Which of the Jaguars' Bubble Players Impressed Vs. the Browns?
The preseason is off and running and the Jaguars finally got the chance to face guys in a different colored uniform. It was not the result head coach Urban Meyer and the team wanted as they fell 23-13 to last seasons AFC North champions, but there were some positives to draw from.
Trevor Lawrence and the starting unit were obviously the headliner, but that’s not what preseason is really about. The top half of the roster is probably already set for the most part. This game and the other two will primarily be about finding who rounds out the bottom of the roster.
Saturday was our first real look so which guys on the bubble stood out vs Cleveland?
QB C.J. Beathard
There’s no debate who the starter in Jacksonville is, as much as Meyer would like to hide that. However, the backup job may be up for grabs. Gardner Minshew has been great throughout training camp, but did not have a good showing by any means against the Browns as finished 4/8 for 47 yards (5.9 avg.), no touchdowns and one interception. The offense sputtered and didn’t have any rhythm while he was in there.
Beathard on the other hand moved the ball the most of any of the quarterbacks. He went 13/16 for 102 yards (6.4 avg.), one touchdown, and no picks in a performance that was the best of any of the quarterbacks, including Lawrence. He finished with a 114.1 rating and lead one of just two scoring drives in the game for the Jaguars.
The offense was efficient, moved at a methodical pace and felt purposeful under Beathard. He was in command and did a great job; even if it was against lesser competition among backups.
Meyer has put Minshew up in competition with Lawrence for the starting job throughout camp. After Saturday maybe Beathard has closed the gap on the real question at this position.
WR Josh Hammond
Florida Gator fans know the name, but Jaguar fans may not. Hammond was signed as an undrafted free agent last year coming out of Gainesville and spent the year on the practice squad.
He has shown some good things throughout practice and in camp this season, but this receiving corps is loaded with depth. Marvin Jones Jr., DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault and Jamal Agnew (returner, but technically WR) are locked in to make the roster. That leaves only a couple, if that, spots left between Laquan Treadwell, Collin Johnson, Tavon Austin, Jalen Camp, Pharoh Cooper and Hammond.
It’s safe to say it’s an uphill battle for Hammond to stand out. Well, he did just that vs the Browns. Hammond led the team in receiving with six receptions for 55 yards (9.2 avg.).
His routes looked solid, he caught nearly everything thrown his way and he didn’t dance around trying to make guys miss. He got north and south and was incremental in keeping drives on track.
This performance was exactly what Hammond needed to try and separate himself. We’ll see if it pays dividends for him.
WR Tavon Austin
I think we have a theme going here. If one of the backup quarterbacks has a great outing then it’s logical to assume a few backup pass-catchers had a similar performance. And that’s exactly what happened with Hammond and Tavon Austin.
The craziest part about Austin though is just over a week ago he was sitting on his couch just like the rest of us, waiting for the call that finally arrived from a team giving him a chance.
And boy has he already made the most of it. Since arriving in Jacksonville Austin has shown out. He is making play after play in practice and in Saturday's preseason opener he hauled in four receptions for 52 yards (13.0 avg.) and one touchdown.
He even dared to do the unthinkable in Jacksonville and stole a reception from new tight end Tim Tebow.
In all seriousness, Austin seems to be fitting right in and just like with Hammond making this roster is going to be tough due to the depth, but his play is starting to become something this coaching staff is going to have to pay close attention to.
Meyer desires speed from his playmakers and Austin still seems to have plenty of that left in the tank.
DE Aaron Patrick
The Jaguars defense had a very up and down performance against the Browns across the board. The defensive line was stout against the run, but could not generate a pass rush against the quarterback.
The secondary seemed much improved from a year ago (not saying too much I know), but there were still some down plays due to mainly too much time being given to the quarterbacks and some quick reads.
Individually guys like CJ Henderson, Shaquill Griffin and DaVon Hamilton stood out, but those guys will make the team no problem. As the game went on and the bottom of the roster guys started shuffling in there were some standouts.
The biggest of all being defensive end Aaron Patrick. Who? Exactly. Patrick is a name that hasn’t been talked about at all through camp, but we need to give him his props after Saturday.
Patrick totaled three tackles, three solo, the only sack of the game, and a tackle for loss along with a QB hit. He was able to do something nobody else along the line was really doing in pressuring the quarterback.
There are so many rotating players and new faces along the defensive line, especially under new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen’s multiple scheme and Patrick made the most of his opportunity against the Browns.
CB Chris Claybrooks
As mentioned earlier, the secondary is already better than what it was a year ago. The new additions are the biggest reason, but guys like Jarrod Wilson, Josh Jones and Claybrooks who were here a season ago have had to up their game as well in order to not get left behind.
Learning a new defense is tough for anyone and Claybrooks took a little bit of time to feel comfortable in it, but he sure seemed to be hitting on all cylinders in his time vs. the Browns.
Claybrooks led the team in tackles Saturday with five total tackles, four solo and a tackle for loss. He didn’t knock any balls down, but did a great job at being right there in coverage and bringing the receiver down immediately.
He also showcased his return ability a bit, returning two kickoffs back for a total of 42 yards (21 avg.). His speed was great, he moved in coverage well and seemed to know exactly where he needed to be. Secondary depth is something that needs to be figured out and Claybrooks was able to show he can be a valuable piece to that puzzle.
DL Adam Gotsis
The final member of this list comes once again from the defensive line. Gotsis was a key rotation piece last season and is looking to maintain that once again in 2021. His performance was not shown in the stats. He did finish with two tackles and a tackle for loss, but that was it.
However, his presence was certainly felt. As the game went on it seemed like he was disrupting a play once a series every time he was in there. If you were watching, number 96 was something you saw close to the ball early and often.
It may not have show up much on the stat sheet, but it allowed for others to make plays and limit the offense.
He won’t see any significant time once the regular season rolls around, but if he can continue the performance he showed Saturday through the rest of the preseason he can lock down a role as a contributing defensive lineman.
