admin
With offseason programs behind us, what questions remain on offense for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
What questions remain on the offensive side of the football for the Jacksonville Jaguars with offseason programs now behind us?
Following the conclusion of minicamp, the team will now break for roughly five weeks or so until training camp begins.
While we can glean a little from what takes place during OTAs and minicamp, the pads aren’t on, and the emphasis at this time of the year is often on installs, fundamentals, technique, and communication. As Liam Coen said on a few occasions over the last couple of weeks, the team is still in the “learning phase.”
So any questions that existed prior to offseason programs likely still exist as we begin to turn our focus to training camp. Let’s dive into what those unknowns are on offense for the Jaguars.
How quickly can the new-look Jaguars offense take off?
Under Coen and his new offensive system, a word we’ve heard a lot is “multiplicity,” as in this Jaguars’ offense is going to throw a lot of different looks at opposing defenses.
Within the Sean McVay coaching tree, which is where Coen’s roots are from, we’ve heard others discuss the ‘illusion of complexity.’ In short, this means running a variety of plays from just a few personnel groups, along with having like-plays, or plays that initially look the same, but end up quite different. When executed properly, it keeps defenses off balance and creates mismatches to exploit.
As Trevor Lawrence said, this is a scheme that gives you all the answers; however, it also puts a lot on the players. And with that, can come a steep learning curve, as we saw a bit during offseason programs, with some up and down performances from the offense.
That is to be expected as a new system gets implemented. It’s one thing to know the playbook and what to do in the meeting room; it’s an entirely different thing to then go out and execute it on the field when everything is moving so quickly and defenses are throwing different looks at you from an offensive perspective.
In Coen’s first season with Tampa Bay in 2024 as the offensive coordinator, that offense became one of the better units in the NFL. But, like with anything new, some time may be required to build that initial momentum.
How does playing time at running back shake out?
I would guess that, to varying degrees throughout the season, we will see Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten, and perhaps even LeQuint Allen in the passing game, all get opportunities. But how the playing time at this position group exactly shakes out remains to be seen.
There are reasons for optimism and also unknowns with each of these players. Etienne struggled with efficiency last season, averaging just 3.7 yards per rush, but it sounds like there will be a concerted effort to find ways to get him the ball in space, where he is at his best. Bigbsy showcased his big-play abilities last season, but he also put the ball on the ground.
Tuten, with 4.32 speed, brings big play ability of his own, but did fumble as well during his college career, not to mention that he and Allen are navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump to the NFL level.
It’s also important to note that in Tampa Bay’s offense under Coen, the running backs played an important role in the passing game.
As far as what happened during OTAs and minicamp, there isn’t a ton that we can take away at this position as far as true running back evaluation, because the pads aren’t on. So the competition here for playing time won’t truly begin until July.
What does the tight end depth chart look like behind Brenton Strange?
We know that Brenton Strange will be at the top of the Jaguars’ tight end depth chart, but after that, things still seem to be in the ‘to be determined’ category.
Johnny Mundt, Hunter Long, and Quintin Morris have all been primarily block-first tight ends in their careers up to this point, and that’s a vital role to fill within this offense. Mundt and Long may have a slight advantage, having operated in systems similar to this one.
But ultimately, it feels like those second and third spots on the depth chart are very much up for grabs. Consistency as a blocker will be a must, but the ability to impact the passing game may be the differentiator here.
Who starts along the Jaguars’ offensive line?
GM James Gladstone quickly reshaped the offensive line unit this offseason by making six additions between free agency and the NFL draft. This added more versatility up front and more competition as well.
By all accounts, the Jaguars seem to really be leaning into that competition element along the offensive line, mixing and matching as they search for their best starting five combination.
I’m sure Coen has players penciled in right now, in terms of who he thinks will be starting this season, but it very much feels like just about everything is up for grabs in terms of who is starting and where.
Naturally, all eyes will be on Lawrence and the passing game, but consistent success for any offense begins with the offensive line providing a run game to lean on and time in the pocket.
Who emerges at wide receiver for that final roster spot or two?
We know who the top four spots on the wide receiver depth chart belong to, but two questions that remain at this position are, do the Jaguars keep five or six wideouts on the final roster? And who emerges to earn those roster spots?
Based on what we’ve heard from OTAs and minicamp, some players to watch for when it comes to that final roster spot or two are Josh Cephus, Trenton Irwin, Eli Pancol, and Cam Camper.
#Questions #offense #Jaguars #answer
