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New Jaguars Staff Gives Trevor Lawrence Real Training, Relationships to Build

New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and the people around him should have a huge impact on former Clemson star Trevor Lawrence's career.

Urban Meyer's short stint as Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, which lasted less than a full season because of issues on and off the field, will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

One of his biggest failures was what he didn't do: teach Trevor Lawrence how to be a quarterback in the NFL. Of course, Meyer, a college legend, had never coached in the pro league, so his shortcomings weren't hard to see coming. 

But now there's a new presence within the organization that gives fans of the former Clemson quarterback and the No. 1 selection in the 2021 NFL Draft hope that better days are ahead. Doug Pederson, who was hired earlier this month to coach the Jaguars, understands that coaching is a relationship business. 

"It’s going to be a really good dynamic because what I understand about Trevor is his mindset, how he thinks," Pederson, who played QB in the NFL, said during a press conference Friday. "He’s eager to learn. He wants to grow, and I’ve got great teachers in the room who can help him and help him be successful.

"That’s not only on the field but off the field as well. And that’s what I’m looking forward to in April when we get the guys in here.”

Pederson won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles and knows how to get the most out of his quarterback, so heading into Lawrence's second season, he'll finally get the training a franchise player deserves at a young age. 

“As things got closer and you start talking to people outside of Jacksonville who did of know him a little bit, you kind of get into the mind and how he thinks, and (Lawrence) is a guy that kind of thinks the way we (as coaches) do," Pederson said. "That’s encouraging."

While the previous staff did have NFL experience, it didn't have a head coach who could put it all together and build lasting relationships with the players. Pederson has brought in a knowledgeable and experienced staff that plans to do just that. 

Offensive coordinator Press Taylor worked with Pederson in Philadelphia for several years. Passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has worked in the NFL since 2009 and spent time coaching legend Peyton Manning and recent Super Bowl winner Matthew Stafford. Quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy played the position with Pederson in Green Bay and spent 20 seasons coaching, primarily QBs, in the NFL. 

It's the kind of group that could get Lawrence, who completed just 59 percent of his passes and threw more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (12) in his rookie season, to the level he needs to play in 2022. At +12000, the Jags rank among the worst teams in odds to win the Super Bowl next season, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. 

"It’s a huge relationship and it’s one that I encourage not only myself, but Mike, Press, Jim Bob to really cultivate and reach out to him,” Pederson said. “Of course, he was in the building a couple of weeks ago. I had a chance to meet him and talk to him. And I encourage all my staff members to reach out to the guys this time of year and really start building up a relationship with them."

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