Week 1 of the preseason is in the books and the Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking to rebound from a 29-0 beatdown they suffered courtesy to the Baltimore Ravens. Per coach Doug Marrone, it appears the team will once again sit a majority of the starters, which means the reserves will have a chance to redeem themselves.
Here are a few names to watch on offense as the Jags take on the Philadelphia Eagles for their second preseason matchup:
OL Will Richardson
Will Richardson didn’t quite have the rookie season he had hoped for last season, but the 2018 fourth-round pick is coming into his own in 2019. Many around the team were on record for saying he was in a battle with A.J. Cann for the right guard spot before this week and Marrone confirmed that in last Thursday’s postgame presser.
Unfortunately, the Jags’ offensive line has sustained so many injuries early that Richardson may have to fill in elsewhere as both left guard Andrew Norwell and rookie right tackle Jawaan Taylor are battling injuries. During Week 1’s game against the Ravens, he played at the right tackle position and held his own and Doug Marrone praised him for his efforts. That said, another solid performance by him could solidify him as a starter.
WR Tre McBride
In the Jags’ Week 1 showing that lacked highlights, Tre McBride was one of the players who fans couldn’t help but notice. He finished Thursday’s outing as the team’s leading receiver and had three catches for 42 yards.
With Gardner Minshew (who we’ll talk about later) likely to start again, he’ll be looking for McBride early as he did on Thursday. If McBride answers the call again, the Jags would be wrong not to consider him as a No. 5 or No. 6 receiver, especially with Marqise Lee’s return for the regular season opener being questionable.
WR Tyre Brady
Tyre Brady had a great deal of hype surrounding him heading into the preseason, but wasn’t able to register a catch Thursday night although he almost made a highlight catch on the sidelines. For that reason, he’ll need to up his play Week 2 if he wants to wow the coaches and make the final 53-man roster or practice squad.
Like McBride, Brady has established a strong connection with Minshew and that could be huge in Week 2’s game. In fact, the two linked up for another highlight play in practice this week and appear to have some momentum for Thursday’s game.
QB Gardner Minshew II
Minshew’s first game was uneventful as he finished Thursday 7-of-14 for 46 yards. Part of his struggles was due to the offensive line, some were due to being a rookie and some even fell on the receivers.
Fortunately for him, Marrone seems to be leaning towards sitting Nick Foles which would make Minshew the starter for the second consecutive week. With him being the ultimate competitor, fans can bet their last dollar that Minshew will do his best to right his wrongs from Week 1 as the No. 2 quarterback spot is still up for grabs.
