JAGUARS HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER
(On CB Shaquill Griffin’s performance and his role in the defense) “I think I’ll talk about Shaq, but it’s also an opportunity to compliment the free agents. I remember I came out and they said, ‘You don’t get to talk to the guys until they’re actually signed,’ and that was a little bit of a learning experience for me. So, Shaq has been great. He’s got a leadership personality, every day [he has] worked his tail off and [he’s] very talented, obviously, I couldn’t be [happier]. But then you start talking about whatever number of free agents we brought in here, they’re all going to contribute, they’ve all been really good for the locker room, really good for the team. And I know that it was something I was worried about—it’s been really good.”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence update on his hamstring and health) “Yeah, if we had to go, he could’ve went. Our trainers and Shad [Khan] are being a little cautious because right now, when you’re a month out, if you yank a hamstring now, you’re going to miss the early part of training camp. So, we’re just being cautious. That’s that one muscle that—you guys have all seen it like I have, [if] you pull a hamstring at this point, you’re going to miss all your summer conditioning, so we’re being somewhat conservative on it. But he actually could play a game if we had to.”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence’s progress on understanding an NFL playbook and working within the Jaguars offense) “Yeah, him and [Passing Game Coordinator] [Brian] Schottenheimer have been working on this well before the draft. His retention and carry over has been very good. Execution at times, like you would imagine, has been up and down, especially when they start changing the looks up on defense—which obviously is going to happen a ton. But we’re very pleased with where he is. The summer is going to be great and training camp is going to be great.”
(On how QB Trevor Lawrence has responded to adversity thus far) “Well, we haven’t had a whole lot of it, you know. We’ll know more in training camp when they—be it OTA or phase 3 and the minicamp, you’re just not in competitive situations. You’re not allowed to—there’s no win-or-lose situations. And that’s how you really find out about, not just Trevor, but a majority of the guys and I’m looking forward to doing that and finding that out.”
(On his assessment of the Tight End room thus far) “Well, I think I mentioned earlier that [James] O’Shaughnessy and [Ben] Ellefson have been—they’re two of the most improved really on the team. When you watch last year’s film compared to this year, what I saw early in phase two, was very much improved. We’re still not where we need to be at that room right now, but we’re getting closer.”
(On LB Leon Jacobs’ position) “It’s a three-four, he’s an outside linebacker. So, he’s still a linebacker but it’s a little bit [of a] different position. But it’s Lerentee [McCray]and K’Lavon [Chaisson] it’s that position. So, it’s really a SAM linebacker that also rushes. So, it’s a three-four versus four-three.”
(On DE/LB K’Lavon Chaisson’s absence today) “Yeah, this morning he tested positive for COVID-19, so they’re going to re-test him again. That’s why he wasn’t here.”
(On walking the line of QB Trevor Lawrence’s development and winning games) “Well, that was a big reason why I hired two coaches with a lot of experience in that regard and that’s Brian Schottenheimer and [Darrell] Bevell. In college, you have that tight rope. I think it’s a great question because that’s reality. Reality is that everybody in this organization knows, whoever is going to be on that field is going to give us the best chance to win. We’re not looking four or five years down the road, but the reality is that you’ve got to—it’s the number one pick overall. So, Bevell and Schottenheimer, I’m leaning on them, but ultimately, I’ve got to make a decision for the guys that’ll help us win. But that’s a great question, that’s a daily conversation as well.”
(On whether the way he has dealt with football has changed over the years) “I can’t speak on it if I don’t know. I hired two guys with a wealth of experience for that reason. In college, it did change dramatically. I remember, you might remember back, Pete Carroll started it, the red shirts were gone, we don’t red shirt. If you’re not good enough, you won’t play. But everybody is ready and I think the NFL, from what I’m experiencing so far, the best players are going to play. So, that’s the mentality.”
(On the balance between developing QB Trevor Lawrence offensively by challenging him with more difficulty from defense) “I think the phase two is more just installing. And then as many times as you can see today, even though he didn’t get some of those team reps, we’re going to go watch that on film. But the reality is, the complications of the game are what slows the development of quarterbacks. So, the idea of being early on, getting installation, now it’s all against a variety of looks that you’ll see.”
(On the plan for QB Trevor Lawrence in the time between minicamp and training camp) “Yeah, Pete [Draovitch] who works with him, the trainer, and then Schottenheimer, Bevell and myself all meet with him as well. But I’m going to make a big push that you look at the Jaguars as a team. With the loss in games, I refuse to believe that there’s bad players—it’s too easy to say that—or bad coaches, I don’t believe that either. I believe that we weren’t the biggest, strongest, fastest versions of ourselves either. So, I expect this team –we’re used to a certain way of doing our business and I just talked to our team about that. I expect us to have a great offseason and show up ready to compete.”
(On RB Travis Etienne Jr.’s development thus far) “Good. I saw flashes of what I remember seeing in college, here in the last week and a half. The Jaguars, when you look at it statistically, big plays were very hard to find last year. And this guy has big play written all over him. He’s a space player, so ideally, we’re going to be one of those multiple offenses that has spread elements as well as the wide wire, the two tights. I think that’s hard to defend if you can do both. And he’s a space player and you could see that the last few practices.”
(On whether he is outside of his comfort zone by not having daily winners or losers or competition) “Yeah, I am used to the win-or-lose identifies the guys that—the number one quality we’re looking for is competitive spirit and that’s hard right now. But these guys, once again, are NFL athletes. If you’re not an elite competitor, you’re not going to be at this level. So, that’s something I’m looking forward to in the fall. But yeah, I think college is so much different because you’re getting a 17-year-old that you don’t know. And some belong in college football, some don’t. Say a guy has made it through high school and college, then he’s an NFL player. So, I’m learning, I expect it to be a little different, but if you’re not a competitor you certainly wouldn’t be here. So, it’s a little bit different, but I look forward to doing that. We’re going to do a bunch of it in training camp.”
(On the competition at the kicking position) “The kicker situation, that’s exactly what that was. We have two guys that are very talented kickers, very talented. And we’re going to do that quite often before we have to make a decision.”
(On bringing in WR Laquon Treadwell for a tryout) “Yeah, I first saw his name and I remembered him very well from high school, obviously and he had a great career at Ole Miss. [He was] a first-round draft pick and I spent some time with him today. But I think we brought an offensive lineman, two defensive players and Treadwell. So, I thought he looked pretty good, big body that can run and big hands. So, I was surprised that his name—when I saw his name and Trent brought him to me, I just remembered him very well and he didn’t disappoint today.”
(On concerns about rookie QB Trevor Lawrence potentially thinking he can fit a ball in any window) “That is a great question because that’s reality. You look at the steps from high school to college, everything gets a little faster, from college to pro, everything gets much faster. And so, we’re coaching him through that. We did have a couple bad practices where the balls were trying to pound them in there and it is much faster. It’s the best of the best on that side of the ball, so that’s something we’re coaching him through, but it is a concern.”
(On whether that coaching moment is something that will get better for QB Trevor Lawrence) “Yeah, but it’s our job, Gene, also to get him in those situations as much as possible and we have not been able to do that much. Once again, you’re not allowed to be in those competitive [situations] where the defense is actually breaking on the ball hard, they’re laid off right now. So, that will be something that will be instrumental in training camp when we start.”
(On DE Jihad Ward’s performance thus far) “Well, Joe Cullen, that was a guy from the start, Joe wanted him. And I remembered him from his college days and Joe, his comments were spot on with what kind of worker he is, what kind of teammate he is and what kind of competitor he is. And so far, he’s been fantastic, so he’s been a great addition.”
JAGUARS CORNERBACK SHAQUILL GRIFFIN
(On the defense being flexible and able to utilize everyone’s best skills) “I feel like it’s going to help me for sure, having the opportunity to change things up. So, you’re talking about a corner that’s able to move around, travel a little bit more, add some blitzes, whatever the case may be. I feel like when the coaches told us they want to find what works best for everybody and utilize that on the field so we all can accomplish the same goal, that’s winning. That’s the main thing, so when the coaches first told me that, it’s cool to see them hold that end of the bargain. Understanding that my speed, my lift, being able to move around, it doesn’t matter what it is, they’re using that from the front end all the way to the back end, the DB’s [defensive backs]. Everybody’s using their strength and the coaches are seeing that and utilizing that. So, it’s going to be something special to really see and I’m excited for it. I can only imagine when they and open the playbook up for everybody to start learning and it’s going to be some interesting things and I can’t wait to see it.”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence transitioning and adjusting to the speed of play) “I honestly wouldn’t have him change much to what he already knows. I feel like what’s going to be different is the speed, maybe the breaking. Understanding that he knows, especially with us, we’re going to be a defensive backroom where we’re going to switch things up, we’re going to make things look different. So, when it comes to Trevor [Lawrence] elevating his game, it’s staying poised, being a little more patient than he was in college. I wouldn’t say it’s too much to change. You’re still working on time with the receivers that we have, but being more patient, seeing things through, going through all our checks. I feel like that’s the part that Trevor is going to continue to be great at, so I wouldn’t say to change too much in his game besides, ‘Okay, you can be a little more patient. You were patient in college, let’s add another half a second or whatever it takes to make sure you’re reading everything because you’re going to see different looks.’ The good thing is he’s going to be going against one of the best defenses in the league. I’m saying that now because we’re going to work him and we want the same thing from him. We’re talking about having one of the best quarterbacks in the league. We want to get that same type of work. We want to push him. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for training camp to go for the ball. I can’t wait for that. But I wouldn’t have Trevor change too much besides staying who he is, staying poised, being more patient in the pocket, going though all his checks, and just reading everything. Everything that looks good doesn’t mean it’s good, so it’s the little details and that’s something you learn as you continue to mature. The things that you continue to see, the coaches, the players, the people around him that help him learn different things, different situations, he’s going to pick up on that fast. [He’s] a very smart kid, so I’m not worried about that. The main thing is just having him ready to compete. The defense, when they let us loose, it’s on and popping, so I’m excited for him.”
(On what he can tell from watching QB Trevor Lawrence regarding not giving himself away with his eyes) “I feel like the main thing is he is very exposed, so when the ball is out, it’s out. I can tell, when you see him throw, so even if I’m out on the sideline, I’m watching him throw to different receivers. The rotation of the ball, the timing, the way he’s putting it there, away from everybody, it’s just insane to see that so early in a quarterback. You’re talking about coming in the league with so much high hopes and he’s proving it. That’s why I’m so excited for him. But the things that I’ve been seeing, the improvements, like I said, the patience. I’m starting to see that more now. If he’s scrambling out the pocket and he’s trying to make a play, he’s letting things develop, he’s letting receivers get open. They know that’s what it takes and they know there’s a lot of great scrambling quarterbacks who can sting plays. You know, they’re some of the best in the league to do it and you start to see your quarterback do it himself, be able to stand plays and let the receivers get open and make plays, it’s awesome. I love seeing that and like I said, it’s going to make us better. So, I’m starting to see things like that from him. And like I said, he’s young. It’s very early, and for him to pick up on it now, I can only imagine what he’ll accomplish going to the next day or two going into training camp, the knowledge that he’s going to gain. You’re talking about preseason, the first game, it’s so much that he’s going to learn and it’s so much that we’re going to help with. So, like I said, I’m truly excited, I know there’s a lot of people out there excited to see Trevor, but understand this team is very excited for him, rooting for him and we’re behind him 110 percent.”
(On whether he can actually assess the caliber of the team without pads and without being able to go full speed) “Well, on the defensive side, I can see it. When you go back to the meeting room and the coaches are telling you to slow down, that’s a good sign. I’d rather the coaches tell you to slow down than speed up. So, I know we can’t go for the ball, we’ve got to stay up. But you see plays where you can see, it’s timing where if I’m going for the ball, I see my safety flying past the receiver. You can kind of see how that may play out in a game if that receiver was going for the ball and really went full contact. So, I look at things. I tell people all the time, I say if I’m in diving range and making a play, I have no problem leaving my feet, so I’m going to make it. So, I think I want to be so close to the receiver that if this man catches it, I know for a fact if I have to go for it, I’d make a play. Because sometimes playing a position, you have to take a guy all the way to the ground just to make a play. And we’re not allowed to do that, so the main thing I’m telling guys is that if you can’t go for the ball, make that window so tight, that it’s hard for the quarterback to even see it. And that’s what we’re working on, so like I said, you’ve got coach telling us to slow down more than having to speed up, which is great. So, we’re building on that so when the pads do come, we’ll just go.”
(On his relationship between him and some of the younger guys) “I’m seeing huge step up from everybody. We’ve got a couple guys who are dealing with nicks and pains, little injuries, but if you see the way these guys work outside of the field, trying to get back. You talk about [Chris] Claybrooks and Luq [Barcoo] and you’re talking about CJ Henderson, all these guys who are looking forward to being at the first day of training camp. This is all—especially for Claybrooks, this is all I’m talking about. ‘I can’t wait to get back to training camp, I can’t wait.’ So, they’re working their butts off. So, it’s not just about the guys on the field, because everybody is making improvements. And I feel like as a leader, the only thing I want to do is everything that I was taught, the people that put their arms around me going into my rookie year, I love that feeling, so that’s the part I’m trying to give to this team. Whatever I know, what I continue to learn, I’m going to continue to preach it. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel like I know it all, so if I can learn something from even as a young guy, if he’s doing something better than me and I need to learn it, I’m going to ask questions and I want everybody in that room to feel comfortable enough, it doesn’t matter if it’s coming to me or coming to Tre [Herndon] or Sidney [Jones IV], it’s doesn’t matter. If we have the answers, we’re going to give it to them. If we don’t, we’ll go to [Coach Tim] Walton, we’ll talk to him for you, it doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, I love this group because everybody in this group wants to see everybody do [well]. It doesn’t matter who starts or who’s second, who’s third, there’s no depth chart in that room. It’s about who can make the most plays and whoever is out there, who can we depend on? Who can we count on? If I go down, who can step up and make sure there’s no rhythm, no beat, messed up? So, it’s awesome, I love that room because everybody is willing to help each other, everybody is willing to be great. There’s no weaklings, so I love that part about our room.”
(On the teammates that stand out to him in the secondary) “The main one that jumped out to me has to be Tre [Herndon]. He’s just different, it’s the technique. That’s the person that I go to a lot about different things. I don’t know if it’s plays, or the press technique that I’m learning for the first time this year. That’s a guy that’s just always, day-in, day-out, doesn’t matter what it is. Like I said, playing this game, some days it’s like, ‘Phew, I don’t know I’m going to get through.’ Not Tre. Tre is not that guy. Every single day, he’s going to find a way to get better and that’s what motivates me. So, there’s never a day for me [when] I feel like, ‘Ah man, I don’t know how I feel today.’ When I see Tre, it’s just something that he brings to this room, it’s like, ‘You know what, I want to get better,’ because I know he does too. So, that’s one of the main ones that just jumped out to me since the beginning, since I first got here. Like I said, there are so many others besides Tre. But man, I’m excited about this group, I’m glad I’m a part of this group. And man, there are some special things that are going to come. I wish I could put it into words, but man, some special things will come out of this group, this DB group. Getting a chance to play with Rayshawn [Jenkins] again, building that chemistry, getting the guys closer. My main thing is I’m a guy that invites the guys to the house, or let’s go do dinner, let’s find—I want to know you personally because that’s who I’m going driving with. Knowing someone who I truly know, I know their family, I know why you’re doing this, I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure you achieve those goals for you and your family. So, I’ll be ready to run through a brick wall for all these guys. So, that’s the bond we’re trying to build. That’s someone I can trust and play with for sure, those guys.”
(On what stands out to him about the bonding and chemistry within the team) “I feel like what’s been different is there’s no judgment. [There are] so many people that are like, ‘Oh I don’t really like his game,’ or it’s this and this and that. There’s no judgment. It’s either I can take something from you to learn. But if I don’t know what I want to learn from you—and like I said, it’s a group that we kind of piggyback off each other. If Rayshawn [Jenkins] makes a play, I want to make a play. Or if it’s something I don’t know, I can go to Tre [Herndon], I can go to Sidney [Jones IV]. When you’ve got a chemistry like that, it’s something different. Us being here for the last couple months just training together, the last couple practices, I feel like what’s been huge for us, mainly, is not just practicing, it’s what we do outside of this building. You know, we’ve got a couple more days but when everybody goes their separate ways, just find ways to go and practice or go through certain walkthroughs, or whatever it is, with some of the guys that are going to go to battle with you. I feel like it’s little steps. The main thing I would tell young guys is everything I do in this league is about the details. The little things of being early or running two yards past the sideline when you’re jogging off. It’s the little things that [are] going to carry us somewhere that some people may not even believe in yet. So, I’m trying to get them to understand that there’s no stop period, we’re still building that chemistry. The reason why it’s so close now, is because we all came, we all accept each other with open arms, there’s no judgment, everybody wants to see everybody be great and do great. So, when you have a room like that, that’s so accepting, it’s easy to say, ‘Oh yeah, that’s my brother. Oh yeah, I’ll do anything for him. Oh yeah, you’re going to be in that pose or you need to make this play, okay I got you, or I see something happen, stay back, trust me.’ That’s the type of relationship we’ve got to build. And it starts not just in this facility, but outside of here. So, I know when coach asks me where I’ll be, I’ll be between Jacksonville and Atlanta training. Call me, I’ll get you up here, you can stay with me, it doesn’t matter. We’ll put you in a room somewhere. You want me to come down? I’ll come down. It’s a nice little drive, no problem. But [those are] the little details that are going to start now, that are going to help us get to where we want to go.”
JAGUARS QUARTERBACK TREVOR LAWRENCE
(On his hamstring) “It’s feeling good. It’s been about a week [since it happened] and I’m just trying to work it back to full capacity. It’s a little frustrating just not being able to go full speed, but I’m feeling good. [I’m] just trying to not have any more setbacks, so [I’m] taking it slow, got some good reps today, just starting to get more and more each day this week and just kind of work back into it. But it’s doing great, trying to work it back.”
(On his comfort level with the playbook) “I feel good. Obviously, I still have a lot to learn. Just the more you practice something, the better you get at it. I still have to get a lot of reps, me and the receivers, the offensive line, just all the timing and meshing with all that. We still have to some work to do, but from a knowledge and just memorization and mental standpoint, I feel really good with the system. I think it’s great. We got a lot of answers and now it’s just working out all the little details to be a really good offense and we’re working towards that.”
(On his expectations for himself) “I want to just master the offense. I want to have complete control and know everything and be comfortable. You can’t really play free and play really well if you don’t know what you’re doing. So that’s the goal is just to master the offense by the time training camp comes around so in training camp we really can focus everything forward on being the best team we can come [preseason] and then going on into the regular season as well. That’s the plan and it starts with the quarterback. Obviously, I have to be ready and I’m going to do everything I can to ensure that that is the case. I’m excited to get started. I think we’ve had a great past three weeks. It’s been really good work.”
(On the most challenging part he didn’t expect coming into the NFL) “I would say it’s been good. Everybody on the team’s been great but just being around a whole new team, new locker room. You don’t really know many people at first, so just trying to, something as simple as, learning everyone’s names and feeling comfortable around that. We have a great team. It’s been super easy, but that was something I didn’t really even think about that was kind of going to be a challenge going in. These guys have been awesome, welcomed me with open arms. Then just the schedule, it’s completely different from college. It’s really like a workday and then in your down time you have to figure out ways to get better and what works for you. I’m still learning that. I’m trying to figure out the best way to make the most out of each day and I think we’re at a really good spot. It’s been great.”
(On his favorite new spots in Jacksonville) “I haven’t been to a ton of coffee places. Bold Bean is pretty good. I think everyone knows about Bold Bean, so that place is good. North Beach Fish Camp is a great restaurant, and we went to River and Post which was awesome. I haven’t been to a ton but try to go to at least one or two spots every weekend and it’s been great.”
(On learning everyone’s name) “Pretty much. I think so. We have some new guys here today, so I have to add a few more. But that’s the thing that’s different too, you have guys coming in. Like one day you have someone new, so that’s new to me too. But yeah, I pretty much know all the guys’ names now I’m pretty sure.”
(On his relationship with QB Gardner Minshew II) “It’s been great. Both of us are obviously trying to be the best player we can be and try to do whatever we can to help this team. From that standpoint, I think we’ve been great working together. We’ve been supportive. If he sees something, he’s going to communicate it to me and vice versa, so I think we’ve worked well together. It hasn’t been an issue at all. I don’t expect it to be. That’s something that I pride myself on is just being a good teammate and being able to work with people.”
(On QB Gardner Minshew II’s college career) “I definitely remember it. I definitely remember watching that. I don’t remember year that was exactly, but I remember hearing about him. I guess I was a freshman that year. I definitely remember watching him. He was fun to watch. I don’t remember a ton.”
(On learning from Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell and Passing Game Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and his input) “It’s been great. Obviously [they’re] two great offensive minds that have been able to work together and come up with a great scheme. I think the best thing about the offense is it gives the quarterback a lot of answers. So, you have a lot of tools, you just have to know how to use them. That’s something for me, now that I pretty much know most of system, it’s figuring out how to put us in the best situation because Coach Bev[ell] and Coach Schotty give us answers. [It’s] just being able to use them, like I said, and that’s something that takes a little bit of practice and reps. It’s something that I’m not really that used to in college, so I think that we’re making great progress there. They’re great about listening to what the quarterback’s thoughts are and what we like, what we don’t like and making adjustments from there.”
