him here, I don’t think he was going to not miss camp, regardless of the extension or
not. I think he was going to be here. He loves ball, he loves being here. That’s the one thing that, I think
as a coach, you’re proud of; when guys want to stay and they want to be here and be apart of what
we’re building. He’s a big part of it, offensively, we’re excited to have him locked up for a few more
years and ready to go.”
(On different feelings when players are on contract) “It happens. I think something is lifted off of them, a
weight is lifted now, the fact that they know where they’re going to be for the next few years. Yeah, it
definitely takes that burden off.”
(On interest of having fans at practice) “Love it. I love it. It’s the enthusiasm of playing in front of your
home fans anyway. The fact that we have a beautiful stadium out here to host 2500 or so fans for the
next couple of weeks. The guys feed off of that. It brings a lot of energy to practice. Sometimes, it’s
better than blaring the music all day long.”
(On providing shaded areas for fans as an appreciation) “I think it’s everything to the fans, to have the
opportunity to come and spend a couple hours out here and watch practices. They have the fans, the
actual fans up there to keep them cool. You’ve got the amenities, the pro shop out there. It’s a great
place to come and bring families. One of the things I’m doing differently this year, kind of new this year,
is I’m asking each position group to sign autographs after practice. 100 lucky fans will get a chance to
come through the line at the end of practice. It’s a way for us to give back to them, because they
support us, they come watch us in the hard times and the good times. I enjoy having them out there.”
(On making improvements on offense throughout the spring and now) “Maybe.”
(On comfortability of offensive layout) “Pretty good, pretty good.”
(On features of new facility that better help the team) “Space. You guys have spent a lot of time in the
stadium and it’s been great for the amount of years that the Jaguars have been here. Having this, the
windows, the sunlight, to see it rain in the afternoon, to be able to walk outside right onto your practice
field or walk indoors to your indoor facility with a beautiful big weight room that you can now put the
team in. It just makes it easier, but the message, too, is to not get too comfortable. You still have to put
in the hard work and time. It just gives us, the resources now, to really focus on ball, and not worry
about a bunch of other things.”
(On growth of QB Trevor Lawrence’s drive) “I have, I saw it when he arrived for the offseason program
and the way he’s led this football team and continues to lead this football team. His motivation hasn’t
changed, it’s probably enhanced a little bit more. Guys understand that they can be a good football
team. He understands that this could be a good football team. We just got to focus on that. Focus on us
and continue the process and continue the hard work. He’s in a really good place, to your point with the
offense, we do lean on him. We do ask him what he likes and doesn’t like and try to refine it to the
things the players like. That’s a sign of the confidence that they have in us, and we have in them that we
can have these communications and conversations. He’s the leader of this team, and we’re excited he
is.”
QUARTERBACK TREVOR LAWRENCE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2023
(On the first day of camp went) “It was a good first day. We came out here yesterday and did our
conditioning test, to kind of get our legs under us. Then first day of practicing today I think the guys look
good, everybody’s healthy, it was a good first day, [we’ve] just got to keep building off it.”
(On if there is a different vibe around the team based on last year’s accomplishments) “Definitely, I think
just the energy and confidence is already there. Last year, everybody was excited but there were a lot of
new faces, a lot of moving parts and still a lot of questions to be answered. Of course, it’s a new year
and we have to go prove ourselves but just the confidence and the energy that we have based off of
what we’ve done and the amount of work we’ve put in together over the past, year and a half now with
some of these guys, you feel that confidence and that energy for sure. “
(On where he was when TE Evan Engram received his new contract) “We were actually together, we
were out in Arizona for a skills trip and they were all at dinner. I hate to tell this story [but], I packed it in
early that night and then of course his deal got done 45 minutes after I left. So, they were celebrating,
and we were on the same flight back to Atlanta the next morning so I got to talk to him. Obviously,
super excited that he’s back and just what he means to this team. He’s a really talented guy, but his
work ethic, the way he carries himself, leadership, all those things, I think that’s what really makes you
want to keep him. So, he’s a huge impact for us.”
(On how he found out about TE Evan Engram’s new contract) “So I didn’t even know until the next
morning and then I saw some stuff in our group message and obviously saw the post and all that. Then I
saw him at 5 a.m. when we were going to the airport, so we got to talk about it real early. Just super
excited for him and his family and he’s worked really hard to earn that. He’s had some challenges in his
career, got a fresh start here, and he’s just taking advantage of it. It’s been fun getting to know him and
work with him.”
(On getting the offense molded into what he wants to do) “I think it’s always evolving. We learned a lot
of that last year especially with the guys that we have, including myself, what we do best and what
we’re really good at. But you also have to keep getting better, keep evolving, and you have to add new
wrinkles. So, it’s always changing but you know what your bread and butter is, you know what you’re
good at, and you find different ways to continue to do that. Maybe [you] make it look different, or have
different guys doing similar things, whatever it is you just mix it up, but you also try to get better and
introduce new things. So, there’s a balance to that and that’s kind of what training camp is for. Of
course, we want to beat our defense every rep, but really we’re just installing stuff and we’re trying to
run these plays against every different look you can see. So, we’re not necessarily game planning and
putting in, ‘Alright this is the play we want specifically for this guy’, we want everybody to do everything.
Let’s see what they can do and find who’s best at what.”
(On if he is past the “wow” factor of WR Calvin Ridley) “No, he’s still impressive. Just watching him [and]
the way he runs, there are not many guys like that especially in and out of his breaks. He’s just really
crafty, has great ball skills, and you haven’t even seen it yet because we’re not in pads and we’re not full
contact, but I think after the catch he’s really good too. In spring we were still kind of working him in so
we didn’t get a ton of reps so now that we’re at camp, we’re full go I’m excited just to continue to build
on that. He’s going to fit in really well with that group, with (WR Zay Jones) Zay, (WR Jamal Agnew) Ag,
(WR Christian Kirk) Christian, (TE Evan Engram) Evan, and all the other receivers, he’s going to fit in
great.”
(On what he wants to get accomplished before the first practice with pads) “The mindset doesn’t
change. We’re still just trying to be clean from the huddle to the snap, [and] all the way through the
plays. Just how consistent, how clean can we be formationally? Have everyone going in the right spot,
communicating, different looks. Even though we don’t have pads on, we’re still going to get a lot of good
reps against our defense. It’s not full contact but still those reps are valuable. So, we’ll have a lot of days
without pads. Just learning how to practice that way and how to get the most out of it. I think as a
quarterback you’re always looking for that timing with all your guys, like we talked about, all the
different routes that they might run. During the season yeah that might dwindle down a little bit and we
might get more specific on each guy but, you try to get a feel for all the guys and all the different routes,
how they’re going to run them, how you’re going to throw them, and what they are going to do versus
different coverages. Our defense does a really good job of mixing it up so we have to learn how to
address all of the issues that could show up versus different looks, coverages, and matchups. I think it’s
been really good for us and it’s going to continue to be good for us.”
(On the chemistry between him and the wide receivers) “It’s great, we have a really good relationship.
Obviously (WR Calvin Ridley) Calvin is the new guy, besides the rookies, but he has just fit in great. He’s a
guy that works hard, treats people well, and just goes about his business. So, he’s going to fit in well
with our group. The biggest thing that we’ve done is we have a culture of just not being selfish. It’s not
about one guy, it’s about the overall success of the team. I think when you have that culture and guys
come into it, it’s easy just to go along with that. I think that’s what we’ve set and that’s how guys carry
themselves. It’s easier when you don’t have to deal with egos, and we don’t really have any guys that
have egos. That especially makes it easier as a quarterback. You just try to do your job and put yourself
in a position to win the game. I think everybody knows that and is on the same page with that. That’s
what makes us work and gel really well together.”
(On how good WR Christian Kirk and WR Calvin Ridley are) “Really good and they’re really different. I
think that’s what’s good for us. They both can do different things but as far as what they do, they’re
both really good route runners, really smart, and know how to set guys up. (WR Christian Kirk) Christian
works primarily in the slot and he’s good in space and working that area of the field. (WR Calvin Ridley)
Calvin is that outside guy, one-on-one, whatever it is he’s going to be able to go win for us on a lot of
different things. So having that option is going to open our offense up along with (WR Zay Jones) Zay as
well. We’ve got two guys outside that are studs, we’ve got (WR Christian Kirk) Christian inside and (TE
Evan Engram) Evan as well depending on what it is. We’ve also got (WR Jamal Agnew) Ag, I mean we just
have so many weapons. It’s going to be tough for defenses to know what to expect because we can do
so many different things. We’re not one-dimensional. Those guys can do a lot of different things, they
can run every route so it’s going to help us a lot. “
(On if he would put the Jaguars offensive skilled positions up against any group in the NFL) “I would,
yeah. We have a lot of work to do and through training camp, [and] we’ll keep finding out how good we
are as far as just talent goes. The guys that were here last year, we have that chemistry and that
connection. I feel really confident in our group up against anyone. We don’t play against the other skill
groups, that’s the thing, so it doesn’t really matter as much. But, to your point, I do think we are evenly
matched if not above, so I feel really confident in it.”
(On the emphasis of getting off to a better start in games this season) “Yeah, I think that’s the big thing.
Throughout the whole season, even when we played well, it seemed like we always kind of started slow.
To just find a way to start the game how we finished those games towards the end of the year. Just to
try to make it easier on us. Not every game has to be a 10, 17, 27-point comeback; let’s try to start that
way. That’s a big emphasis for us, I think it’s just completely dominating the whole game. Not putting
our back against the wall every week and trying to fight back, but how can we try to control the game?
How can we start fast and just be consistent? I think that’s the biggest thing and definitely an emphasis
for us.”
(On the feeling of hearing the first ‘Duuuval’ chant this morning) “It was pretty cool, especially here at
the new facility. I was telling them before, I remember hearing about the plans of this and then they
kind of started working on it and I was like, ‘Ah, that’s going to take forever.’ Then, before you know it,
we’re already here and we’re moved in. We’ve got the best facility in the NFL, the best fans in the NFL,
it’s cool to have. To be able to share that with the city and to have fans here, I mean we’re going to have
people here pretty much every day, so we’re putting it to good use. I know everybody is excited, just the
fans we’re talking about. We met a few of them and they’re pumped for this year, we are too. There’s a
lot of energy and we’re just trying to channel it all the right to take advantage of our opportunity. It’s
exciting, and this is an awesome place.”
(On what he’s seen from OL Walker Little) “Walker has just been the same guy ever since he got here,
ever since we both got here. He’s going to be prepared, and I think the good thing about him is that
obviously he’s a great player, but he’s also had that experience. He played a rookie year, I know he
played three or four games, played really well. Then last year, he had to play the last five or six games, I
don’t know how many it exactly was. He played a handful of games last year. He’s had that experience,
he’s played in big games, he’s been in a position with a lot of pressure where he has to play well and
he’s done it so I have no concern. Walker is going to do great and Cam [OL Cam Robinson] is a great
player. We’ll be excited to get him back when that is, but no concern with Walker in there.”
(On Chargers QB Justin Herbert signing a contract extension) “Yeah, I saw it. That’s pretty big news. I
don’t really pay too much attention. Obviously, I saw it, you keep up with what’s going on around the
league in general. Not even just contracts, but what’s been going on.”
