Like most teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have several key players recovering from injuries when training camp begins, most notably two starters from 2018 at the left tackle and wide receiver positions. Of course, it will be important to get both (and any other injured players) back during training camp as the Jags are facing a crucial year after a disappointing 2018 campaign.
Here are some of the key players with injuries we’ll be monitoring when training camp kicks off:
WR – Marqise Lee
Lee, unfortunately, suffered a big-time knee injury Week 3 of the 2018 preseason, which will cause him to miss the beginning of training camp. After hauling in a reception from Blake Bortles against the Atlanta Falcons, Lee took a low tackle to the knee from defensive back Damontae Kazee. As a result, Lee had to have a more extensive surgery than most with knee tears and still isn’t ready to return though he’s been successfully rehabbing.
Per the Jags staff, Lee should be back around the two-week mark of training camp, which will leave the Jags without their most experienced receiver temporarily. Fortunately, the Jags aren’t in dire need of Lee as DJ Chark, Keelan Cole and Chris Conley specifically had strong showings in minicamp and organized team activities. Dede Westbrook, who was a rare bright spot in 2018, will also be ready to pick up where he left off in 2018 after leading the team in receiving with 717 yards and five touchdowns.
All that said, the Jags are in great position to put Lee on injured reserve to start the season if they desire, and that would put him in position to not rush his return. However, if he’s 100 percent by the time the final roster is constructed, that wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
Left tackle – Cam Robinson
A few weeks after Lee sustained his season-ending knee injury, Robinson went down with one, too, during the Jags’ regular season game against the New England Patriots. Of course, that put the Jags in a predicament where they were without their starting guy on the blindside for 14 weeks and had to rely on swing tackle Josh Wells, who also went on IR.
Coach Doug Marrone told the media that Robinson will return during camp at some point back in June, which almost guarantees he won’t be available during the opening day. In the meantime, they have Wells back, but it’s questionable to think he’ll be the answer for a substantial amount of time. For that reason, Robinson’s return is one that might be more important than Lee’s, and hopefully, the Jags don’t have to be without him too long heading forward.
Linebacker – Jake Ryan
Ryan was somewhat of a random signing for the Jags during the free-agent period, and most speculated that he could move to the MIKE linebacker spot and kick Myles Jack to the outside. However, Marrone shot those assumptions down in March. That said, it appears Ryan could be a backup when he returns.
Ryan told Eugene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union that he had hoped to return during minicamp. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and it might have been out of precaution by the staff. If so, that could mean Ryan will take the field Day 1 of camp, but ultimately time will tell. We’ll also get to see if a significant role is in the works for him, too, as he showed promise while in Green Bay.
