Marvin Jones' leadership needed more than ever in Jaguars' younger wide receiver room
The Jaguars wide receiver room has undergone the most turnover of any offensive position group.
The constant from last season is Marvin Jones Jr.
Jones led the Jaguars with 73 receptions for 832 yards in 2021 and also is the only wide receiver on the roster who suited up for the final game — when he combined with quarterback Trevor Lawrence on the team’s signature offensive play of an otherwise dismal season.
Jones, 32, who is beginning his 11th professional season, has four new teammates on the active roster entering Sunday’s game at Washington (1 p.m., FOX) in the position room: Christian Kirk (25) and Zay Jones (27) through free agency, Tim Jones (24), a practice-squad player last year, and Kendric Pryor (24) a waiver acquisition last week.
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Jamal Agnew (27) missed the last seven games of the 2021 season with an injury and is back to play offense and return kicks.
The wide receivers on the practice squad are even younger: rookie Kevin Austin Jr. (22), Seth Williams (22) and Jaylon Moore (25), who have a combined three professional seasons behind them.
That means Jones, the oldest player on the team, looks around in the meeting room or at practice and sees eight other wide receivers who average 24.5 years old and 2.6 years of NFL experience.
"I love this group," Jones said Wednesday after the Jaguars' practiced at TIAA Bank Field. "Just to see the many attributes that each of us has and how it meshes together ... that's what I like about it."
And Lawrence said when Jones speaks, the others listen.
“Obviously, a different room,” said Lawrence. “His voice in the room, in the offensive meetings … he a lot of experience to draw from and I think guys really listen when he talks.”
Mentoring important to Jones
Jones said he started understanding not long into his career that it's an obligation for an NFL veteran to do whatever he could to help young players.
"I've been mentoring for about seven years now," he said. "Every year, for as long as I can remember, I try to give my experience to anybody who's younger than me ... try to bridge that gap between rookie and veteran as much as I can."
That also extends to the guy throwing Jones the ball. Lawrence, in his second season, said the connection he has with Jones can also serve as an example.
“'[We] have played together for a year now, and how we communicate shows a lot, especially to the younger guys, the guys who just came in,” he said. “I think that’s huge.”
Their communication was never better than on one play against the Colts at TIAA Bank Field on Jan. 9.
In the third quarter, on a third-and-goal play from the Indianapolis 3, Lawrence had to leap and pull down a high snap in the shotgun and began running for his life to the right.
Jones, lined up on the left in the slot, ran across the end zone, with nickel back Kenny Moore shadowing him the whole way. Lawrence eluded free safety Khari Williams and threw the ball into the corner, with Jones fully extending and keeping his toes in-bounds to make the catch.
In a season sorely lacking for highlights, that play was up there with Agnew’s 109-yard return of a missed field goal against Arizona, and Matthew Wright’s field goal to beat Miami in London.
Pederson: Jones 'a class act'
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson clearly sought to overhaul the position group from a speed and age standpoint.
Gone are veterans who were on the roster for the final game of 2021, Laviska Shenault, Laquon Treadwell, Tavon Austin, Jaydon Mickens and Josh Hammond. Also waived after training camp was five-year veteran Marvin Hall.
Left is a group, including the practice-squad receivers, that has combined for 448 receptions for 5,154 yards and 29 touchdowns. Marvin Jones has them all beat with career numbers of 496 receptions for 6,857 yards and 55 TDs.
Pederson said he needed to keep Jones for what he still has left in the tank and his leadership.
“Marvin is just a class act … a great fit in the room,” Pederson said. “There’s a lot of young guys in that room when you’re thinking about Tim Jones and the younger practice squad players, and [Marvin Jones] can be such an impact on those players on how he handles his business.”
Pederson said Jones’ leadership also goes beyond the wide receiver room.
“Just a great leader with the entire team,” he said. “It’s the reason why players respect him and look up to him, of what he’s done in this league.”
Jones said he's not about to start thinking about career-ending victory laps.
"I want to keep being me, making those big plays," he said. "I would rather look at things after I'm finished. I'm not slowing down. I don't think I'm finishing any time soon."
ABOUT MARVIN JONES JR.
College: California.
NFL experience: 11 years.
NFL teams: Drafted by Cincinnati in the fifth round in 2012 and played for the Bengals for four seasons. Went to Detroit for five years, with his best season coming in 2017 when he caught 61 passes for 1,101 yards and nine TDs. Led the Jaguars with 73 catches for 832 yards and four TDs last season.
Before the NFL: Jones was a four-star wide receiver in Fontana, Calif., and also played defensive back. He is still among the career leaders at Cal in receptions (156, tied for seventh), yards (2,260, sixth) and touchdowns (13, tied for eighth). Graduated from Cal in three and a half years.
Off the field: He and his wife Jasymn have five children. … Jones speaks three languages and is an accomplished singer. He auditioned for American Idol and sang “Lift E’vry Voice and Sing,” at Juneteenth celebration at the Ritz Theater.
Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars revamp wide receiving corps. but Marvin Jones in the one constant
