Jaguars Mailbag: Why Doug Pederson Makes the Right Call About Minicamp

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 the completion of OTAs, minicamp, Calvin Ridley and more.

Q: Do you see Travon Walker being a double-digit sack leader this year?

A: It has been written in this space before, but I am not sure Travon Walker is the prototype double-digit sack guy. I do think he has that potential because he has natural athletic traits that few players have ever had, but I also view him as more likely to be a 7-9 sack guy who also helps the players around him produce sacks and pressures.

Q: An article recently came out regarding the pass rushers taken in 2022. Where would you rank them and what do you think Travon has to do in 2023 to show he was the right pick?

A: I think it is fair to have some questions after last year, though I am also personally not selling any of my Travon Walker stock. Aidan Hutchinson had some fake production but did still impact the passer more consistently than Walker, while Kayvon Thibodeaux had the flashes that made everyone think he could be a top pick to begin with. I would probably go Thibodeaux, Walker, Hutchinson if projecting moving forward, though that obviously is showing a lot of faith in Walker. I think Walker can be a massively impactful player, though, and it is unfair to say if he was the right or wrong pick right now. To show in 2023 that he was the correct pick, though, he will have to convert more of his pressures into actual sacks and finish more consistently.

Q: Are we prepared to sit through another season of Hard Knocks centered around Derek Carr and a dynamic and dramatic receiver with an injury history?

A: We?

Q: Why do you think the Jags haven't made a move for a pass-rusher? I've seen reports that they have $12 million in cap space. Why not grab one of the three and see what happens. I can't see the negatives of it.

A: Pass-rushers like Leonard Floyd and Frank Clark came off the free-agency board this week on relatively minor one-year deals, so it makes sense to wonder why the Jaguars didn't come away with either one of them. With that said, the Jaguars have seemed committed from the jump to get through OTAs with what they have and then circle back closer to training camp. It is worth remembering that any defender the Jaguars add would be, at best, the No. 3 EDGE in 2023 and would likely be signed to a one-year deal. It makes sense that not a ton of players are rushing into that, or that the Jaguars think they need to speed up the process. A fit will be there if the Jaguars want one.

Q: Is there any update on Smoot's recovery/re-signing?

A: The last word on Dawuane Smoot's recovery came from local trainer Jason Smith, who said Smoot was ahead of schedule and showed an encouraging video of a workout from Smoot. I think if something happened on this front, it would happen closer to training camp.

@Bigsmoot_94 Back and MOVING 💪🏾.

Ahead of schedule on the road return to top form and make impact plays this season.

Smoot has been back and working for the last month.

The workouts phased him back into regaining his strength and mobility, to now be able to move like this.… pic.twitter.com/aOpnhW2qrw
— Rise & Grind Training (@RiseandGrindOP) May 17, 2023

Q: I understand the reasoning behind all of the clamor for the Jaguars to sign a veteran pass rusher, but wouldn’t that steal snaps from and inhibit the development of our younger developmental players at that position such as Jordan Smith, Yasir Abdullah, Da’Shaan Dixon and even K’Lavon Chaisson?

A: I think this is a fair question to ask, even if people don't want to hear it. Fans -- and the team -- have Super Bowl aspirations after last year's run, so it is natural to want at least a replacement for Arden Key. With that said, the Jaguars would know better than anyone exactly what they have in their young outside linebacker room.

How would you describe your first impression of Kirk last year in OTAs versus what you’ve seen from Ridley?

A: I think that my first impression of Kirk last year was that he was going to obviously do two things: get open a lot and see a ton of targets. It was obvious the Jaguars were going to use Kirk as a slot receiver primarily, so this was taken into account and helped establish how I viewed him. I think Ridley has a lot of the same traits that Kirk does in terms of quick feet, attention to detail, work ethic, and overall versatility, though he maybe has a more explosive gear to him.

Favorite player(s) to interact with?

A: This is tough because every Jaguars player and coach I have ever interacted with has been the ultimate professional and a person worth rooting for. With that said, my favorite players to interact with over the last five years have been Calais Campbell, D.J. Hayden, Abry Jones, Dawuane Smoot, Christian Kirk, Jawaan Taylor, Josh Allen, and Evan Engram. Each of those guys has gone the mile and then some to help provide coverage, while all also being just good people and good conversations.

Q: The Jaguars ranked 21st in the NFL last season in Big Play Passes (gain of 25 yards or more). With the addition of Ridley and a more seasoned Trevor Lawrence under Doug Pederson, do you anticipate Jacksonville "stretching the defense" a lot more and making a measurable jump this season into the top half of the NFL in Big Play Passes (especially to Ridley and Big Play Zay)?

A: In 49 career games with the Falcons, Ridley produced 49 catches of 20 yards or more. He is a legit big-play threat thanks to his explosiveness and overall play-style, which allows him to earn separation early in routes against any coverage. I do think he gives the Jaguars a big-time outside field stretcher, something the Jaguars have not had since DJ Chark's Pro Bowl season in 2019. Ridley can be even better than that, so I expect the big plays to increase in 2023.

Q: Why aren't the Jaguars holding the same old mandatory minicamp during the Pederson regime?

A: I actually think this is a brilliant move by Doug Pederson, just like it was last season. The Jaguars know the expectations for the 2023 season. The expectations inside the building are just as high, if not higher, than the expectations of them from outside the building. With that said, the Jaguars just held nearly double-digit offseason practices that are more or less the same thing they would have done during three days of minicamp. During that period, they had 89 of their 91 rostered players in the building.

By canceling minicamp, Pederson earns some brownie points in the locker room and shows his players and staff that he cares about their long-term success in 2023. One big issue with the last time the Jaguars fielded a team with expectations -- 2018 -- was that the Jaguars burnt themselves out early in the season. It is smart for Pederson to ensure that doesn't happen this year, just like he made sure it didn't happen last year. After 2022, Pederson has earned the benefit of the doubt, and then some.