JAGUARS HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 (On how TE Tim Tebow is looking at the tight end position and if it has been weird coaching him again) “Oh well, I wouldn’t say weird—awkward maybe, the first practice. But it’s 1 of 90, trying to make the team. He has improved, it’s all new for him, but Tyler Bowen is doing a good job with our tight ends as a whole. [James] O’Shaughnessy and [Ben] Ellefson in particular, are—if you watch a video [from] last year and if you watch them practice now, it’s night.and day; those guys have really improved. Their positions are trending upward, they’re doing a nice job.” (On whether they call Tight Ends Coach Tyler Bowen by “T-Bow” and whether there are now two people nicknamed “Tebow” in the building) “I actually walked down the hallway and I heard someone call him that, ‘T-Bow’ or something like that. I said, ‘What was that?’ So, I guess that’s a nickname. I’m not sure if they’re changing that or whatever. That’s—I let more important people make those decisions.” (On whether they are planning on hiring a new Director of Sports Performance or go without one this year) “At this point, I think we’re going to stand pat. I’ve watched it very closely, obviously, that’s an area that—I know, Mike, we’ve been following each other for a long time. That’s something that’s been A1A with Mickey Marotti and the training staff [at Ohio State University]. But these guys have been phenomenal. So, that’s an evaluation every day. At this point, I’d grade our guys an A plus—not ‘I grade them,’ but the players do, at the end of the day. So, as of right now, we’re standing pat.” (On what the plan is for TE Tim Tebow’s position) “I think it’s one step at a time and see what happens. Before you start having those conversations, you’ve got to feel where he’s at on the depth chart. So, obviously, it’s only been a couple days, so we have not had that conversation as an offensive staff yet.” (On how QB Trevor Lawrence is performing with a full team and how they’re dividing his throwing reps) “Yeah, he had a great day yesterday [and an] okay day today. But I just talked to Coach Schott [Brian Schottenheimer] because I knew we would be asked that question and I just wanted to give you the right answer. And that is that he’s not necessarily on a pitch count, they monitor every throw and if there’s anything they have to adjust, they will. And it’s been full speed ahead since the last two or three practices. So, I don’t want to say he’s off the pitch count, because they’re monitoring every throw, but when you have three to four quarterbacks, he’s not getting overused right now. In an hour and a half practice, you’re just not getting really enough throws.” (On what he saw yesterday that he didn’t see today in QB Trevor Lawrence’s performance) “Well, a big reason is red zone emphasis and that’s obviously a very hard area of the field. The field changes, especially against NFL talent all over the field and defense had the upper hand today. It wasn’t just him. So, it’s just [a] new area of the field, which is why you spend so much time down there practicing. It’s a completely different game. [He was] very accurate yesterday, today he’s just—we all struggled, not just him, offensively.” (On what he has seen from TE Chris Manhertz thus far) “Yeah, he was a guy that we [identified] early in the free agency process. You say, okay, ‘How do you help a young quarterback?’ Number one, is [to] have a solid running game. And we had him [Chris Manhertz] as one of the top blocking tight ends in the NFL. He’s a guy that didn’t play high school, didn’t play college football, so his [best] football is ahead of him. We think he can be a functional receiver as well. But he’s highly respected throughout the NFL as a blocker. We’ve talked to people who have gone against him, we’ve talked to people who that coached him and he’s even been better than advertised, since he’s been here. So, that was the number one reason, was to be able to extend the line of scrimmage which helps a young quarterback. That was the reason and we went and got him and we are happy to have him.” (On how critical it is for players to participate in voluntary OTAs in this very early process) “Well, first of all, I respect the PA [NFL Players Association] and we try to do the very best we can by them. For example, we had a chance to go four OTAs this week, we did three. We’re trying to do right by the players. I have a group of players that we visit with constantly. But to answer your question, if we didn’t have this as a new staff, I can’t imagine even—you’d have to just push forward and start in August on the field. So, I’m grateful their here. I believe we’re [at] 100 percent and they’re hungry, they want to learn the offenses and they trust the coaching staff and sports [performance] staff that we’re doing right by them.” (On how he would assess the cohesion and comradery of the team early on) “I’m not talking about execution at all, because obviously, that wasn’t very good today in the red zone. But that’s not what the question is. Gene, I look at—if you said in January, ‘What would be your ideal vision of what the team will look like in May?’—and I’m not talking about execution, I’m just talking about comradery, ownership, work ethic, sports performance, changing bodies, health of players, I’d grade it an A plus. I can’t be more happy with it. Everybody talks about the draft and free agency, I’m not going to let people forget, there’s a great core group of players in the Jaguars organization that want to win and it’s our job as coaches to give them an opportunity to win. So, they’re all here, they all enjoy being around each other, they enjoy being around the staff and it’s been really good.” |
JAGUARS WR MARVIN JONES JR.
(On his relationship with QB Trevor Lawrence) “Great. Obviously, it’s been a short time, but obviously the guy’s gifted. You can see it when he throws the ball. We’ve gotten some good work. There’s a lot of people here so everybody’s kind of been rotating and getting a feel of the offense and stuff like that. So far so good.”
(On the progress of the wide receiver group as a whole) “I think it’s been great, and I think it’s just a transfer to what we’ve been doing for the past three weeks before we even got on the field with all of the coaches and stuff like that. We’ve spent a lot of time together, probably almost two months now, so it’s been good. Everybody’s going around flying fast and making big plays as we should and as we knew we were going to do. There’s a lot of people, a lot of receivers in our group that can have different abilities and can put them in different places. You put Laviska [Shenault Jr.] in the backfield and watch him work and stuff like that. Everybody’s been great and everybody’s been taking the coaching and just having a good time. So, we’re just going to continue to do that.”
(On the energy during OTAs compared to others he’s been a part of and having a PA during practice) “It’s definitely different. It’s something I’ve never been a part of, but it’s pretty cool just because you know what’s coming next because he’s going to say it a hundred times. So, it gets you ready for all the energy that it’s going to bring when we go to individual period and we go to team. He’s yelling and constantly reminding us to bring the energy. It’s something that’s different, but it’s something definitely that I like just because it gets everybody going, it gets everybody rolling in the right direction. It’s been great.”
(On the cohesion of the team so far) “I think in a lot of teams there’s a lot of cohesion. All the teams that I’ve been with or a part of, we’ve had cohesion, so I think this is no different. I think it brings a different element just because, like we said, all of the energy that it brings, we’re always together on that field and moving at 100 miles per hour, so you get to experience that with each other. That comes with great responsibility because when everything’s going fast, we need to rely on your brothers because if somebody misses the call or somebody’s over here, you have to pull them in the right direction. So, everybody’s always communicating, and I think when you have that, that chaos is great because the communication has to go up. So, that’s one thing that I like about the energy and the cohesion we have. It’s been a short time, but obviously all of the individual groups have been together for some time now, so we have cohesion there and it transferred nicely into the team, into all of the groups.”
(On if anyone has stood out during practices so far) “It’s just a lot going on, so a lot of the times there’s a lot of young guys out there and I’m just trying to do my plays and then coach the young guys. I think as the weeks go on, I’m pretty sure somebody will stick out. Right now, I’m just focused on our group and our offense and what we have to do in terms of execution and stuff like that, but we have a lot of time for that.”
(On TE Tim Tebow joining the team) “I’m kind of mad because I was the oldest guy on the team. Now, he has me by two years, so I have to talk to him about that, but it’s been great. Obviously, everybody knows the type of worker that he is and it’s no different. He came in here and fit right in, just working, and learning and stuff like that. In the back, when he’s not in, he’s looking at the plays and running extra and doing what he needs to do to get this new position going. So, it’s been good, it’s been good to have him here most definitely.”
JAGUARS OL BRANDON LINDER
(On OL Walker Little and OL Ben Bartch) “Walker [Little], I haven’t had too much time with him, but he’s been coming in, soaking all the information up. He’s looked good going through drills, getting better every day. Ben Bartch, he came back in great shape. Same thing, he’s looked good as well. Both those guys are coming to work every day wanting to get better, so it’s been good to see.”
(On his relationship with QB Trevor Lawrence) “We haven’t had too much conversation yet, just a little bit and on the field, it hasn’t been too much. But the kid’s won everywhere he’s been, and I mean he throws a damn good ball, that I’ve seen out there. But I’m excited, I know he’s excited, his whole team’s excited and so he seems good.”
(On the difference in OTA practices this year with Head Coach Urban Meyer) “The difference [is] we’re changing the culture, that’s for sure. He’s been giving us everything that we need to succeed, and we haven’t had that around here in a while. But he asks it from us when we get on the field and that’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve been putting in work and it’s been good. Everyone’s been trusting the process and buying in to the culture.”
(On TE Tim Tebow) “Tim [Tebow]’s come in; he’s been great as well. He has a lot of experiences that are different from other players, so you can ask him questions and learn from that. But again, I haven’t seen too much on the field. But hey, if he can help us, so be it. Let’s go, I’m ready.”
(On developing the center and quarterback relationship with QB Trevor Lawrence) “I think that’s just repetition. That just happens over time and getting reps with the kid. I mean that’s pretty much how that happens.”
(On building the relationship with QB Trevor Lawrence off the field as well) “Of course you’re trying to build trust outside the building. I mean that’s how you create a relationship, so I’m sure we’ll be hanging out. We do offensive line dinners at my house and stuff and that’s just going to happen organically over time.”
(On Head Coach Urban Meyer statement that the offensive line has to play better) “We got everyone back. We got our coach back, [Offensive Line Coach George] Warhop. Everyone’s excited. In that room, we truly love each other, and we truly are friends. We hang out outside the building. So, we’re excited. We’re ready to turn it up and it’s going to be a fun year.”
(On OL Cam Robinson wearing his jersey backwards) “I think he just wants his name right there. I don’t think there’s too much to look into.”
(On having Coach Warhop back this season) “I mean it’s great. It’s always nice to build a relationship with a coach and not changing over every year having to learn from a new coach [because] everyone has different techniques and stuff. [Coach] Warhop truly cares about us, not only as football players but [as] men outside this building. So, we are all excited to have him back and it’s just nice [because] we have a relationship with him and now it’s just going to keep building.”
(On the difference in resources this year) “It’s just on the performance side: dry needling, cupping, all the different therapies, activation stuff, equipment, that kind of stuff. We have a couple new facilities going up. And then the food, the food’s been better, nutrition, all these different shakes and what not. It’s just we have more at our hands now to succeed and to help us show our potential on the field, show our value. I don’t think [it’s being] pampered or special. I think we’re the ones on the field making this thing go. We have to give it back. We have to give it back when we’re on the field. That’s the whole thing, right? We’re getting everything we need, but when we step on that field, we have to exhaust all efforts.”
(On the status of the team during OTA’s compared to previous years) “Just one week in, it’s completely different. Everyone’s upbeat. Everyone’s bring juice, bringing energy, happy to be here. We’re just putting in work, trying to build that cohesion as a team and create our identity.”
(On what is making the team’s attitude different this year) “It’s just a different culture. It’s just a new beginning, new coaching staff, new everything, so it feels new.”
JAGUARS S RAYSHAWN JENKINS
(On the atmosphere during this year’s OTA’s and Marvin Jones Jr. saying the energy was great) “I would definitely agree with Marvin [Jones]. It’s a lot of energy just around the entire building right now. We have a lot of guys and that’s something that’s kind of different than what I’ve been used to in the past. We have a lot of guys so we can really get some good-on-good reps. You can just feel the energy. You can just feel the amount of guys that are out there. And everybody [is] fairly new to one another, so of course there’s going to be some energy there and guys trying to get to know one another and things like that.”
(On his jersey number choice) “As soon as I heard [the rule about] single digits, I was hyped. The original number I wanted was No. 8 and I know [former Jaguars QB Mark] Brunell wore it in the past, so I was just like, ‘What’s the next number?’ They were like, ‘No. 2’s open’ and No. 2 was the first number I wore in football ever when I was a young fella. That’s my first number ever so just even seeing me with the No. 2 on again brings back memories and stuff, so it’s kind of cool that the NFL even passed that rule.”
(On building the chemistry on defense during OTA’s) “Just like I said earlier, we have, I don’t even know the number of guys, I want to say maybe 90 guys here, so it’s easy to get good competition on competition. I feel like one good thing that I saw today was that everyone was competing and that’s the number one thing that I saw today, which will make up for a lot of mistakes down there, especially in that area of the field, which is probably one of the more critical areas of the field than any other place.”
(On playing against TE Tim Tebow in practice) “He’s just another guy. I met him briefly just in the locker room, so really [he’s] a really good guy from what I can tell. But I don’t look at it as ‘Tebow’ or anybody who’s just right there. I just look at it [as] what do I need to do this play? What are my keys? What am I looking at? It doesn’t matter what number the jersey is or whoever’s right there in front of me. So, I’m just always trying to just work on my toolbox and work on my craft.”
(On not getting distracted by the storyline of TE Tim Tebow) “No, we don’t get caught up in any of that. You can’t get starstruck around here. It’s the business. I played with numerous superstars. I can name a list full, but we’re all friends at the end of the day, we’re all co-workers at the end of the day.”
(On what he’s learned about CB Shaquill Griffin after reuniting with him on the field) “You can just tell both of our mindsets and approach to the game is just different and much more just professional. Even today, we came and before practice we talked to each other [and said,] ‘Hey, what do you need to work on today? What do I need to work on today? Let’s make sure we’re doing that and if we don’t see each other doing that, let’s hold each other accountable.’ So, it’s just the professionalism as we age. But he’s always been a great football player and I expect nothing less and I would definitely think he thinks the same about me.”
