Jaguars Key Offseason Dates to Remember: Rookie Minicamp, OTAs and More

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will be back on the practice field at the Miller Electric Center facilities this month, marking the biggest steps yet toward the Jaguars' push for sustained success.
The Jaguars will hold several key offseason practices this month as the team ramps up the offseason period ahead of training camp in the summer. Make sure to bookmark this page and stay up-to-date with each Jaguars offseason date and why they are important.

Rookie Minicamp: May 8-10
This is when the Jaguars' 28 rookies will take the field for the first time. After drafting 10 players and then signing 18 undrafted free agents, these practices will serve as the first time for Liam Coen and his coaching staff to really get their hands on the rookie class. Since these practices do not have many veterans, if any at all, the rookies are given plenty of time for hands-on coaching and development as they onboard.
Rookie minicamp can be especially important for undrafted free agents. Most draft picks in the league are set to make their teams as rookies sans for late Day 3 selections, so they are not neccesarily fighting for roster spots during this time in the offseason process.

With that said, several of the Jaguars' undrafted rookies could use these three practices to get some positive momentum as they fight for spots on the 53-man roster or practice squad.
One of the Jaguars' undrafted free agents who deserves some eyes on them this weekend is running back J'Mari Taylor. The only rookie running back on the team, Taylor could push veteran running back DeeJay Dallas for a spot on the Jaguars' 90-man roster as the fourth running back. Taylor had a productive college career and plays one of the few positions that can stand out in this kind of setting.

The Jaguars also have a pair of undrafted cornerbacks in Devon Marshall and Preston Hodge who could push Christian Braswell for the CB5 job, or whocould compete with one another for the spot as the team's sixth cornerback if they carry that many into the regular season. After the Jaguars carried two undrafted free agents on their roster all year long last year, it would be a surprise if at least one does not make the roster this time around.
Voluntary OTAs: May 26, May 28-29, June 1-2, June 4, June 15-17

These pratices make up the vast majority of the offseason program and they are of course voluntary. With that said, the Jaguars' roster is not really in a place where any key names are not expected to be in attendance for serious reasons such as contract questions. Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said the team had a strong level of attendance at the start of the offseason program, which is far from a surprise.
"Look, it's voluntary so we just appreciate guys taking the time and anybody that's not here, it's totally been communicated and understood. There's no surprises. The guys are all seem like they're in a good place," Coen said last month at the start

With that in mind, these practices will serve as some important debuts of sorts. Jaguars running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. and defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro will each be on the practice field with their position groups and coaches, while Jacksonville will also have a few new assistants on the field with the veterans for the first time in offensive run game coordinator Brian Picucci and defensive pass game coordinator Matheiu Araujo.
This is also when the Jaguars can really start to instill their culture on the practice field in terms of how they compete each day. Starting with this phase of the offseason no live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.
Mandatory Minicamp: June 9-11

These are the final days of the offseason program before the Jaguars break for the summer. After these few days, the Jaguars are off for over a month until training camp kicks off and the Jaguars truly gear up for what is set to be an important season.
We know several key Jaguars will likely not be on the field during these practices as they recover from injuries, but this is still an important part of the season. It was this time last year when Coen and his staff began to really intergrate themselves to the Jaguars' locker room, and it paid off dividends.
Some performances are even worth projecting. Remember, the stars of the offseason program last year were Jourdan Lewis, Parker Washington, and Montaric Brown -- who all had strong seasons.

John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.
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