McCardell Hopes Pro-Bowl Isn't Enough for D.J. Chark or Jaguars' Other Receivers

For Jacksonville Jaguars receiver coach Keenan McCardell, having a Pro Bowler in his unit isn’t enough.

“Don’t rest on your laurels and say ‘Well, okay I’ve been there, you guys haven’t been there.’ No, I want all of us to go there, let’s get there.

“Let’s take this thing to, not just to Pro Bowl, let’s take this thing to the Super Bowl.”

That’s the mindset he wants not only his corps, but particularly D.J. Chark to have as they prepare for the 2020 NFL season.

You are a Pro Bowl receiver now! Any less is unacceptable! You got this DJ!💪🏾 https://t.co/DU73rfnJsv
— Jimmy Smith (@JimmySmithJags) June 22, 2020

A deep unit that boast not only Chark but veteran Chris Conley, Keelan Cole, DeDe Westrbook and new comers Laviska Shenault and Collin Johnson, McCardell is leading them through this unprecedented training camp style with encouragement to enjoy the process. He’s pointing to the sixth-year Conley as the touchstone for the younger guys on how things should be done. But most eyes are on Chark. It’s why McCardell is taking extra care to make sure Chark doesn’t buckle under any added pressure.

“I’ve got big expectations for DJ [Chark Jr.], and I don’t want to overload him too much with what I want from him. I’m going to ease it to him, because you start to throw too much on him, and he gets to thinking. I want my guys to be able to play fast and have fun. I want them to go out and have fun. That’s what I want them to do is go out and have fun.

“And take a leadership role, just a little bit more. You know, demand more from the people around him. I mean, okay, you play receiver, but you can demand more from every position in that huddle. I mean, if you’re playing at a high level, demand it from everybody else. And just be a spirit that brings good vibes to the huddle, good vibes to this team.”

More than just Chark though, Chris Conley sees his entire unit as being responsible and capable of those “good vibes.” He also sees the rookies—both drafted and free agents—as fitting in with that mood right away.

“DeDe [Westbrook] and [Keelan] Cole and DJ [Chark], those guys can bring, bring a lot of energy out of anyone. But then you add the young group that we have right now and they act like they've been here for years already. So a lot of energy in the meetings, a lot of energy out in the field. Quite a few times, having to rein the attention back in, but it's good to be light hearted.”

Obviously, ideally, that translate to the field. In the 2019 regular season, the Jaguars receiving corps were firmly in the middle of the pack in every major statistical category…but that was much improved from the 2018 season prior with largely the same roster of guys in the unit.

They improved from 214.4 yards per game in (26th in the NFL) to 251.4 ypg (18th). Yards per reception rose from 10.4 in 2018 (29th in the NFL) to 11.1 in 2019 (tied-18th). The 24 receiving touchdowns in 2019 (tied-17th) were up from the 15 touchdowns in 2018 (31st).

Conley led all Jaguars receivers in 2019 in yards after the catch with an average of 5.4 YAC. According to Next Gen. Stats, that’s a 1.6 positive differential from what he was expected to have. And if the Jaguars receiving unit want to emulate the last truly great Jags duo—Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell—it’ll require fighting for the YAC yardage according to Conley.

“I think, as of right now, the onus is on us to make sure we're on our P's and Q's, so that when those opportunities come, we don't let them go. Big thing about, you know, Coach McCardell, and when he was playing is, every opportunity that he had, those guys capitalized on it, they were in the right spot at the right time. They were able to take something that was a five yard route and they were able to take it to the house. And that explosiveness is something that this group has; the consistency is what we're looking for. We're working on being consistent, so that we can and week out guys can make those plays and they have to be accounted for.”

Having one half of that former great duo now as a position coach does put this unit in a better spot to learn from their example as Conley continues to explain.

"Not only does he bring up instances where he would have done it this way, but also players will will ask him, you know, ‘What would you think on this? What did you see?’ And also there's a lot of poking fun. You know, if he coaches something and we say, ‘Well, I watched your film and you did it just like I did it.’ You know, there's a lot of examples of that as well. But being able to talk to someone who was in your position—it seems like yesterday—is very valuable. There's a wealth of information there.”

For McCardell’s part, he knows putting his receivers in a position to gain those extra yards can help ease the load on the rest of the offense, in such a way that will ripple across the entire field. And he’s got a loaded arsenal of varying weapons to make it happens.

“I like the different body types that I have in my room, the different route runners that I have in my room. Everybody has continued to improve each and every day. It’s great to have some big guys that can run routes like little guys and some little guys that can get past folks like the big guys, big guys just being big. I mean, it’s a great room.

“For us to get to where I want us to be, we’ve got to continue to make plays for this offense every time our number is dialed up, you know, and be accountable to this offense and accountable to this team. And understand that sometimes we have to take the burden off of Gardner [Minshew II] and strike past long runs. We need to be able to be dynamic outside.”