Tigers in the NFL: Progress for Pair of Lawrences, Watson Update, Hopkins Cereal
Trevor Lawrence has had every practice pass scrutinized and put under a microscope by the media in attendance.
But whether he's hyped as the next Andrew Luck or talked about like an NFL bust, the only thing that matters is how the Jacksonville Jaguars coaches view his progress during training camp.
At this point, Lawrence, the first overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, hasn't been named the starting quarterback. The Jaguars don't play a game that counts until Sept. 12 at Houston, so there's time to figure that out.
So how will the Jacksonville staff evaluate their prized QB?
"What makes Tom Brady the greatest quarterback of all time is he find ways to win," Meyer said to the NFL media. "Whether he's a Buccaneer or with the New England Patriots, he finds a way to win. I've had quarterbacks like that. They win."
That remains to be seen for Lawrence, who might not even start Jacksonville's first preseason game Saturday against Cleveland. But QB coach Brian Schottenheimer does have one measuring stick: completions.
"When you know you're cruising on offense is when you go through a Thursday or Friday practice and the ball doesn't touch the ground in a competitive period," Schottenheimer said. "That means you're having consistency when you're throwing a lot of completions and the ball is spread around. We're not there yet."
'Nothing has changed' with Texans QB
The trade-demand saga between Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans is at a "standstill," FOX Sports reporter Jay Glazer said Thursday. Watson is still adamant about getting out of Houston, but not much appears to have changed.
The former Clemson star, who is facing 22 civil lawsuits for sexual assault and sexual harassment, has been at Texans training camp since Day One, but he hasn't practiced in over a week.
There are reports of some nagging injuries and that he's actually at the facility while the team is on the field working out, but head coach David Culley has yet to give any real insight into the status of the team's current franchise player.
"Nothing has changed," Culley reiterated last week.
Breakout alert: Dexter Lawrence
There's a lot of belief around New York Giants camp that this is going to be a big year for former Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Entering his third season, the 2019 first-round draft pick now has the starting role to himself is coming off a 2020 season in which he recorded four sacks and 53 total tackles.
Much more is expected out of Lawrence in 2021.
"I think Dex is committed to being great," defensive line coach Sean Spencer told reporters last week. "Within that you've got to go through the channels of getting there, so he understands that it's not going to be a today thing or a tomorrow thing. We want to sustain that thing over time and over the season."
Hopkins' 'Hop Box' hits the shelves
DeAndre Hopkins has gotten into the food business. The former Clemson star and current Arizona Cardinals receiver released his new cereal, "Hop Box," earlier this week.
It includes unique art and a commemorative cereal bowl. The product can be found in the Phoenix area but also online at PLBSE.com. Proceeds from the cereal go to the SMOOTH Foundation, a charity that supports domestic violence victims. It was started by Hopkins and his mother Sabrina Greenlee.
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