The Day Before: Observations and Notes from Jaguars' Sunday Training Camp Practice
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sunday's training camp practice under the hot Florida sun in Jacksonville was a checkpoint of shorts for the Jaguars. It was the final practice the team would have in just helmets and shorts, with the first practice with any extent of pads on coming Monday morning.
We have brought live observations to you all through this week, and that continues today. In the final day before any pads come on, a number of Jaguars still made praise-worthy plays that are worth noting.
So who and what stood out during Sunday's practice? Here are a few of our observations and other notes.
Gardner Minshew looked solid overall
Of course any training camp reports need to be taken with the proper amount of context at this point considering how early it is in the process, but Gardner Minshew II had a solid day at the office on Sunday. He wasn't flawless, with one specific pass being an ill-advised throw into a congested area that luckily wasn't an interception, but the Jaguars are likely still happy with the day he had, especially when throwing deep.
Minshew has had a strong week of practice when it comes to the deep ball, with two passes to DJ Chark and Dede Westbrook on Friday that obviously stand out. This carried over to Sunday as well, with Minshew showing impressive touch and anticipation on his deep passes throughout the practice, including one perfect deep shot down the sideline to Chris Conley. It is going to be hard to judge Minshew until the bullets are truly flying, but Sunday was far from a bad day for the second-year passer.
DJ Chark makes catch of the day
With Minshew delivering the pass, Chark did his best to create a highlight-worthy play on Sunday. Facing tight coverage from rookie first-round cornerback CJ Henderson, Chark was able to haul in a tough catch in traffic toward the end of practice. The coverage could not have been much better considering Henderson was in Chark's face to contest the pass, but Chark timed it perfectly and was able to extend to haul in and secure the throw.
Chark has been one of the best players on the field all week, if not the overall best. He took his game to a new level last season, and so far it looks as if he is not satisfied with being complacent. The Jaguars will need a huge season out of Chark considering he is their best offensive weapon, so the fact he is having a strong camp is a big positive.
CJ Henderson's battles vs. Chark have become must-watch
Speaking of Henderson, the rookie corner has put in two consecutive solid days in a row, and his reps against Chark are entertaining each time. If iron truly does sharpen iron, then there is no better player on the field for the No. 9 overall pick to go against than a receiver who made the Pro Bowl and recorded over 1,000 yards with eight touchdowns last season. So far, Henderson has not looked out of place in the snaps against Chark, who has more or less had his way in training camp this week otherwise.
It is unfortunate for Henderson that he will get zero preseason game reps and will essentially be thrown to the wolves when Week 1 vs. the Indianapolis Colts rolls around, but he can at least take solace in the fact that he has Chark to compete with. Their snaps against one another were fiercely competitive on Sunday, and this should be expected to continue throughout camp.
Bruce Miller practices with Jaguars for first time
One day after the Jaguars announced the signing of ex-San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller, the 33-year-old veteran had his first practice with his new team. This was the first time Miller had been under contract with a team since the 49ers released him in September 2016 following Miller facing assault charges due to an incident in which he was alleged to have attacked a man and his 70-year-old father. The charges, which Miller pled not guilty to, have since been dropped and no other charges are pending.
In his first practice with the Jaguars, the formerly versatile fullback looked to at least be in great shape considering he hasn't played in any of the last four seasons. Miller was among the league's best fullbacks before his departure from the 49ers, and he appeared as if he still had a good amount of strength and quickness on Sunday.
Devine Ozigbo, Joe Schobert and Tre Herndon all impress
A few more players who made noticeable impressions today were second-year running back Devine Ozigbo, free agent linebacker Joe Schobert and third-year cornerback Tre Herndon. After getting just nine carries as a rookie last season, Ozigbo looks to have come to this year's camp on a mission. He looked explosive downhill and in and out of his cuts on Sunday. It was hard not to be impressed by him in the admittedly limited showing.
As for Schobert, he so far has made good on the Jaguars' investment into him as their newest middle linebacker. He nearly intercepted Minshew on the aforementioned play, and he looked to have a solid day in coverage in general. He moves so much better than one would expect from an inside linebacker, so look for him to play a big role in the team's middle of the field coverage. Meanwhile, Herndon broke up a few different passes on Sunday and has largely had a strong week of practice. He spent a lot of time training during the offseason and so far it has shown in his footwork and quickness to diagnose routes.
Notes
- Still no Timmy Jernigan signing made official. While Jernigan visited with the Jaguars earlier in the week and has been rumored to likely be heading to the team, he has yet to be officially added to the team and therefore is not on the practice field.
- First-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson was not a full participant in practice on Sunday. Chaisson has worked to the side during portions of camp this week due to a "minor hamstring issue".
- Three players remain on Jacksonville's Reserve/COVID-19 list in running back Ryquell Armstead and offensive linemen Ryan Pope and Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms.
- James O'Shaughnessy moved well in his routes on Sunday considering he was just activated to the roster earlier this week. He is wearing a brace on his left leg, but he was running at a solid pace.
