Jaguars' Josh Allen Eagerly Anticipating Return of K'Lavon Chaisson
Through the last week of training camp practice, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen has gotten a heavy workload in practice. Allen, the team's star pass-rusher who is the future of the defense, was always going to see a lot of action in August, but it has also been necessitated in recent weeks by injuries to fellow defensive linemen.
Yannick Ngakoue, Allen's running mate at defense end from 2019, has still not shown up to training camp or sign his franchise tag tender, though that was expected. What wasn't expected, however, was to lose two defensive ends in Lerentee McCray (opt out) and Aaron Lynch (retirement).
Adding to the situation has been the fact that first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson has been dealing with "a minor hamstring issue" since Aug. 12. Chaisson has been working to the side at practices, as well as working with Allen after practice, but when it comes to reps during the dog days of summer camp, it has been all Allen so far.
"I can’t wait for him to come back. I need a break. I’m trying to rotate a little bit," Allen said with a laugh on Monday.
Luckily for Allen, he may not have to wait much longer for the return of the No. 20 overall pick to the practice field. Head coach Doug Marrone gave positive news for Chaisson's recovery timetable on Monday, which is welcome news for Allen and the entire Jaguars' defense considering the attrition which has already set in.
While Chaisson missed the first day of pads, him coming back by the end of this week would give him three weeks to get in sync with Allen and prepare for Week 1 vs. the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 13, which ample time for the rookie.
"I think we’re getting close, so hopefully by the end of the week. He’s doing walk-throughs, doing a lot of stuff like that and obviously it’s just the on-field stuff," Marrone said about Chaisson on Monday. "And we feel we’ll get a good indication [Tuesday] when we test him, and we feel like we’ll have him later in the week."
If Josh Allen's successful rookie season proved anything, it is that the Jaguars' defense is at its best when they have multiple high-caliber edge rushers. Allen dominated at times en route to a franchise rookie record 10.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance, but many of his best games came when Ngakoue himself was also playing well.
It is hard enough to block one talented and supremely edge defender, but blocking two on a consistent basis could prove to be more or less impossible. And with Ngakoue's 2020 outlook murky, Chaisson is the Jaguars' best hope of giving Allen that third-down tag-team partner, making him a critical piece to the puzzle in 2019.
In 2019, Chaisson played a major role for the LSU Tigers' national championship defense, recording 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble. His performance as a pass-rusher down the stretch helped solidify him as a first-rounder, and it is that kind of production and disruption the Jaguars are looking for when he returns.
But while Chaisson has not practiced in nearly a week, he has still been able to hone his craft and work with Allen. The duo can be seen after each practice working through pass-rush reps together, with the elder Allen serving as a teacher for his rookie teammate.
"Being able to do that with him and just be able to see him work and see him move and for him to see me move and me work. It’s good just to have that connection with him because now I know what type of player, pass rusher he is," Allen said Monday.
While Allen awaits for his newest edge rushing partner to get back on the field, he is making sure to instill the knowledge in him that Ngakoue and Calais Campbell passed down to Allen in 2019. So while Allen and Chaisson are not yet terrorizing the Jaguars' offense in practice together, the two are still working together to develop.
For example, Campbell and Ngakoue both have preached the importance of run defense in the past. While each has made their name as pass rushers, the two veterans frequently pointed out last year that you need to stop the run to get a chance to rush the passer. This is a lesson they clearly passed down to Allen, and one he is now passing down himself.
"The one thing I really want to harp on with [Chaisson] about is stopping the run," Allen said. "Before you become a good pass rusher, you have to be able to stop the run. That’s just something I’ve really been keeping in the back of his mind. Just being young together we can definitely grow."
