Jaguars Mailbag: What Has Stood Out At Training Camp So Far?

In this week's mailbag, we handle plenty of questions on the first four days of Jaguars training camp.

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Josh Hines-Allen (41) runs a drill during the third day of an NFL football training camp practice Friday, July 26, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

Throughout the season, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguars On SI Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

This week, we take questions on what we have seen in Jaguars training camp so far.

Q: Hey John. Great job with the site! Do you see Jags extending Etienne and Cisco as well? Thanks!

A: I could see it going either way with both players. I don't think anyone should be pessimistic about each player's long-term standing, for instance. Cisco will play out the final year of his contract and then the Jaguars are going to have to decide whether to re-sign him, franchise tag him, or let him walk in free-agency. The answer to that equation likely depends on what we see from Cisco this season.

As for Etienne, he is likely to play on his fifth-year option in 2025 so the Jaguars have at least two more years with him under team control. It remains to be seen what this regime would think about when it comes to valuing the running back position and second-contract values. I could see the Jaguars paying Etienne because of his importance to the roster, but I could also see them leaning toward letting him hit the market. I know that answer sits on the fence, but I don't think anything is determined with either player yet.

Q: Which players by name have you seen getting reps at the "SAM" linebacker position in the early going at practice?

A: It is my belief the job is going to come down to Chad Muma and Ventrell Miller. Miller has made some impressive plays in camp so far, especially against the run. Once pads come on and we can see the expanded role for the position, we will know more about who will win this job.

Q: When do the pads go on?

A: They will be in full pads on Tuesday.

Q: A lot of clips have shown Trevor taking snaps under center since OTA's. Do you see that as more of a point of emphasis this year from a team that has primarily been out of shotgun?

A: Funny enough, I got this question a good amount last year. I think there will be aspects of under center in the offense, but I do not think they are making any giant schematic shifts compared to what they have done the last two years. It will be mixed into the offense to a degree, largely due to what you can do with play-action.

Q: In the event of another Jaguars collapse this season, do you think it's reasonable to say Pederson is on the hotseat?

A: I think Jaguars owner Shad Khan wants to be in the playoffs, so I do think there could be some uncomfortable pressure if the Jaguars fail to meet that standard for whatever reason.

Q: Last year the offense was very clunk at best in terms of the way it operated and functioned. Is it concerning that in Year 3 those issues are continuing with a largely similar staff, while the defense seems to be operating very smoothly operationally in year 1 of a new staff?

A: I think you will always be concerned when things don't look great on the field. I also think that training camp has more going on in terms of what they are presenting and trying to accomplish than anyone knows. We see the result of plays, but we don't really know the process. With that said, yes, you would expect the passing game to look smoother on air than it has so far.

Q: What are the main things you should be looking for during Training Camp? Of course hard to really gauge from practices

A: The big things I look for are athleticism and depth. I do not think training camp always tells the full story because some guys are frankly better under the lights than they are in practice, while camp also isn't an exact simulation of real games. I do think you can tell what kind of athletes a team has at specific positions, however, and I do think you can tell when some position groups are perhaps lacking in terms of top-end talent. The talent gap, I believe, is easy to see between players in a position group during camp.

Q: Can you help me decide which throwback jersey to buy? I want a player who will be here long-term, but I don't want Lawrence cause he'll be the most popular. Torn between Boselli, JHA, Walker, and I guess now Campbell.

A: I simply can't imagine Travon Walker going anywhere, so he could be an option that isn't one of the two obvious ones like Lawrence and Hines-Allen.

Q: Do you foresee more 2 TE sets? Hopefully Brian Thomas is good but they now have 2 wide receivers who can lineup outside who aren’t a net negative ( we hope). It seems like the optimal strategy is keeping the defense in heavy personnel and passing against it.

A: I think the Jaguars will certainly run two tight end sets because they like Luke Farrell and they want to give Brenton Strange more snaps. But, for context, the Jaguars ranked No. 7 in 12 personnel rate last year. They already use two tight ends plenty.

Q: I know it is early in camp and pads aren't on, but has anything stood out to you as a potential problem?

A: I want to see how well the Jaguars run the ball. They have ripped off a few long runs without pads, but I am interested to see if that carries over. I will also say it seems like there is consistent pressure on the quarterback in team drills. I am not sure if that is because of what Ryan Nielsen is throwing at the offense or due to the offensive line being overmatched, but we will certainly see.

Q: When you took this job, did they also mention that you would have to talk Jags fans off the ledge every day?

A: No, it qualified under the assumed risks part of the agreement.

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