Jacksonville Jaguars

Former Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo is suing the team for $3.5 million. 

Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the 4th Judicial Circuit Court in Duval County. 

Lambo alleges the Jaguars and former head coach Urban Meyer created a hostile work environment. He is seeking his full salary from the 2021 season ($3.5 million), plus additional damages for emotional distress. 

Lambo became a central figure in the final days of Meyer's tenure as Jaguars head coach. He told Stroud on Dec. 15 that Meyer kicked him in the leg during the preseason. 

"I'm in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back," Lambo said. "Urban Meyer, while I'm in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, 'Hey Dips--t, make your f--king kicks!' And kicks me in the leg."

Lambo went on to say Meyer's kick "certainly wasn't as hard as" he could have done it, noting it would probably register as a five on a 10-point scale, but "in the workplace, I don't care if it's football or not, the boss can't strike an employee."

Per Stroud, Lambo said he told Meyer "to never strike him again" and Meyer responded, "I'm the head ball coach, I'll kick you whenever the f--k I want."

According to Lambo, the situation began during a practice ahead of an exhibition game against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 29 after he missed one field-goal attempt in each of Jacksonville's first two preseason contests.

Lambo added that Meyer didn't call specialists by their names: "It was 'Kicker, Punter, Long snapper.' Or S--tbag, Dips--t or whatever the hell it was."

Meyer denied the allegations, telling Stroud that Lambo's characterization of what happened "is completely inaccurate."

"[General manager] Trent [Baalke] and I met with him on multiple occasions to encourage his performance, and this was never brought up," said Meyer. "I was fully supportive of Josh during his time with the team and wish him nothing but the best."

The Jaguars announced Meyer's firing Dec. 16, and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell finished out the season as interim head coach. 

Per ESPN's Jeff Darlington and Adam Schefter, the Jaguars fired Meyer for cause and don't intend to pay the remainder of his contract. A spokesman for team owner Shad Khan told the Associated Press the decision to move on from Meyer was made after a 20-0 loss to the Tennessee Titans and wasn't related to Lambo's comments. 

According to Stroud, Lambo says in the lawsuit he verbally reported the kicking incident immediately to the team through his agent.

Richard Irvin, Lambo's agent, and the Jaguars both confirmed to Stroud on Dec. 15 that Jacksonville's legal counsel was contacted and offered Lambo a chance to speak with them. 

Lambo said he had "no recollection of being able to speak with the Jags' legal team."

The lawsuit notes that Lambo's release by the Jaguars violates Florida's Private Sector Whistle Blower’s Act because it came after he reported it to the team's legal counsel. 

Lambo spent the first two seasons of his career with the San Diego Chargers. He signed with the Jaguars as a free agent in 2017. The Texas A&M alum made 91.6 percent of his field-goal attempts (76 of 83) in 46 games. 

The Jaguars released Lambo in October after he appeared in three games.     

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan said that it "was not about wins and losses" when the team fired head coach Urban Meyer just 13 games into the 2021 season.

"When you lose the respect, the trust and an issue of truthfulness, how can you work with someone like that?" Khan told Jarrett Bell of USA Today. "It's not possible."

Meyer went just 2-11 during his short tenure in Jacksonville, yet it was a different situation compared to previous coaches Doug Marrone and Gus Bradley, who also struggled on the field but were given multiple seasons to try to improve.

"I have nothing but the utmost respect and friendship with them," Khan said. "That's why they got the time, because it wasn’t a matter about respect or truth. It was a matter of wins and losses over four years. This is much bigger than that."

Bradley had a 14-48 record across four seasons while Marrone went 23-43 in parts of five years. Meyer didn't get nearly as long of a leash due to his behavior outside of games.

The former Ohio State and Florida head coach first made headlines when he chose not to travel back with the team after a Week 4 loss and was later seen in videos dancing at a bar with a woman who was not his wife.

There were later reports about his negative treatment of players and coaches, including allegedly kicking former kicker Josh Lambo, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported in December that tensions had been boiling over, with Meyer reportedly berating his assistant coaches in a meeting while calling them losers.

A member of the football operations staff called it "the most toxic environment I’ve ever been a part of," per Jayson Jenks and Mike Sando of The Athletic.

The Jaguars fired Meyer for cause and don't intend to pay the total of his initial five-year contract, worth a reported $10-12 million per year, via Bell. The two sides have reportedly been unable to reach a settlement agreement.     

HEIGHT: 6'4 1/8"

WEIGHT: 307

HAND: 10"

ARM: 33 1/8"

WINGSPAN: 6'8 3/8"

40-YARD DASH: 5.21

3-CONE: 7.75

SHUTTLE: 4.95

VERTICAL: 24"

BROAD: 8'6"

POSITIVES

— Efficiently comes out of his stance with above-average quickness, pad level, hand and hat placement to hook shades on outside runs to both sides.

— Shows an impressive understanding and grasp of how to negotiate leverage in the zone-run game with good timing and fits on combo blocks, crafty hand usage and solid angles to line up and connect on backers.

— Adjusts well on the fly against gap exchanges to stay balanced and use independent hands to wall off and secure slanting defenders across his face.

— Plays with a wide, firm base and solid contact balance to stay centered in his anchor, with active hands to reset and refit underneath and inside of the bull rush.

— Flashes the ability to generate torque to get bigger interior defenders leaning, off-balance and uprooted off their feet.

— Sorts out blitzes and line games quickly while staying alert when engaged to peel off and pick up late loopers.

— Looks like a natural center with significant improvement moving to the pivot in 2021 after spending his career prior at guard.

NEGATIVES

— Has adequate play strength and square power, often getting stacked and stalemated at the point of attack on angle-drive blocks.

— Can be late, high and wide with his hands in pass protection, which allows rushers to gain access to his frame and get to his edges quickly.

— Will get to the upfield shoulder of 'backers too quickly on his climb, leaving him vulnerable to run-throughs underneath.

2021 STATISTICS

- 13 starts at center.

- First-team All-SEC selection.

NOTES

— Former 3-star offensive tackle recruit out of Sylvania Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio. Also played center on the basketball team.

— Switched to right guard from center in fall camp prior to the 2021 season.

— Graduated with his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 2019 and is on track to obtain two master's degrees in the spring of 2022 (mechanical engineering and business administration).

— 36 career starts with 23 at right guard and 13 at center.

— Accepted an invite to the 2022 Senior Bowl.

OVERALL

Luke Fortner is a three-year starter inside Kentucky's zone-run scheme. He started for two seasons at right guard before making the switch to the pivot in fall camp prior to the 2021 season. He quickly adapted to the change, showing a natural feel for the angles, timing and spacing needed to efficiently operate as a zone run-blocker at center.

Fortner is smooth and quick coming out of his stance with good pad level, hand and hat placement to work across and hook shaded defenders on outside-zone runs. He excels fitting and working combo blocks with each guard, knowing when to overtake and release based on how the 'backer reacts.

Fortner plays with a wide, firm base and understands how to work underneath defenders when overtaking to create rotational force, torque and seal off the first level. He is agile on his releases to the second level, taking solid angles with good body control and balance to line up smaller targets off combos and in the screen game.

Once latched onto a block, Fortner can leverage his hips and hands to sustain, steer and widen defenders to create cutback lanes. He diagnoses gap exchanges quickly and knows how to adjust his aiming points on the fly to wall off movement across his face.

Fortner is an alert, active pass protector. He has the processing skills to sort out blitzes and line games, work off multiple threats and pick up late loopers.

Fortner's adequate play strength and square power result in his getting stacked and stalemated when having to uproot bigger interior run-defenders on angle-drive blocks. He'll also need to tighten and speed up his strike timing and hand placement in protection to avoid giving easy access to his frame and access to his edges too quickly.

Overall, Fortner's swift adjustment from guard to center in fall camp and ability to process the mental side of the position bolstered his play speed at the pivot to an above-average level. Paired with starter-level quickness and use of leverage to connect and stay attached to blocks at the first and second levels, he looks like a potential starter in a zone-based run scheme. He also has the experience in his back pocket at both guard spots to stick as a backup and provide added value to an O-line room.

GRADE: 7.2 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter - 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 85

POSITION RANK: IOL11

PRO COMPARISON: Ethan Pocic

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd with the 27th overall choice in the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday.

Here's how Jacksonville's 2022 depth chart looks with the versatile playmaker in the mix.

OLB: Josh Allen, Arden Key

MLB: Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun, Chapelle Russell

WLB: Shaquille Quarterman, Tyrell Adams

OLB: K'Lavon Chaisson, Jordan Smith

The 6'3", 237-pound Lloyd earned 2021 Consensus All-America honors. He made plays all over the field in 2021, amassing 111 tackles (66 solo), seven sacks, six pass breakups and four interceptions.

The B/R NFL Scouting Department ranks Lloyd 38th overall and fourth among linebackers in the draft class of 2022.

B/R notably ranks Lloyd as the class' most versatile linebacker.

Thanks in part to Lloyd, Utah won the Pac-12 Championship and advanced to the Rose Bowl, where the Utes fell 48-45 to Ohio State. Utah still enjoyed an excellent season, though, finishing 10-4 and ending No. 12 in the Associated Press poll.

In addition, he's a tremendous leader and role model. Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham raved about the former Utah captain to Jeff Call of the Deseret News on Dec. 10.

"His impact and value cannot be overstated. He is such a great leader, such a pure talent. He could have come out last year and been a first- or second-round draft choice," Whittingham said.

"He's probably played his way into the top 10 or 12 of the first round. That's what I’m hearing.

"He came back and he was a man on a mission. He wanted to win the championship, he wanted to be an All-American. He had these goals. We sat down and he told me all of his goals about a year ago when he was making that decision. He said, 'I'm coming back and here's why and here's what I want to accomplish.' And he's checked every box so far."

Now Lloyd will look to carry his collegiate success over to the NFL. Lloyd has perennial Pro Bowl potential in the NFL thanks to his versatility and ability to be a dominant three-down linebacker.

Defensive end Travon Walker, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 NFL draft, reportedly was involved in a serious car crash sometime before the draft.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Walker crashed into two parked cars in Athens, Georgia, but "emerged without injuries" and no citations.

Walker did not attend the draft in Las Vegas and instead watched from his home in Athens with a large contingent of his family while he was announced as the top pick.

A 6'5", 275-pound edge-rusher for the national champion Georgia Bulldogs, Walker was a massive riser throughout the predraft process. He was initially projected as a player who would be selected in the middle of the first round, but he impressed teams with his eye-popping measurables and strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Walker ran a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash and has a 7'0¼" wingspan and 35.5" vertical leap. He recorded 33 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and six sacks during the 2021 season. Despite his low statistical numbers, many believe that his skills will translate well at the next level.

Georgia used Walker more as a run-stopper, and he excelled in that role. But the 21-year-old has the speed and athleticism to get to the quarterback when deployed as a pass-rusher.

After experiencing a scary car crash, Walker surely appreciated the moment of being the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday even more.

Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker is heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft Thursday in Las Vegas.

Jaguars select Georgia’s Travon Walker with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft 🚨

Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville just got a star edge-rusher pic.twitter.com/bgPzqmXw6w

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 29, 2022

Walker is coming off a standout junior season for the Bulldogs as part of the program's run to its first national championship since 1980. He recorded 33 total tackles, six sacks, two passes defended and a fumble recovery across 13 appearances.

He was a 5-star prospect out of high school, but it took a while for him to find his footing at the college level. Yet his improved numbers in 2021 combined with his positional versatility—he can play end or tackle depending on the scheme—made him a coveted draft target.

His NFL-ready frame (6'5'', 272 lbs) gives him a shot to make an immediate impact.

Here's how the Jaguars' defensive depth chart looks after the selection:

---

DT: Malcom Brown, Jay Tufele

NT: Folorunso Fatukasi, Davon Hamilton

DE: Travon Walker, Roy Robertson-Harris, Dawuane Smoot

OLB: Josh Allen, Arden Key

MLB: Foyesade Oluokun, Chapelle Russell

WLB: Shaquille Quarterman, Tyrell Adams

OLB: K'Lavon Chaisson, Jordan Smith

CB: Tyson Campbell, Tre Herndon

CB: Shaquill Griffin, Chris Claybrooks

SCB: Darious Williams, Rudy Ford

SS: Andrew Wingard, Andre Cisco

FS: Rayshawn Jenkins, Daniel Thomas

---

Walker has yet to prove himself as a game-changing rusher off the edge, in part because of UGA's defensive scheme, but his other tools point toward a highly productive career.

Bleacher Report's Derrik Klassen wrote in his predraft scouting report the 21-year-old Georgia native must "hone his sequencing" when rushing the quarterback, but he otherwise came away impressed with the lineman:

"At 6'5" and 275 pounds, Walker played with his hand in the dirt as a 3-technique, 5-technique and 6-technique, as well as from a stand-up outside linebacker position. He'll likely play 5- and 6-technique in the NFL, but his flexibility at other alignments could make for some devastating situational packages.

"Walker thrives in run defense. His initial punch is as violent as it gets, and he rarely misses. He tends to do a great job controlling blocks following his initial punch, allowing him to keep eyes in the backfield and leverage his gap correctly."

Klassen added the "tools are there" for Walker to improve as a pass-rusher over time too.

For the Jags fanbase, it'll be important at the outset not to place too much of an emphasis on the raw statistics. Walker probably won't post eye-popping numbers right out of the gate as he works to find his niche and refines his technique off the edge.

He'll likely settle in as part of a defensive end rotation led by Malcom Brown and Roy Robertson-Harris to open his debut campaign and, given some development time, should emerge as a key member of the Jacksonville defense in the years ahead.

Aidan Hutchinson is reportedly losing his grip on being the No. 1 overall pick.

Multiple people around the NFL spoke to Peter King of NBC Sports and said they expect the Jacksonville Jaguars to ultimately select Georgia's Travon Walker with the top selection.

"I look at [Jags GM] Trent Baalke's history going back to San Francisco," one general manager said. "That year he picked Aldon Smith [2011]; look who he passed on—J.J. Watt, Cam Jordan. Bigger guys, sturdier guys. Trent picked the guy with tools and traits, Smith. That's why I think he'll take Travon Walker. Great kid, and he's got all the traits except consistent production."

Walker has been among the fastest-rising players in the draft because of his incredible physical talent. The Georgia product ran a blazing 4.51-second time in the 40-yard dash at the combine while measuring in at 6'5" and 275 pounds. He has the capability to play all over the defensive line, lining up both on the interior and as an edge-rusher last season.

"I wouldn't draft Walker thinking you're getting Von Miller," another general manager said. "He's not a classic edge. He's more an all-around guy who plays the run well too. He's a great example of this draft—not a no-doubt prospect, but intriguing."

As much as Walker has impressed with his physical gifts, his college production pales in comparison to Hutchinson's. The Michigan defensive end was a rare Heisman finalist from the defensive side of the ball after recording 62 tackles and 14 sacks during his breakout 2021 campaign. He swept essentially every possible defensive individual honor and had been pegged as the No. 1 pick for months.

While Hutchinson isn't quite the same physical athlete as Walker, he's still more than quick enough off the edge and carries enough size (6'6", 265 lbs) to be a perennial Pro Bowler.

Taking Walker over Hutchinson would be a bet on potential over production, and it's not clear that Walker's ceiling is high enough to justify taking him over arguably the safest pick in this class.

Trevor Lawrence is enjoying life with Doug Pederson. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars' second-year quarterback told reporters Tuesday that he and his new head coach "align pretty well" and are on "the same page."

"I really like his demeanor. He's really, really calm," Lawrence added. "Never gets too high or too low, I really like that. That's the type of guy I like to be around. Offensively he brings a lot of different things to the table."

Calm was not the vibe around the Jaguars last season, with former head coach Urban Meyer proving to be the source of ceaseless drama before his December firing. 

In the process, the Jaguars went just 3-14 overall, the team's fourth straight losing season and 12th in the past 14 years. 

Lawrence, 22, was drafted with the top overall pick in 2021 with the hope that he would reverse Jacksonville's losing history. But the rookie quarterback struggled, throwing for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions while completing just 59.6 percent of his passes. 

Rookie quarterbacks tend to struggle, and it's hard to know how many of those struggles could be blamed on Meyer's disastrous coaching regime. The hope going forward, of course, is that Pederson's partnership with the young quarterback will be far more fruitful. 

He certainly brings a solid resume to the table. It was under Pederson that Carson Wentz had his best season as a pro in 2017, throwing for 3296 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 13 games before tearing his ACL. And it was also under Pederson that Nick Foles took over that year and had the best stretch of his career, leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl title. 

In total, Pederson went 42-37-1 in his five seasons at the helm in Philadelphia, leading the Eagles to the playoffs three times. That past success, combined with his time as a quarterback during his NFL playing games, should make him a solid mentor for Lawrence. 

"He's a humble guy and that's what you want as a quarterback—somebody who's kind of a sponge, who wants to learn and wants to grow," Pederson told reporters March 30 when talking about Lawrence. "He wants to put the team first and those are all great qualities in Trevor."

The Jaguars also were busy in the offseason trying to improve that team around Lawrence, signing Brandon Scherff, wide receivers Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Laquon Treadwell and tight end Evan Engram, alongside a number of moves on the defensive side of the ball. 

It's been a busy offseason for the Jaguars. But compared to last season, it's been far more calm. 

Normally a season-ending injury would be a devastating moment for an athlete, but Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. had a glass-half-full take on missing his rookie campaign.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Etienne joked that he picked the right season to miss because of all the drama with Urban Meyer in 2021:

#Jaguars RB Travis Etienne on not playing last season with all the Urban Meyer drama going on: “If there was any year to miss, I missed a great one.” 💀pic.twitter.com/qMiTEx6BPK

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 12, 2022

The Jaguars selected Etienne with the 25th pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He was expected to be the starting running back but suffered a Lisfranc injury in late August that required surgery.

While Etienne was rehabbing, the Jaguars were in the midst of a disastrous season.

After a 24-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4, Meyer stayed behind in Cincinnati instead of flying home with the team. He was filmed at an event with a woman who was dancing on his lap.

"I stayed [in Ohio] to see the grandkids and we all went to dinner that night at a restaurant," Meyer told reporters. "There was a big group next to the restaurant and they wanted me to come over and take pictures and I did. And they were trying to pull me out on the dance floor, screwing around and I should have left."

In March, The Athletic's Jayson Jenks and Mike Sando reported about Meyer's approach to coaching in the NFL, which included threatening to cut players after one missed an assignment during a preseason game and telling them they "couldn't get a job paying more than $15 an hour."

One member of the Jaguars football operations staff told Jenks and Sando that Meyer's tenure as head coach was the "most toxic environment I've ever been a part of."

Jenks and Sando also noted Meyer was "unfamiliar with star players around the league," including Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. 

Meyer reportedly asked one team staffer: "Who's this 99 guy on the Rams? I'm hearing he might be a problem for us."

Kicker Josh Lambo told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times in December that Meyer didn't call specialists on the team by their names and said the coach kicked him in the leg during a preseason practice.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced Dec. 16 that Meyer had been fired after a 2-11 start. Darrell Bevell took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Etienne will get a chance to begin his career in full under new head coach Doug Pederson in 2022.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are not receiving calls from teams interested in trading for the No. 1 overall draft pick, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

From NFL Now: The #Jaguars phone isn't ringing at No. 1, which likely means they'll end up making the pick. Not a surprise during a year that isn't top-heavy with QBs. pic.twitter.com/Yhe4mFaosL

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 7, 2022

Therefore, they're expected to make the selection at No. 1 for the second straight year.

Last season, the Jags took Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. They won't be going quarterback this time around, but there are some intriguing options at other positions.

As of now, it appears Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson could be selection. He's the clear -280 favorite ($280 bet to win $100) to be the No. 1 overall draft choice, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

The top prospects this year appear to be a trio of edge-rushers (Hutchinson, Georgia's Travon Walker, Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux) and a pair of offensive tackles (North Carolina State's Ikem Ekwonu, Alabama's Evan Neal).

The Jaguars already have a blind-side protector in left tackle Cam Robinson, who is currently slated to play this season on the franchise tag. They likely need more help in the pass-rush department, especially with the team amassing just 32 sacks last year. Only four teams had fewer sacks.

Production isn't a problem for Hutchinson, who had 14 sacks and 62 tackles for a Michigan team that won the Big Ten and made the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.

The Jaguars are looking to bounce back from a 3-14 season. Head coach Urban Meyer was fired following a tumultuous tenure that ended with him going 2-11.

Former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson is now in charge as the Jags look to return to the playoffs for the first time in five years.