Jaguars Mailbag: Were There Any Minicamp Surprises?

In this week's mailbag, we talk about why we think the Jaguars' offense can be even better in 2023.

Throughout the offseason, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars until Week 1.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguar Report Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

In this week's mailbag, we take questions on Doug Pederson, Devin Lloyd, Calvin Ridley, and more.

Q: It always felt to me that Calvin Ridley was going to return from suspension and resume his role as a top 10 receiver in the NFL. It doesn’t feel like the rest of the league agrees (most recently TLaw and Ridley being ranked as the 3rd best NEW QB and WR duo in the AFC on NFL.com). What are some of the concerns for him moving forward because I am drinking the Kool-Aid and have none?

A: I think people look at his age and his time away from football and come away reluctant to assume he can continue to be a top receiver. Personally, this doesn't make much sense because he is still in peak physical condition and didn't miss time for injuries or any other reason that could prevent him from having a big year. Ridley is the Jaguars' most explosive passing game weapon and will be utilized as such, even if those outside TIAA Bank Field are skeptical about going all in.

Q: Any chance they carry 3 QB's or can they stash a developmental prospect on the practice squad and protect him?

A: I think the Jaguars will try to roll into the season with Nathan Rourke on the practice squad. Rourke looks like a toolsy signal-caller prospect thanks to his big arm, but the Jaguars simply have too deep of a roster to carry three quarterbacks. Maybe if there weren't so many other tough calls that had to be made on the roster, but in 2023 the Jaguars would be best off letting Rourke learn while staying off the 53-man roster.

Q: When Mike Caldwell says he is confident in Herndon being an effective slot corner should we fully believe that? Is he just defending him since he can only play the hand he is dealt. Do you personally feel like NB is an area that needs a major upgrade?

A: I do think the Jaguars are a good bit higher on Tre Herndon than fans are. The simple reality is, most teams do not have three high-level cornerbacks. The Jaguars already have two in Darious Williams and Tyson Campbell, so naturally there is a spot where the Jaguars are eventually going to be weaker. My contention to the main criticisms with Herndon is that there has to be a reason that several different front offices and coaching staffs have wanted him to be a part of their secondary. Herndon plays the run, is a good tackler, and holds his own in coverage when he isn't facing a pure speed receiver. So I do think the Jaguars could upgrade the spot, but I also don't think it is like they have the worst slot corner in the league, either.

Q: What Day 3 rookie is looking like they could push for playing time Week 1?

A: A lot depends on what happens with the veterans in front of them, but I do think that there is a chance you see Yasir Abdullah find a tangible role in the defense. He obviously won't push for major snaps since there are already two starters in Travon Walker and Josh Allen, but there are rotational EDGE snaps to be won, plus situational pass-rush snaps. Other than Allen and Walker, Abdullah doesn't have much in front of him in terms of established pass-rushers and, eventually, the Jaguars should call on him to try to provide some juice to the pass-rush unit. Antonio Johnson had a good offseason, too, but it could be tougher for him to push for playing time with three safeties in front of him on the depth chart. 

Q: Who signs a new deal with the Jaguars first: Evan Engram, Calvin Ridley, or Josh Allen? 

A: This is a tough one. Evan Engram still has a month to sign an extension before the 2023 season, but it seems more and more likely that he will play on the franchise tag. Josh Allen could be a tag candidate next year after he plays out his fifth-year option, and the same goes for Calvin Ridley.

Ultimately, my guess is Ridley would be the first one the Jaguars sign. Ridley has won over everyone since he walked into TIAA Bank Field and the reviews of the glimpses he has shown on the practice field show that the Jaguars know they have a special player on their hands. I think the Jaguars would be more willing to pay for a No. 1 receiver than for Allen or Engram.

Q: Doug Pederson said this week that Devin Lloyd can be an edge rusher. Mike Caldwell seemed to shoot that down earlier this offseason. So what is the real answer? 

A: I personally think the answer closer aligns to Mike Caldwell's assessment, which is as follows. 

"Well really Devin is a inside linebacker and inside linebackers typically blitz. So when you line them up on the end of the line -- which we have, we've lined him up there -- that's really not their forte, you know what I'm saying?" Caldwell said during OTAs. "But we need to give him more opportunities to blitz, which he did last year and we'll just continue to do that. He has a unique skill set where he can rush the quarterback, but it's typically against running backs, possibly a tight end, but that's the type of matchups we want to get him into. But offensive linemen, that's other people's areas."

Just based on what Lloyd put on tape last year -- and in college -- Caldwell is the one whose assessment I'd agree with. Lloyd entered the NFL a year after Micah Parsons and this, combined with him playing EDGE snaps here and there at Utah, led to a lot of people misevaluating him. Lloyd is a good blitzer, but he isn't a pass-rusher. This was clear in college (watch his senior year game vs. USC) and would be clear at this level, too, if that is the route the Jaguars take. 

Q: Did anything about minicamp really stand out and surprise you or was it just another week?

A: It would be hard for anything to qualify as a surprise during minicamp, especially when the week is as scaled back as the Jaguars' week of practices was. With that said, I will say I continue to be surprised by just how athletic and how natural Tank Bigsby has proven himself to be in the passing game. He might have the best hands in the entire running back room, which is frankly wild. I was also mildly surprised at Travon Walker not being at minicamp despite other second-year defenders like Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma, but that likely just shows how far along the Jaguars think Walker is.