Jaguars Training Camp, Day 2: 5 Observations on Travis Etienne, Shaky Day For Offense
The Jacksonville Jaguars are marching toward the regular-season, putting in another day of practice at the Miller Electric Center on Thursday during Day 2 of training camp.
So, what all did we see from the Jaguars on Day 2? We break it down below
Offense has a shaky Day 2
The Jaguars' offense has the same scheme and mostly the same cast of characters from a year ago, but that doesn't mean they are impervious from poor performances during camp. Even the best units have shaky practices, and that is more or less what we saw from the Jaguars on Thursday. It started early when Trevor Lawrence overthrew Zay Jones on a deep pass on air and carried over to team drills that saw both the first- and second offenses struggle.
Lawrence was sharper in team drills than he was in the early portion of the practice, but he did have two accurate passes land in the dirt after drops from Calvin Ridley and Evan Engram. They weren't alone in the drops, though, with Kevin Austin Jr. dropping a pass from C.J. Beathard. Beathard struggled more than Lawrence did, overthrowing D'Ernest Johnson on one potential touchdown while also nearly throwing an interception. There will be better days for the offense.
Brandon McManus has a pleasantly quiet day
There were not many days in Jaguars camp a year ago where there was good news on the kicker front. Most days, the sky was falling as the Jaguars trotted out kicker after kicker in hopes of finding a reliable replacement for Matthew Wright. They eventually found a solid kicker in Riley Patterson, but only after a training camp that saw kickers miss more often than not.
This doesn't look like it will be the case for new kicker Brandon McManus, however. McManus flashed a big leg during warmups on Thursday by making 60- and 65-yard field goals with ease, but he then was able to take it over to the team drills and keep his consistency. McManus was 5-of-5 on Thursday, including a 60-yard kick in team drills that boomed through the net. It was a quiet day because it was a good day, and it was a good day because it was a quiet day.
Travis Etienne shows off his hands
Maybe the most exciting moment of the practice came from the Jaguars' third-year running back. While Travis Etienne and the rest of the running back room won't be able to put their full talents on display until pads come on, Etienne drew some big cheers from the crowd at practice after a terrific catch during team drills. For a running back who wasn't utilized much in the passing game a year ago, Etienne has caught nearly everything thrown his way thus far in camp.
On this particular play, Etienne was able to beat the defender to the sideline before flashing late hands and hauling in the pass for what would have been a big gain. If Etienne is able to hit his potential in the passing game, the Jaguars could have the potential to hurt defenses at every level of the field with nearly every one of their starting skill players. Considering the Jaguars are two years removed from only having one starting-quality skill player on the field, this has been quite the evolution.
Evan Engram maintains 2022 routine
One of the most notable aspects of the Jaguars' training camp from a year ago was just how committed tight end Evan Engram was to getting extra reps in. Whether it was before practice with a staff member, after practice with the juggs machine, or during practice with the quarterback room, Engram had as many passes thrown his way as any skill player in last year's camp.
That is continuing this year, too, with Engram staying in the quarterbacks' hip pocket during the early portions of practice. While the rest of the skill players are with their position coach or doing special teams drills, the newly-paid Engram is serving as the pass-catcher for Trevor Lawrence and co., helping sneak in plenty of extra reps. It was an effective routine a year ago, so it is a positive to see it continue.
Play of the day
The on-site referee ruled this play incomplete ... but we didn't think so. The best play of the day came from Zay Jones, who was able to haul in a pass near the sidelines after Lawrence fit the ball through a small hole in the zone before Rayshawn Jenkins could close on it. It was terrific awareness and balance from Jones to bring in the best throw of the day.
Other notes
- The most physical play of camp so far? Tight end Sammis Reyes catching a pass during team drills and turning upfield to truck rookie defensive back Erick Hallett II all the way to the ground.
- A number of backup skill players made nice grabs on Thursday. Elijah Cooks had an impressive back-shoulder catch near the sideline on a throw from Nathan Rourke, while Kendric Pryor also flashed good ball skills on a high pass from C.J. Beathard near the sideline.
- Montaric Brown nearly had the first interception of camp. It ended up as a pass breakup, but the second-year corner got off to a strong start compared to the other young cornerbacks.
- Travon Walker -- looking slimmed down compared to last year's training camp -- had a terrific run stuff in team drills. It would have been a tackle for loss.
- Anton Harrison held his own against Josh Allen on a handful of pass-rushes toward the end of practice.
- D'Ernest Johnson drew a loud reaction from offensive line coach Phil Rauscher after breaking off a long run. Before he hit the hole, Johnson made a cut to make a defender miss.
- The most targeted player during the first part of team drills and 7-on-7 might have been rookie tight end Brenton Strange. Strange saw a flurry of targets and didn't let a pass hit the ground.
- It was a rough day for seventh-round fullback Derrick Parish. His issues with drops from the offseason carried over into Thursday's practice, and he then had a blown block during team drills that would have resulted in a tackle for loss.
