Jay Gruden Gives Vote of Confidence to Jaguars' Offensive Line Ahead of Week 1

If there was any position group on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster that saw intense scrutiny throughout the course of the offseason, it was the offensive line.

Since then, however, the unit and those who oversee it have tried to flip the narrative. There have been no substantial changes to the group, but the hope within TIAA Bank Field has been that the group having another year with offensive line coach George Warhop will help the line make a big jump.

The Jaguars are returning all five starters from 2019: left tackle Cam Robinson, left guard Andrew Norwell, center Brandon Linder, right guard A.J. Cann and right tackle Jawaan Taylor. And when it comes to Sunday's game vs. the Indianapolis Colts, these are the five players the Jaguars are going to have to rely on to help drive to an improved offense and a victory over the Colts.

“You always have to have hope, otherwise you’re in the wrong business. We’re very optimistic going into the season. We know we have a lot of challenges. We have some youth playing, but really, I think the biggest reason for belief I have is the offensive line," Jaguars offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said in a media conference on Sept. 9.

The offensive line is a group that saw praise from head coach Doug Marrone throughout camp and Gruden gave the unit a similar vote of confidence on Wednesday. Gruden's past offenses have relied upon offensive lines to dominate in the run game to set up play action and open up the rest of the playbook, and this is something he has seen so far -- at least in limited reps in training camp.

"I think the offensive line is very solid right now with the tackles that we have, the interior players, and obviously the center I feel good about," Gruden said. "With an offensive line, it gives you the ability to do a lot of different things I think and hopefully it’ll give us a chance to get our skill players the ball in space and between the tackles and do some good things.”

If there is any player on the Jaguars' line who is facing pressure moving into Week 1, and the rest of 2020, it is fourth-year left tackle Cam Robinson. The unit as a whole needs to take a big step forward, but Robinson specifically needs to prove his worth to the Jaguars in a contract season.

Aside from the fact that Robinson plays arguably the most important spot on the offensive line, it is pertinent for him to show improvement because of an up-and-down last two years. He suffered a season-ending ACL injury after a few games in 2018, and 2019 saw him battle through his recovery to get back onto the field, but his play showed he wasn't exactly 100%.

Robinson has impressed in camp, however, and the impression he has left on the Jaguars' coaching staff is likely one of the biggest reasons Gruden is optimistic about his offensive lien ahead of Sunday.

“Cam did good. I like Cam. I think he loves football; that’s what I like about him. He likes to practice; he likes to work," Gruden said.

"He’s a big, strong guy. I think he feels a lot more [comfortable]. I wasn’t here last year, but just watching him on tape, he looks more fluid this year. He looks a lot healthier sort of speak. I like his ability to be physical in the running game and then obviously when we get to third downs and stuff, I think he can protect. We’ll see, but I feel good about where Cam’s at and obviously the other tackle Jawaan [Taylor]. I feel like they’re very good."