Jaguars HC Doug Marrone Reflects on How His Team Has Approached Virtual Offseason

How have the Jaguars embarked on the virtual offseason, and how has it set them up for the future?

With each NFL team having to embark on a virtual offseason as team activities have kicked off this year, there have certainly been obstacles. A time that is normally used to soak up new information and get acclimated with new surroundings has turned into video conferences, phone calls, and group chats, as teams adjust their plans with the changing landscapes. 

For the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that is set to be among the youngest rosters in the NFL in 2020, an already crucial offseason has turned into even more of a concentrated effort. And while it may not be the ideal setting for a team entering a season with a second-year quarterback as a starter and several young players set to contribute, it has still been a positive experience. 

"I think it's something that it's been a learning experience for some of us as coaches, and I think it's been a good experience," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said in a video conference Friday. 

"I'm looking at some of the things that we're doing now, when this ends, 'how do we continue some of this'? Because I think it's been really productive in what we've been doing. So, I'm in some thought process of putting things to paper and seeing how we can use some of the things that we're doing now when we start up, because I think it's been a really good experience from that standpoint."

But while there have been some positives to a virtual offseason, there has also been a set of challenges. Maybe the greatest challenge is how team chemistry and culture can be cultivated and developed in a virtual world. 

Another emphasis has been made on approaching how each different player learns and how the Jaguars can best set them up for success whenever they actually do take the field. At the end of the day, it is when the Jaguars will once again have their cleats on the grass that will define the team, even with the efforts made this offseason.

"At the end of the day, I learn this statement a long time ago, someone told me 'Don't confuse effort with results', and you're putting in a lot of effort, but it's still a results-oriented business and performance is going to be big," Marrone said. 

"That's why I said before that the guys that can do this and take it onto the field, and do well are at an advantage. You don't want to create that when you're a coach, you want to create a level playing field so that when everyone goes out there, they have the ability because if someone learns better by walking through things, which I think we all learn better that way, to a certain extent, and that gives the player the better chance of making the team and being the player that's gonna help us win."

As for how the Jaguars' coaching staff and players have approached the virtual offseason, Marrone noted he has challenged his team and thus far, they have answered the call. 

Marrone was asked how quarterback Gardner Minshew II had taken charge of the team in a virtual setting, and he said both he and the team have done their part to this point.

“Well we have things up that we’re working on and things they come up with. I think this is a challenge for all of us," Marrone said. "There’s a lot of things that are going on. I’ve challenged the coaches, I’ve challenged the players to take this virtual world that we’re in and let’s have some fun with it. Let’s try new things.

"I think Gardner’s obviously reached out, spoken to a lot of players and I think a lot of our players are on group text and trying to create that chemistry that we talked about before which is difficult to do in a virtual setting. So we have some programs and quizzes, some things that we do with the players and Gardner has been doing a good job of keeping everybody involved with that.” 

Much like every season for every team, the Jaguars and Marrone won't know just how effective their efforts in the offseason paid off until the regular season begins. The Jaguars have a long way to go before their scheduled Week 1 season opener vs. the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 13, a date that isn't even set in stone due to the uncertain NFL calendar. 

But the Jaguars have done what they could to this point, taking advantage of the virtual offseason and attempting to continue to come together as a team. Marrone won't know what kind of team he has until they put the pads on, but for now he can at least attest to their willingness to adapt in an ever-changing time.