The Jacksonville Jaguars wrapped up organized team activities Friday, which means mandatory mini-camp the next stop. They had a total of 10 sessions over the course of three weeks and coach Doug Marrone seemed pleased with where the team is at despite the pads not being on.
With a little downtime before we get into the mandatory phase, here are four takeaways from OTAs:
Nick Foles got off to a tremendous start
The Jags invested a lot of money into Nick Foles in March, and he couldn’t have gotten off to a better start with his new team. From the leadership he’s brought into the locker room, to the consistency he’s brought on the field, the veteran’s impact and performance was as near to perfect as a player could have in OTAs.
Not only was Foles’ presence strong, but his bond with the passing game was the strongest the media has seen in a long time. Whether he was linking up with Chris Conley, Keelan Cole or DJ Chark in practice, it was obvious that the veteran put a lot of effort into learning his targets and building the strongest bond possible with the receivers group as a whole. In fact, some would even go as far as saying that their chemistry was stronger than, dare I say, the defensive backfield’s (which we’ll get into later).
Now, really all that’s left for Foles to do is remain consistent through mandatory mini-camp and prove he can be the same player when the pads go on in training camp.
The receivers group is much more mature
As previously mentioned, the receiver’s OTA period was strong and a lot of their young members showed growth. After impressing in 2018’s training camp, Chark picked up where he left off last summer and it’s clear that having a quarterback with Foles’ experience has been a tremendous help for him.
Conley, who was a free-agent addition, looks to have the strongest bond with Foles and that probably is because of his familiarity with the offense and Foles from their days in Kansas City. At the rate the young receiver is going, he could be the team’s “No. 1” receiver because Marqise Lee’s availability for Week 1 is questionable.
Cole, like Chark and Conley, had a strong showing in OTAs, especially as a deep threat. That’s important for the third-year receiver as he continues to develop because as we saw last year, there were times where he struggled due to being placed atop the depth chart in the absence of Lee.
TEs Josh Oliver and Geoff Swaim got off to a solid start
Just as fans had with the receivers position, there were also concerns at the tight end position, but Josh Oliver and Geoff Swaim showed up early and often during OTAs.
When evaluating Oliver’s time on the field, the athleticism that made him a third-round pick was clearly on display during OTAs and his coaches, the media and his teammates made it known. In fact, most would agree that he was the best rookie of the whole phase.
Swaim had an under-the-radar performance during OTAs, which is encouraging because he’s the veteran of the group and probably will end up having to be the No. 1 tight end on the depth chart. After showing his sneaky abilities as a receiver, training camp will also be huge for the veteran, too, because it will give the Jags’ staff a chance to see if he’s their best option as a blocker at the position.
LB Quincy Williams shined
While Oliver was the most noticeable rookie of the Jags’ 2019 draft class, linebacker Quincy Williams wasn’t far behind. Those in attendance praised his agility and the Florida Times-Union even went as far as saying his coverage skills against tight ends and tailbacks was “well above average.” That, to me, doesn’t come as a shocker though, because he played safety in college with Murray State.
With early indications that the young rookie might be an upgrade over Telvin Smith in terms of coverage, we’ll ultimately have to see how he does fighting off blocks when the pads go on. Still, at least for the time being, the Jags’ front office look like geniuses for taking a chance on the small school prospect.
The Jags should be concerned about their depth in the secondary
As we mentioned with the receivers, they had a lot of success downfield for deep gains and it has caused concerns for the defensive backs. While many will point out that A.J. Bouye was sidelined, the offense’s performance proved that the depth in the secondary isn’t particularly strong.
Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, reserve cornerbacks Quenton Meeks and Tre Herndon were the two players asked to step up in the place of Jalen Ramsey and Bouye. Of the two, Popper said Meeks fared well while Herndon struggled, which kind of reflects what we saw during the preseason games of 2018. Additionally, he stated that starting safety Jarrod Wilson also struggled, which isn’t good because the depth behind him is mostly unproven.
Heading forward, it will be interesting to see if the Jags add some help through free-agency, especially at safety. With guys like Eric Berry and Tre Boston available on the open market, they might want to look into getting one of the two into training camp if the price is right and they have concerns for Wilson.
