Outside of quarterback Trevor Lawrence and cornerback Tyson Campbell, who was thrust into the starting lineup after the Jacksonville Jaguars traded C.J. Henderson, not many of the team’s rookies have had the opportunity to make much of an impact.
Some of that was to be expected. For example, fourth-round pick Jordan Smith from Alabama-Birmingham was regarded as a project player from the get-go. But that isn’t really the case for safety Andre Cisco.
Cisco was recovering from a knee injury this offseason, and he was drafted in the third round after his stock dropped due to health concerns. However, he was once considered a potential first-round pick. Even now that he’s healthy, Cisco hasn’t seen much of the field, which you would assume is by design from the coaches.
But is it?
When asked about Cisco’s usage after Jacksonville’s shutout loss to the Tennessee Titans, coach Urban Meyer said that he believed the team was starting to get more usage. The only problem is, Cisco recorded zero defensive snaps on Sunday (though he did have 17 special teams snaps, good for his third lowest total in the last seven games).
#Jaguars HC Urban Meyer was asked about Andre Cisco playing more (again). He said “Cisco is playing a little bit more, I believe, I don’t have his numbers in front of me”
Cisco played 0 defensive snaps yesterday.
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) December 13, 2021
Obviously, a head coach has to delegate some aspects of their job. It’s what the staff of assistants around him are for. But being this unaware about the usage of one of your key rookies is a bad look, especially in light of the report on Saturday from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero detailing the deteriorating relationship between Meyer and his players and staff.
Among the most damning bits of that report is the allegation that Meyer lied to the media about the decision to pull James Robinson from last weekend’s loss to the Rams after a fumble. Meyer placed the blame at the feet of running backs coach Bernie Parmelee, but per Pelissero, the decision came from Meyer himself.
It’s fair to assume Meyer takes a more hands-off approach with regard to the defense, but he should still be aware of the plan and general usage surrounding players.
The Jaguars sit at 2-11 and don’t look much better than they did last year despite adding a new quarterback and eight other draft picks while entering the free agency period with the most cap space in football. Everyone knew this would be a rebuilding situation, but with the lack of meaningful development on the field and antics off it, Meyer may be on the hot seat in his first season.
This unfortunate quote regarding Cisco doesn’t help his case at all.
