5 Jaguars Who Have Improved This Offseason
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a long way for real football, but that doesn't mean they didn't put in a high-effort and much-needed spring of practice and introducing head coach Doug Pederson's program.
With the Jaguars not in pads until nearly two months down the road, it can be hard at times to gauge exactly what kind of strides players have made. There are some cases where it just looks like things have clicked for a player, however.
With this in mind, here is five Jaguars who we think have taken strides this offseason based on what we have seen on the field and heard in the building.
LG Ben Bartch
Perhaps the player who has received the most praise for his improvements this offseason has been third-year offensive lineman Ben Bartch. Bartch was always expected to be a developmental player considering he was a raw small-school prospect in 2020. As a result, it is only right that he is starting to hit his true stride in his third offseason, which is what the Jaguars have seen and why he appears to be the leader to start at left guard.
"Ben's really benefited from being here this offseason. He's got an attitude that you love, and he wants to work hard. Ben is physical without pads on which would tend to lead me to believe that he's gonna be physical with pads on," Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher said after OTAs.
"Linemen in the NFL take time to develop, okay, and it's not fair in this day and age to be like, okay, he was drafted, he should play. Because the game of college football and the National Football League are going like this, in my opinion. And it takes guys two, three years to catch up to how to play offensive line in the NFL. That's not their fault. And I think that Ben is at that step where he could really now put together what he's learned, and go effectively block people, because that's at the end of the day, what his job is in life is to block people for everybody else. I'm really happy with where he's come along with and he'll have every opportunity to have a shot to play."
QB Trevor Lawrence
There is no player the Jacksonville Jaguars need to see more improvement from than quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence didn't have as bad of a rookie season as his 12 touchdown, 17 interception stat line showed, but the Jaguars will still only get as far as Lawrence takes them. If his game matures and takes a step in year two, the Jaguars will be much better than in 2021.
Luckily for the Jaguars, this appears to be exactly what is happening. Lawrence had a good spring of practices, showing clear improvement in terms of his accuracy and processing on the field. Pads weren't on, but Lawrence looked much more comfortable than a year ago. Last year, he was a rookie trying to survive each week off his physical tools. This year, he simply looks more cerebral in practice, something those inside TIAA Bank Field have seen and expressed as well.
OLB K'Lavon Chaisson
The inclusion of K'Lavon Chaisson might draw some sneers, but it shouldn't. Chaisson has always been a high-character, hard-working player who the Jaguars could depend on from a durability standpoint, but two sacks in two seasons have taken quite a bit of shine off the former first-rounder.
The good news for Chaisson, however, is that it appears the 2020 No. 20 overall pick knows exactly the situation he is in following the drafting of Travon Walker at No. 20. Chaisson has drawn praise from the Jaguars' staff for being in the building throughout the entirety of the offseason and for his approach to practice and simply working. The reviews on Chaisson from teammates and coaches have been solid. Now, it will be up to him to prove it when the games begin.
"Yeah, even for players I think it’s good to have sort of a fresh start, but at the same time he understands that there’s competition here too now at the position," Pederson said earlier this offseason. "That’s a good thing because it allows him to play and utilize his strengths to really showcase what he can do. Again, it just adds the depth that you’re looking for at that position.”
WR Tim Jones
One name who many likely wouldn't expect to find on this list, second-year receiver Tim Jones is the bottom of the roster player who has shown the most improvement this offseason. Jones was added as an undrafted free agent last offseason but didn't make much of an impact in training camp as a rookie before becoming a practice squad member.
This year, though, Jones has stood out consistently. He isn't the biggest wideout but he has made at least one impressive catch in every practice the media has been able to view. If he can prove he has special teams value and positional versatility, he could be a dark horse to make the roster. For now though, you can consider him one of the most improved players on the roster.
DL Roy Robertson-Harris
Roy Robertson-Harris was able to put his early-season ankle injury behind him during a solid stretch of games at the end of the season last year. Now, not only is the veteran lineman healthy, but he is taking on more of a true leadership role. Instead of being another member of the defense, Robertson-Harris has stood out both due to his play in practice and his ability to have teammates gravitate toward him.
“He’s had a great offseason. Like I’ve said, it’s always hard when nobody has pads on. It’s just kind of messy up front because tempo’s tough with those guys. But he’s had a great offseason, I mean you guys have seen him," Trevor Lawrence said this offseason. "He’s huge and he looks really good. Last year, I thought he started to pick it up a lot. Towards the end of the year, I thought he started to play well. Just to see him come out and the whole spring he’s been playing really well, so I’m excited to see that.”
