Jaguars Roundtable: Assessing top takeaways from OTAs, minicamp

Doug Pederson's first offseason program as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach is in the books.

Now, the Jaguars are on summer vacation until July 24 when training camp opens.

That's when the pads will come on and the real work starts in preparation for the 2022 regular season. Although Pederson gave most of the veteran players an early vacation by not having to attend the three-day minicamp that concluded Wednesday, they got plenty done during the nine organized team activity practices.

To break down the Jaguars offseason program, Times-Union staff writers John Reid and Garry Smits, Juston Lewis and sports columnist Gene Frenette conducted a roundtable discussion.

'I've seen this team grow': Pederson puts Jaguars through final work before five-week break

Upcoming camp battle: 'He's big:' 6-foot-5 Santoso battles rookie for shot at being Jacksonville's kicker in 2022

Gene Frenette: For Tony Boselli, going into Pro Football HOF without Dad a tough reconciliation

What was your biggest takeaway from the offseason program?

John Reid: Running back Travis Etienne working without limitations was significant for a player who missed all last season with a severe foot injury that required surgery. He flashed his speed and showed an ability to cut and push off his left foot in which the Lisfranc injury occurred. Etienne returning to full speed has a special significance considering starting running back James Robinson continues to rehab from a torn Achilles' tendon and is not likely to be ready for next month's training camp. Another takeaway was how the players appeared to be re-energized under Pederson and his staff. Pederson acknowledged his team needed healing, and trust had to be restored. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence praised the staff and his connection with Pederson, a former NFL quarterback.

Gene Frenette: It's hard to say unequivocally that there was a defining takeaway, but there seemed to be a pretty clear player buy-in to Doug Pederson's approach to rebuilding the franchise. You always have to be careful not to get carried away by all the positivity and everything-is-great responses that players typically spout off at this time of year. Fans and media both tend to drink that Kool-Aid since expectations rise when no games are being lost. That said, Pederson strikes me as a leader who knows what he's doing and will ultimately have success in his second bite of the NFL coaching apple. I never felt that way about Urban Meyer a year ago at this same juncture.

Garry Smits: Probably the efficiency and professionalism of the practices that were open to the media. A funny thing happened: there was no staff member on a P.A. system yelling at players to "hydrate, hydrate," or giving them a countdown to the next period or announcing that the punt team was going to kick from the right hash, 45-yard line, toward a particular landmark. Instead, a simple horn signaled the end of a period and miraculously (or at least former coach Urban Meyer might think so) NFL football players knew where to go and went to work. There was little wasted effort or reps to be seen and coach Doug Pederson obviously believed his veterans got their work in, since he gave most of them the minicamp off.

Juston Lewis: My biggest takeaway from the offseason is the number of players that’ve bought into the new regime. Doug Pederson has addressed it several times over the last few months, but the team needed healing after last season. If you look at where this team was when the season ended — with fans wearing clown attire and calling for Trent Baalke to be fired — to now, there’s a different energy in the building. We’re a long way from statistical wins or losses, but I think Pederson and his staff should appreciate the moral victory of the offseason. Many players have spoken highly of the staff so far and vice versa for the coaches speaking on the players.

Did Doug Pederson make the right call to give most veterans an early summer vacation by not having to participate in the three-day minicamp?

Reid: Without a doubt, the three-day minicamp could have been beneficial for the veterans to build camaraderie and get more adjusted to the new offensive and defensive systems. However, the Jaguars had good participation from the veterans throughout the offseason program, and Pederson thought they got what they needed to accomplish before camp starts on July 24th. Also, only so much can be achieved in non-contact practices, so giving the veterans an early summer vacation was not a bad call by Pederson. 

Frenette: Honestly, I'm not sure this was much of a big deal from a long-term perspective. The mandatory minicamp is not exactly a taxing exercise, except for the fact it's held in the middle of June when temperatures get steamy. I hardly think excusing players from practices with no pads is going to have much effect one way or another. Pederson said he felt the veterans had earned the break. I have no reason to not take his word for it or think this is some sort of indication that he will be soft on them during training camp.

Smits: We won't know until training camp arrives and sessions seem disorganized or clunky but he must have had his reasons and one was the strong attendance of the veterans in the voluntary OTAs. However, I'm not sure they didn't need the work. There were still too many drops by receivers and even practicing with no pads and no contact, the offensive line, especially the second team, didn't look great. The quarterbacks were flushed from the pocket on occasion purely on moves and technique by defensive linemen and outside linebackers and Trevor Lawrence wasn't razor-sharp in every team period. Still, one of the reasons Pederson was brought in was to have a grown-up in charge and the man has a Super Bowl ring. Let's trust that he did what he thought best.

Lewis: The early summer vacation is an indication of where the team is. I’ll use the analogy of a teacher lightening the lesson plans as the school year winds down. If students haven’t learned enough to get to the next grade, they’ll keep teaching the basics and fundamentals the students need to advance. But if the students have learned enough to move on, there’s no need to continue reteaching what has already been taught. I think Pederson and his staff have implemented their coaching methods throughout the roster and have faith in the veterans to come back to training camp ready to work.

What is the significant question mark for the Jaguars going into next month's training camp?

Reid: Pederson says he likes his offensive line, but I think it is still one of the most significant question marks. A starter has yet to be determined at right tackle, and Ben Bartch will be starting a left guard for the first time. Perhaps, the most competitive battle in camp will be between Jawaan Taylor and Walker Little at right tackle. Taylor has struggled the past two seasons with penalties and getting beat consistently off the edge. Little was the backup behind Cam Robinson at left tackle last season and is the likely favorite to beat out Taylor, who could become the team's swing tackle. Another question is whether the Lawrence has enough weapons at wide receiver. Christian Kirk, Jay Jones, and Evan Engram have the potential to become big-play receivers, but the Jaguars probably should have added another big-play deep threat in the draft. Instead, they targeted improving their defense with five of their seven picks playing on the side of the ball, including No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker.

Frenette: Pretty much the same thing it was before OTAs started and it's this: how much is this team going to ascend in 2022? Way too many judgments of the Jaguars are based on the eye tests of observers before the pads even go on. All we know for certain is the talent is significantly better, but that doesn't always translate to a corresponding rise in the win column. Yes, Trevor Lawrence should be leading a better offense because he has better pieces around him. A ton of money and draft capital was spent on the defense, so Mike Caldwell's unit should improve. But is it enough to win at least seven games, which should be a realistic barometer this season. That's the most significant question. This franchise has a history of underachieving and I want to see if it can get off that train.

Smits: The offensive line needs to play better once the pads go on, especially the second team. There might be a heck of a battle at right tackle between Jawaan Taylor and Walker Little and I'm eager to see if rookie Luke Fortner can win the job at center and relegate Tyler Shatley to swing-man status again — not the worst thing, because Shatley excels at it. We're also going to see how No. 1 overall draft pick Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd play under full-contact conditions and how well running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne have bounced back from injuries. The team also needs to pick a kicker between Ryan Santoso and Andrew Mevin. Mostly, training camp will tell us whether Lawrence is making the necessary steps under Pederson's tutelage.

Lewis: For me it’s the running backs. Travis Etienne looked good throughout minicamp. He had the Deebo Samuel and Alvin Kamara comparisons flying around in media circles. Fifth-rounder Snoop Conner seems to be adjusting nicely so far. He’s gotten a lot more reps with James Robinson still in the recovery program for his season-ending injury. Robinson didn’t give a timetable for his return from injury and it’s unlikely that he’ll be back before training camp. There’s also the question of how close to his full self will he be when he does come back. Running back is a position that wears down players. Even if Etienne has a breakout year, Conner finds a nice spot in the rotation and Robinson comes back better than he left, the questions for that position could have huge implications on how good the Jaguars can be. Training camp will give a better synopsis of how good, or not, the running backs room is.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars Roundtable: Looking at offseason takeaways, priorities