Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said tight end Tim Tebow is just another player trying to earn his spot on the team's final roster.

Meyer explained in an interview with USA Today (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk) he's still coming to grips with trimming an NFL roster from 90 during the offseason to 53, a process that's different from what he previously dealt with in the college ranks:

"The tough part is 53, and that's new to me. That's the reality of the NFL, that you have 90 players. So to me, he's one of 90. He's a guy that's, you know, what's the difference between him and the other 40 guys trying to make the team? To me, it's all the same. This is their livelihood, this is a job, this is a way to make a living. And the reality is that a good percentage of your roster's gonna get cut or transition out of here, which, to me, that's completely new. In college, you've got your 85, 95 guys and you fit them in and you put the puzzle together. It's much different here."

Tebow, a converted quarterback who's returned to the NFL after spending the past five years in the New York Mets' minor league system, generated a lot of attention when he signed with the Jags in May, but he's always been a long shot to make the team for the regular season.

There are a lot of factors working against him, ranging from the position change to his age (33), but he's always been someone to lead by example with his work ethic. That's probably what Meyer wanted to highlight during his first year in Jacksonville based on his prior time with Tebow as his quarterback at the University of Florida.

"I want to thank the Jaguars for the opportunity to compete and earn the chance to be part of this team," Tebow said in May. "I know it will be a challenge, but it is a challenge I embrace. I am dedicated to taking the direction of our coaching staff and learning from my teammates. I appreciate everyone's support as I embark on this new journey."

The biggest factor working to his advantage is the Jags' lack of proven depth at tight end. He's competing with Chris Manhertz, James O'Shaughnessy, Tyler Davis, Ben Ellefson and Luke Farrell for four spots on the final 53.

That gives Tebow at least an outside chance to take the field with the Jaguars in Week 1, but Meyer is making it clear he won't be treated any differently than other players on the roster fringe.

Jacksonville opens the preseason Aug. 14 against the Cleveland Browns, which will be the first major test of the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner's conversion to tight end.

Trevor Lawrence may be the starting quarterback of the future for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but there's no guarantee he'll be the starter of the present. 

Jacksonville Jaguars pass game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer told reporters Wednesday the team hasn't named a starting quarterback just yet. 

"It's still too early to say how this thing's going to play out," he added.

It's hard to imagine the top overall pick won't be the starting quarterback when the regular season rolls around. The alternative is Gardner Minshew, who had the chance to seize the starting gig the past two years and didn't take advantage. 

In 23 games (20 starts), Minshew has thrown for 5,530 yards, 37 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, completing 62.9 percent of his passes. He's been sacked 60 times. The Jags have gone 7-13 in his starts. 

Lawrence, meanwhile, has dealt with hamstring tightness in his first minicamp, limiting his participation. 

But when he has been out on the field, he's impressed his new teammates, as cornerback Shaquill Griffin told reporters Monday:

I feel like the main thing I've been seeing is he's very explosive, so when the ball is out it's out. When you see him throwing, even if I'm out on the sideline, I'm watching him throwing to different receivers. It's just the rotation of the ball. The time. The way he's putting it away from everybody. It's just insane to see that so early in a quarterback. You talk about coming into the league with such high hopes, and he's proving that.

It's a good sign that Lawrence is already turning heads in Jacksonville, even if the coaches aren't ready to declare him the starter just yet. But it would be an enormous shock if he wasn't the man under center come September. 

Trevor Lawrence's first offseason with the Jacksonville Jaguars is getting off to a slow start. 

Head coach Urban Meyer told reporters that the rookie quarterback was being held out of team drills during mandatory minicamp on Monday—and potentially Tuesday—because of the same hamstring tightness that limited him last week during organized team activities: 

Our trainers and Schotty [passing game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer] are being a little cautious because right now when you're a month out, you yank a hamstring now you're going to miss the early part of the training camp. That's that one muscle that, you guys have all seen it like I have, you pull a hamstring at this point you're going to miss all your summer conditioning so we're being somewhat conservative on it. But he actually could play a game if he had to.

As for Lawrence, he said Monday he understood the team's abundance of caution.

"It's been about a week and trying to work it back to full capacity, and yeah, it's a little frustrating just not being able to go full speed, but I'm feeling good," he said. "I'm just trying to not have any more setbacks, so taking it slow. Got some good reps today. So start getting more and more each day this week and kind of work back into it."

While having Lawrence at full strength for mandatory minicamps would be nice, it's far more important to get the top overall pick to training camp, the preseason and the regular season at 100 percent. 

While nobody expects the Jags to be contenders in 2021, it's an important season for the organization. It will not only be the first look at Lawrence as he attempts to become the franchise quarterback the Jaguars have lacked for basically the entirety of their history, but it's also the first season for Meyer as an NFL head coach. 

The future of the franchise is linked to the successes and failures of that duo. They are both under the proverbial microscope immediately. 

And while Lawrence hasn't been able to fully participate, he's already impressing his teammates. 

"I feel like the main thing I've been seeing is he's very explosive, so when the ball is out it's out," cornerback Shaquill Griffin told reporters. "... It's just the rotation of the ball. The time. The way he's putting it away from everybody. It's just insane to see that so early in a quarterback. You talk about coming into the league with such high hopes, and he's proving that."

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer told reporters that defensive end K'Lavon Chaisson tested positive for COVID-19, causing him to miss practice at minicamp Monday, via Justin Barney of WJXT4.

The 21-year-old will be tested again to confirm the result.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted Chaisson attended the Von Miller pass-rushing camp this past weekend.

Miller highlighted Chaisson among those attending his Las Vegas camp. Rapoport later noted the summit "had protocols in place" and that participants "were required to be vaccinated or have a negative PCR test" before the event. He also noted several participants "have already tested negative" since returning to their teams.

"This year, we have a heavy focus on the young guys," the eight-time Pro Bowler told reporters, via James Johnson of Jags Wire. "We have [Patriots LB] Josh Uche, we got Chaisson. We got a lot of young guys this year. I kind of like it better that way. The young guys, they just have this spark about them where they just want to know more."

Chaisson is heading into his second season after being selected with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. The LSU product appeared in 16 games as a rookie (three starts), but was limited to just one sack and 19 tackles. 

Meyer said Monday the second-year player will line up as a "Sam" linebacker in the 3-4 scheme in 2021, via John Shipley of Jaguar Report.

Gardner Minshew II is ringing in his third year in the NFL with a new look.

Months after debuting a mullet hairstyle that he dubbed the "Mississippi Mudflap," the 25-year-old Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback has opted for a cleaner cut.

Minshew shared some shots of the mullet in April: 

He will rock the new look behind rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence—who has his own set of lengthy locks—as the Jaguars look for their first playoff appearance since 2017.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars getting their quarterback of the future in Trevor Lawrence, previous starter Gardner Minshew II could be on his way out.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Minshew "wants a chance to compete for a starting job" and even missed the team's OTAs last week. Fowler spoke to an insider with one team who believes it would take a fifth- or sixth-round pick to acquire the quarterback in a trade.

Fowler also noted the San Francisco 49ers looked into a deal for Minshew but instead decided to trade up in the draft, eventually selecting Trey Lance at No. 3 overall.

Minshew appeared in 23 games over his first two seasons (20 starts), totaling 37 touchdown passes with just 11 interceptions. 

The Jaguars struggled to a 1-7 record during Minshew's starts last season, but he remained efficient with a 95.9 quarterback rating that ranked 16th in the NFL among qualified passers.

The 2019 sixth-round pick has exceeded expectations on the field, beating out Nick Foles for the starting job as a rookie before helping a poor team stay more competitive in 2020. The Jaguars went 0-8 with Mike Glennon and Jake Luton as starters last year.

Jacksonville will look for a fresh start under new head coach Urban Meyer and No. 1 overall pick Lawrence, but Minshew has proved he can succeed at this level.

It might be a difficult time to trade the 25-year-old with limited potential starting opportunities around the league, but the Jaguars could wait until later in the offseason to see if a need arises. With a cap hit of just $897,721 in 2021, per Spotrac, there likely isn't too much urgency to make a move.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence was being treated for hamstring tightness after Tuesday's minicamp practice.

Meyer doesn't expect the hamstring injury will cost Lawrence any time since the Jags are off Wednesday before returning to practice Thursday, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Jacksonville has brought Lawrence, the first pick in the 2021 draft, along slowly during the offseason program as he completes his recovery from shoulder surgery.

Last week, Meyer said the coaching staff was happy with the signal-caller's progress in learning the playbook during organized team activities.

"I thought he looked great. He had a really good day today," Meyer said Thursday. "He's just making steady progress. I want to say—I can't give you percentage of the installation, but we've been at it now for three weeks, and one of the advantages that we've had with Trevor [is] that we've kind of made a decision—I can't remember exactly when—we started working with him a good month before practices started."

Lawrence is expected to be the Jaguars' Week 1 starter, and the hamstring injury won't impact that outlook.

The 21-year-old prized prospect is coming off a terrific college career at Clemson. He completed 66.6 percent of his throws for 10,098 yards with 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions across 40 games. He added 943 rushing yards and 18 scores on the ground.

He'll have all the tools necessary to make an instant impact in the NFL with a skill-position group that includes running backs James Robinson and Carlos Hyde, wide receivers DJ Chark Jr., Marvin Jones Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. and hybrid playmaker Travis Etienne Jr.

During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via 247Sports' Nick Kosko), Lawrence expressed optimism after rookie minicamp in May.

"We're on the right track. I feel really good about where we're at right here with the rookies and the coaching staff," he said. "We're just excited to work with the vets, and that'll be coming here in a few days. ... I think we're in a great spot, though."

Lawrence should be back on the field Thursday to continue preparing for his highly anticipated rookie campaign, which will kick off Sept. 12 against the Houston Texans.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer offered an honest take on the likelihood of Tim Tebow making the team's Week 1 roster. 

Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra), Meyer said it will be "very difficult" for Tebow to make the team because "this is uncharted water" with the 34-year-old attempting to play tight end for the first time in his career. 

The Jaguars signed Tebow on May 20, marking his first appearance on an NFL roster since playing for the Philadelphia Eagles during training camp in 2015. 

Even though there will be questions about Tebow's ability to play a new position at his age after being out of the NFL for so long, Meyer did offer praise for how the former Heisman Trophy winner has looked in practice. 

"He's been doing great in practice, he's learning the offense as you can imagine," Meyer said. "He's working as hard as anybody. I see a good camaraderie amongst the team and Tim, and it's been good so far."

Tebow is one of six tight ends currently on Jacksonville's roster. James O'Shaughnessy was the primary starter last season, but the team selected Luke Farrell out of Ohio State in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft. 

Few coaches know Tebow's capabilities as well as Meyer. They spent four seasons together at the University of Florida from 2006-09, winning national titles in 2006 and 2008. 

As Tim Tebow looks to start the next phase of his NFL career as a tight end, the odds of him making the Jacksonville Jaguars roster are reportedly even right now. 

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said there's a "50-50" chance that the Jaguars carry Tebow on their 53-man roster when the regular season begins (starts at :40 mark):

The Jaguars officially signed Tebow on May 20, marking the first time since the 2015 preseason that the Heisman Trophy winner has been on an NFL team. 

Even though Tebow joined the Jaguars as a tight end, his actual role with the team has been the source of speculation. 

ESPN's Dianna Russini reported last week on Get Up! (h/t Sam Marsdale of 247Sports) that Jacksonville head coach Urban Meyer envisions using Tebow "in that utility role, that Taysom Hill role that we see Sean Payton use in New Orleans."

Hill was primarily used on designed runs from the quarterback position, but he did throw 114 passes in four games as the starter last season when Drew Brees was injured. The 30-year-old has 1,047 passing yards, 1,145 yards from scrimmage and has accounted for 22 total touchdowns over the past three seasons. 

Meyer is very familiar with Tebow after the two spent four seasons together at the University of Florida from 2006 to 2009. The Gators went 48-7 and won two national titles during that span. 

Tebow hasn't appeared in an NFL game since Dec. 30, 2012 with the New York Jets. He threw for 2,422 yards with 17 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 47.9 completion percentage in three seasons from 2010 to 2012. He also ran for 989 yards and 12 scores.

Tim Tebow hasn't made many public comments since signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is seemingly a change in strategy from his past opportunities in the NFL.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated argued some of the challenges for teams was when "TebowMania" turns into a "circus."

"If there’s one common complaint I’ve heard from his past coaches about it, it’s not that he’s actively fueling it," Breer wrote. "Moreso, it’s that he doesn’t do anything to calm it down."

Tebow last played an NFL regular-season game in 2012, but he signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars as a tight end this offseason after playing quarterback during his first stint in the league.

Even with the time away, the University of Florida product remains wildly popular and recently had the two highest-selling jerseys in the NFL:

While fan support is not necessarily a negative, it can be a distraction for a team looking to turn things around after a 1-15 season. The focus ends up being on a reserve player rather than the starters, which could cause problems when there are calls for more playing time.

Tebow came off the bench for the New York Jets in 2012 before getting preseason opportunities with the New England Patriots in 2013 and Philadelphia Eagles in 2015, generating plenty of headlines at each stop.

Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer is clearly hoping the 33-year-old can help on the field, but he would probably like to avoid the potential negatives that come with signing Tebow.