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Jaguar Report

Jaguars Mailbag: What Surprises Are in Store For Liam Coen's Squad

In this week's Jacksonville Jaguars mailbag, we take plenty of questions on the 53-man roster projections, training camp and more.
John Shipley|
Aug 3, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen talks to media after training camp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Aug 3, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen talks to media after training camp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Jacksonville Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The final days of training camp are upon us, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are just 20 days away from Week 1.

With training camp now entering its final leg, we are taking questions in this week's Jaguars mailbag on how the 53-man roster might shake out and what we have learned in the preseason thus far. With that said, here is this week's Jaguars mailbag:

A: It will be tough, and that is because there are already five spots locked in: Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, B.J. Green, Danny Striggow, and fourth-rounder Wesley Williams. I think Bryan Thomas Jr. can push Zach Durfee for the final spot, but I would probably give Durfee the edge considering the fact that he would be unlikely to pass through waivers if cut. Thomas has certainly been impressive, though.

A: There is always money in the banana stand. As long as the Jaguars want to keep the player, they will find a way to.

A: I was impressed by the outing from Joey Aguilar but no, he does not. I do not know how many teams will carry three quarterbacks this year, if any, but I would not expect the Jaguars to be one. He could be a nice practice squad option, though.

A: I don't think much right now. Josh Cameron and CJ Williams have stood out in practice and early in the preseason, but the value of Parker Washington far outweighs pre-Week 1 flashes. Until the Jaguars see Williams and Cameron do it when the lights really come on, I would put this one a bit on ice.

A: Matt Dickerson being held out of the New Orleans Saints game was a surprise to me, and that quickly made clear not just that he is a lock for the roster, but that he is officially IDL3 over Ruke Orhorhoro. Besides that, it has been as expected I believe.

A: This was a big question on my mind after the Cole Van Lanen news last week. It felt like the Jaguars gave us an answer with Sunday's practice, though. Emmanuel Pregnon took every single first-team rep at left guard, while Ezra Cleveland was at right guard. Walker Little was at left tackle, but I think that would change if Van Lanen is ready for Week 1,

A: I think I would say the running game. It has been hit-or-miss in terms of big plays due to how strong the Jaguars' own run defense is, but I have been very impressed by Chris Rodriguez Jr. as a power-runner and Bhayshul Tuten has done nothing the diminish the early-offseason hype.

A: I will say that it seemed like Liam Coen was a bit disappointed with the secondary through two joint practices. Coen said after the first one vs. the Saints that they allowed several explosives, while he said after the Panthers practice that he was disappointed with zero takeaways through two joint practices. I think the secondary should be much better on paper than a year ago, but they will have to prove it come Week 1.

A: I am not watching Hard Knocks, but I think being weird is part of being an NFL head coach. As Bill Parcells said, "football is not a game for the well-adjusted."

A: He was back at practice in team drills on Sunday, which is a good sign for him this week entering the final stage of the preseason. I think as long as he can stay healthy, he has an exciting skill-set. I gave him the edge over Yasir Abdullah before he got injured.

A: That is a good question, and honestly one that I think the Jaguars themselves still have to answer. I think it might be Chris Rodriguez.

A: For biggest surprise cut, there really are not many options. This seems like a roster that already has around 50 spots locked up, leaving not much mystery entering this week. I think Chuma Edoga or Quintin Morris could both qualify by a loose definition. As for surprise making the 53, I guess Jahlani Tavai is the closest answer I could find?

A: I think so, but I do not think it is going to be especially expansive. In terms of the pass-catchers on the roster, he is certainly quite a bit lower on the pecking order. He won't play as much as Nate Boerkircher either, so some oppurtunities might be limited. He will see the field, but I do not think it will be in a significant way.

A: He had a great start to camp and dominated at times during the team scrimmage, but he got a little banged-up and has cooled off a bit since. I thought he had some solid rushes against the Carolina Panthers and will still be on the 53, but he might be a healthy scratch.

A: He doesn't! There have been 17 training camp practices and he has not thrown 17 interceptions. I think the age of social media and how coverage of the sport itself has changed has created a culture where we think the season lives and dies on every single training camp practice rep, making us forget that it is, well, practice. It matters, but it is not all that matters. Lawrence has had a solid training camp, and as long as the Jaguars have their key pieces healthy I would be expecting him to have one of the best seasons of his entire NFL career, if not the best year he has ever actually had.

A: Honestly? Not much at all. The preseason has become increasingly unimportant in terms of actually gauging where a team is at. The Jaguars have played essentially zero true starters in the preseason outside of Ventrell Miller/Branson Combs, and only a few players (B.J. Green, Danny Striggow, Caleb Ransaw) are expected to be top backups who will find playing time. The Jaguars' preseason game against the Panthers was, for all intents and purposes, an exercise in futility if you are looking for something to glean.

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John Shipley
JOHN SHIPLEY

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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