Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, will reportedly be a limited participant in the team's rookie minicamp, which starts Friday.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the update Thursday as Lawrence works his way back from shoulder surgery in February:

From NFL Now: #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence will participate in rookie minicamp, but he'll be limited in what he's asked to do. Lawrence is doing well in rehab from surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. pic.twitter.com/Rs9FNLc7xY

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 13, 2021

Jags head coach Urban Meyer helped Lawrence decide to hold an earlier Pro Day workout so he could undergo the surgery on his non-throwing shoulder without putting his availability for the start of the 2021 season at risk.

In February, Meyer explained on the NFL Network (via John Reid of the Florida Times-Union) his conversation with the Clemson standout was pretty straightforward:

''We did a Zoom call with him, and I asked him—there are three choices you have. No. 1, you can wait until March 11 Pro Day but now you are getting near August [for a recovery time].' That's getting late because it's a five-month recovery. It's a six-month injury. The second thing, you can not throw. He's probably a good enough player, but he said, 'I'm not doing that.'

"Third thing, I said why don't you just grab the ball and go throw for a little bit? I'd like to send our coordinator and passing-game coordinator to watch. They've never seen him. I've seen him, so he said, 'Let's go.'"

Lawrence put on a show during the Pro Day and further solidified himself as the Jaguars' choice with the No. 1 pick—not that there was much doubt in the first place.

The 21-year-old Tennessee native is as close to a surefire prospect as you can get in the NFL. He emerged as a 5-star recruit coming out of high school and proceeded to record 108 total touchdowns (90 passing and 18 rushing) across 40 appearances for Clemson.

It's a great sign that he's ready to take part in minicamp, even on a limited basis, when there's still four months until the start of the regular season.

The NFL announced the regular-season schedule Wednesday night, and Jacksonville is slated to open the campaign Sept. 12 when it visits the AFC South rival Houston Texans. Lawrence and the Jags will face the New York Jets, led by No. 2 pick Zach Wilson, in what will be a highly intriguing Week 16 matchup.

Lawrence should hit the ground running thanks to a talented offense that features three running backs (Travis Etienne, James Robinson and Carlos Hyde) and three wide receivers (D.J. Chark Jr., Marvin Jones Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr.) at the first pick's disposal.

All signs point to him being available for Week 1, and he'll probably be a strong Offensive Rookie of the Year contender by season's end.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith said he's happy the team is looking in to the potential signing of Tim Tebow rather than Colin Kaepernick.

Smith, who played for the Jags from 1995 through 2005, told TMZ Sports in an interview released Thursday he's concerned Kaepernick would "divide our locker room."

"We need a guy like Tim Tebow, who's a hometown hero who has love for the city anyway," Smith said.

Tebow moved to Jacksonville with his family at a young age and started his high school football career at Trinity Christian Academy in the city before moving to Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

The former Denver Broncos and New York Jets quarterback is trying to make an NFL comeback as a tight end after a six-year hiatus where he tried to make the transition to baseball with the New York Mets.

Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer told NBC Sports' Cris Collinsworth on Tuesday that signing Tebow is under consideration but not a done deal:

Tebow story direct from the boss @CoachUrbanMeyer pic.twitter.com/SavUmat5hw

— Cris Collinsworth (@CollinsworthPFF) May 11, 2021

Smith believes Tebow, who played college football for Meyer at the University of Florida, would be a perfect mentor for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

"He's going to be a great support for Trevor Lawrence," Smith told TMZ. "Whatever capacity that is, it's going to be a positive rather than a negative. I pray that he makes the 53-man roster, because we need all we can get."

The Jags' interest in Tebow has brought a renewed spotlight into Kaepernick's extended stay on the free-agent market despite previously expressing his interest in another NFL opportunity.

Kaepernick helped spark the movement to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality in August 2016. He opted out of his contract in March 2017 after the San Francisco 49ers informed him of his impending release, and he's never been signed by another team.

The Jaguars don't represent a great fit for him since they already have Lawrence, a solid backup in Gardner Minshew and depth options like C.J. Beathard and Jake Luton on the roster for 2021.

Tebow is being evaluated by Jacksonville because tight end is a greater position of need and the relationship with Meyer from their time together at Florida, which resulted in two national championships and the 2007 Heisman Trophy.

It's a new era in Jacksonville.

Urban Meyer is the head coach. Trevor Lawrence has the potential to be the elite franchise quarterback the Jaguars have never had. The team has exciting young offensive weapons in DJ Chark Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., James Robinson and Travis Etienne. Myles Jack, K'Lavon Chaisson, C.J. Henderson, Josh Allen and Tyson Campbell form the foundation of an intriguing young defense.

Will the Jags be contenders in 2021? No, this team is in the midst of a rebuild. But there are real reasons for optimism in Jacksonville, something that hasn't been the case since the team reached the AFC Championship Game in the 2017 season.

That team had its key members gradually traded or allowed to walk in free agency. The hope will be that this young core can stick together and form the groundwork for a better era of Jaguars football.

Let's take a look at the schedule they will face in 2021 as they take the early steps in that journey.

                          

Jaguars 2020 Schedule

The 2021 schedule is out! @CoachUrbanMeyer's first season in #DUUUVAL begins at Houston on Sept. 12. pic.twitter.com/8yfIhzOFxO

— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) May 12, 2021

                

Analysis

The Jaguars don't have an easy schedule in 2021, with seven games against playoff teams from a year ago (Tennessee Titans twice, Indianapolis Colts twice, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills).

Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals were on the edge of the playoff picture in 2020 and should be improved this season, the New England Patriots loaded up in free agency (and drafted a quarterback in Alabama's Mac Jones), and a healthier San Francisco 49ers team will be dangerous.

When you're in the midst of a rebuild, no games are gimmes. The Houston Texans should be beatable, but divisional opponents never go down without a fight. The Denver Broncos have plenty of weapons. A healthy Joe Burrow makes the Cincinnati Bengals a tougher matchup.

Hey, there's always the New York Jets. That matchup could well decide the top overall pick next season as well. More on that below.

             

Pivotal Matchups

You can bet that everyone will want to see the matchup between Lawrence and Zach Wilson when the Jags travel to face the Jets. Ditto for facing the Niners, assuming Trey Lance is the starter, which is probably a long shot. And measuring Lawrence against Burrow should be fun.

When you look over Jacksonville's schedule, the most winnable games appear to be against the Jets, Texans, Broncos and Bengals. Optimistically, that's five potential wins right there, even if the young Jags are unlikely to have a perfect record in those contests.

But all four of those teams finished with five or fewer wins last year. Three of them will roll out young, largely inexperienced quarterbacks. The fourth, Houston, has seen many of its best players depart in recent years. All four of those matchups will give the Jaguars the chance to compare the state of its rebuild against the other bottom-feeders in the AFC.

Jacksonville fans should want at least three wins out of those five games. And of course, there's always the possibility that the Jags could pull off a much bigger upset, too. But the dates against the Jets, Texans, Broncos and Bengals are worth circling on the calendar.

                  

Prediction

The Jaguars aren't going to be good in 2021. They should be better, however. Look for them to finish 4-12 in a nice jump after going 1-15 last year.

Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson is skeptical about whether Tim Tebow will make a positive impact on the field for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In a video published on Twitter on Wednesday, Simpson wondered whether the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, who is now 33 years old, can make a successful transition to tight end at this point in his career:

@TimTebow Good Luck pic.twitter.com/J7a54SZKYL

— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) May 12, 2021

Tebow isn't officially a member of the Jaguars just yet, but ESPN's Michael DiRocco reported Tuesday he is expected to sign a one-year deal "later this week or next week."

Many called for Tebow to move to tight end years ago once it became clear he wasn't cut out to be a quarterback in the NFL. He told The Dan Patrick Show in 2016 that he had been approached by teams about playing a different position but balked at the idea.

The 73-year-old Simpson spent 11 years in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers before retiring aged 32. He is 21st on the league's career rushing leaders list.

Following his career, he was charged with the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in one of the most high-profile cases in United States history. Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges, but he later served nine years in prison after being convicted of committing armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon in a Las Vegas hotel in 2007.

Jacksonville Jaguars coaches were reportedly astounded by Tim Tebow during his recent tryout with the club—at least that's according to his former college coach and current Jags coach Urban Meyer.

Speaking with Cris Collinsworth on his Pro Football Focus podcast, Meyer acknowledged he didn't attend Tebow's workout but said his assistants who did believe the former quarterback is in "incredible shape."

Tebow story direct from the boss @CoachUrbanMeyer pic.twitter.com/SavUmat5hw

— Cris Collinsworth (@CollinsworthPFF) May 11, 2021

"'He looks like he's 18 year's old, not 20—whatever he is, 33,'" Meyer recalled his coaches telling him. "And I said, 'Guys, you don't understand. Now, this guy is the most competitive maniac you're ever going to talk to,' and let's give it a shot."

Tebow hasn't played professional football since 2015. He hasn't appeared in an NFL regular-season game since 2012. He's trying to make the roster as a tight end—a position he has never played.

His rumored signing hasn't sat well with a number of players.

https://twitter.com/_Dbush11/status/1392137262431932416

.@DezBryant on the Tebow signing. pic.twitter.com/ysuFIugqZh

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) May 11, 2021

According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, there are even a number of people within the organization who question the move.

Regardless, Meyer appears ready to lean on Tebow again. We'll see if one of the best college quarterbacks of the aughts has anything left.

Some members of the Jacksonville Jaguars organization reportedly don't think signing former quarterback Tim Tebow to try out for the team as a tight end "sends the proper message."

ESPN's Jeff Darlington reported details about the impending addition to the Jags roster, a move orchestrated by new head coach Urban Meyer, during an appearance Tuesday on SportsCenter:

"When you cite the resume, when you talk about all of these things, it sounds pretty wild, and that certainly is the mindset of those in the Jaguars building. Not everybody—obviously Urban Meyer is the one behind all of this—but not everybody in the Jaguars building is thrilled with this. They don't think that it necessarily sends the proper message to the rest of the team in the locker room and the guys trying to make this team. Urban Meyer, though, is quite the opposite. They said this can be a 'cultural jolt' in the locker room to kind of send a message that Urban wants.

"Now, I covered Tebow pretty extensively back in 2011 and basically lived in Denver throughout that whole experience, and what I can tell you is that Tebow's leadership might be a little bit different in the NFL than what it was in college when Urban Meyer remembered him. So, when I talk to coaches and players in the NFL, they do look at this and say, 'If you're looking for somebody to change culture, it's not necessarily a guy like Tebow, especially at this point in his career.'

"So, there's definitely some differences of opinions within Jacksonville, but hey, Urban Meyer runs the show now. So, he'll get the chance to show that Tebow does deserve the chance in the NFL—something obviously other people don't necessarily think he does."

Tebow played under Meyer at the University of Florida from 2006 through 2009. The stretch included two national championships, two SEC Player of the Year Awards and the 2007 Heisman Trophy.

The quarterback was also the inspirational leader of the Gators, famously delivering his "I promise" speech in 2008 that preceded a 10-game winning streak en route to the national title:

Tebow didn't stick in the NFL as a quarterback. He completed just 47.9 percent of his passes across 35 career appearances with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets.

He's since tried his hand at baseball, embarking on a five-year career in the New York Mets' minor league system prior to his retirement in February, and he also worked as an SEC Network college football analyst.

Now, at age 33, he's trying to make an NFL comeback as a tight end.

As Darlington alluded, Tebow's expected signing with the Jags is probably less about his potential on-field contributions and more focused on his success with Meyer at Florida building a winning culture.

Jacksonville is coming off a 1-15 season in 2020. The Jags were able to hire Meyer and select their new franchise quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, with the first overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Last week, the longtime college coach told Judy Battista of NFL.com he believes changing the culture is a crucial part of turning around a franchise's fortunes.

"Just saying there's bad players, that's not fair," Meyer said. "I don't agree with that at all. Certain organizations draft before others every year and they just don't win, so you can't blame the players. And I don't believe it's just bad coaching. I'm a big believer in culture and leadership, and I found some things I felt we can make better."

That effort is likely the main reason Tebow will spend training camp and the preseason with the Jaguars, even if he's a long shot to make the final roster. He can help Meyer set that new tone with the knowledge of everything they went through together across four years at Florida.

Whether that's a good enough reason to use one of the team's initial 90 roster spots on a 33-year-old first-time tight end is up for debate, but Meyer's work to turn around the Jacksonville organization goes beyond the X's and O's, and he sees Tebow as part of the potential solution.

Tim Tebow's NFL hiatus is over. 

The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner will sign a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars with a chance to make the team as a tight end, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported April 29 that Tebow had approached representatives from the Jaguars to request a tight end tryout. He also worked out with Jaguars tight ends coach Tyler Bowen.

That the 33-year-old could get another shot in the NFL—at a new position, no less—still comes as a big surprise.

Tebow hasn't appeared in a game since 2012. He was unsuccessful in attempting to make the New England Patriots in 2013 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015.

With his door to the NFL seemingly closed, the former Florida star chose to try his hand at baseball. Tebow announced in February he was hanging up his cleats after spending three seasons in the minor leagues in the New York Mets organization.

"I loved every minute of the journey, but at this time I feel called in other directions," he said. "I never want to be partially in on anything. I always want to be 100 percent in on whatever I choose. Thank you again for everyone's support of this awesome journey in baseball, I'll always cherish my time as a Met."

His retirement from baseball appeared to signal his end as a high-level professional athlete. Instead, Urban Meyer is providing him with a potential lifeline.

As many noted when Schefter's report surfaced, it's ironic that Tebow is welcoming a position change. If he had that same open-mindedness six or seven years ago, he might not have been exiled from the NFL.

It took the Denver Broncos two seasons to see Tebow wouldn't be their franchise quarterback. He threw for 2,383 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 47.3 percent of his passes in 23 appearances.

The rest of the NFL made the same determination about his abilities under center.

Speaking with Dan Patrick in 2016 (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk), Tebow acknowledged he had been presented with chances to work out at different positions but didn't warm to the idea.

"I've had a lot of good opportunities to play another position, but that just wasn't in my heart," he said. "It wasn't something I wanted to do. If I was going to make a change, I'd rather make a change to baseball."

Given his age, Tebow faces long odds of making Jacksonville's roster for Week 1 of the regular season.

Plenty of players have excelled at a new position after playing quarterback in college, but they didn't make the switch at the same point in their careers as Tebow. The Jaguars can't give him a year or two to work out the kinks when he's in his mid-30s.

Tebow is clearly committed to getting back on the gridiron, but he'll need more than that to see this through.

In 2013, a group of Jaguars fans gathered outside TIAA Bank Field to push the team to sign Tebow, who grew up in Jacksonville. A lot has changed since then, and the arrivals of Meyer and Trevor Lawrence signaled a new era for the franchise.

Meyer coached Tebow at Florida, and they helped the Gators win two national championships. In that sense, the Jags are probably the best situation for Tebow. Perhaps Meyer will once again get the best out of the former first-team All-American.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly waiting until the end of rookie minicamp to assess their roster and determine whether to sign Tim Tebow after he had a workout with the team last month.

Peter King of NBC Sports reported the Jaguars want to evaluate fifth-round pick Luke Farrell before deciding on Tebow, who is attempting to make an NFL return as a tight end.

Tebow has not played an NFL regular-season game since 2012 and is attempting a position switch at age 33. 

Jaguars co-owner Tony Khan recently spoke to B/R's Taylor Rooks about Tebow's workout with the team.

"Tim has definitely come in and worked out," Khan said. "So beyond that, I can't say too much, but Tim has come in and worked out as a tight end. That's not a position that we've seen him play, but it's a position that he's been practicing at with us. So that will be interesting to see how that contributes to us on offense, too. Obviously, Urban knows Tim really well, and Tim has got a great history of winning. Urban really believes he can help us, and I think it makes a lot of sense. And it's a position where we need to get better."

Urban Meyer previously coached Tebow at the University of Florida from 2006-2009 and has a longstanding relationship with the 2007 Heisman-winning QB.

However, there is no reasonable expectation that Tebow can be an effective NFL tight end at his age. He spent the last half-decade dabbling in minor league baseball as part of the New York Mets organization and hasn't taken an NFL hit in nearly a decade.

There will undoubtedly be a sense that a potential Tebow signing is a publicity stunt meant to sell jerseys should he end up breaking camp with the Jaguars. The Mets' minor league system saw a significant increase in attention to their clubs with Tebow in the fold, and there's little doubt a Tebow Jaguars jersey would be a hot commodity.

However, the only way Tebow will make the actual 53-man roster is by proving himself. NFL rosters don't have room for pet projects and publicity stunts. If Tebow makes the roster, he'll have earned it by proving that he can contribute at the tight end spot. 

Until that happens, though, it's fair to look at this situation with a healthy amount of skepticism.

Jacksonville Jaguars fans got their first chance to see Trevor Lawrence in his new uniform Thursday:

Not 'shopped. This is 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹.@Trevorlawrencee | #DUUUVAL

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 6, 2021

First look at Trevor Lawrence in his @Jaguars uniform. pic.twitter.com/kyhhhZB1fp

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 6, 2021

The quarterback was the first pick of the 2021 NFL draft last week. He had been projected to go to Jacksonville ever since the squad clinched the top pick with its 1-15 season.

Lawrence represents a bright future for a franchise that has made the playoffs just once in the last 13 years. The Clemson product was a college star, leading the Tigers to a national title as a freshman while topping 10,000 passing yards in three years. 

He is expected to keep it up in the NFL, with Bleacher Report's Scouting Department listing him as the No. 1 overall prospect in the class, pointing out his Hall of Fame-level talent.

The Jaguars likely can't wait to get him on the field, but first they will settle for seeing him in uniform.

The Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly fired assistant director of player personnel Andy Dengler, director of pro personnel Chris Driggers, director of college scouting Mark Ellenz and assistant director of college scouting Paul Roell on Monday, according to the Associated Press and Michael DiRocco of ESPN. 

The moves come as a part of Urban Meyer's new vision for the franchise, with DiRocco reporting the head coach has "expanded the coaching staff to 27, added a chief of staff in Fernando Lovo and merged nutrition, strength and conditioning, and training into the sports performance department."

And director of player health and performance Scott Trulock and strength and conditioning coordinator Tom Myslinski were replaced by director of athletic training Jeff Ferguson and head strength and conditioning coach Anthony Schlegel.

DiRocco added that Dengler, Driggers, Ellenz and Roell had a combined 66 years of experience with the Jaguars between them. 

Dengler started with the team in 1998 as a regional scout and became the team's assistant director of player personnel in 2013.

Driggers had been with the organization since 1994 and held the role of director of pro personnel since 2015. 

Ellenz began with the Jags in 2013 as a regional scout and was promoted to director of college scouting three years later.

And Roell was hired in 2013, serving as the assistant director of college scouting for the entirety of his Jacksonville tenure. 

As DiRocco noted, five remaining executives have been with the organization since 1994: Executive director to the owner and president Alisa Abbott, senior vice president of Jacksonville tradition and alumni Dan Edwards, senior director of football technology and special projects Mike Perkins, senior correspondent Brian Sexton and director of ticket operations Tim Bishko.