By Don Coble, Jax Sports Wire
JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com) – Much like “moving day” on Saturdays of a PGA Tour tournament, players at the bottom of the Jaguars roster can’t win a spot on the final roster with two live joint practices with Tampa Bay.
But they can certainly lose the opportunity.
While Jacksonville coach Liam Coen has kept his first-string players on the sidelines during their preseason games – and he’s expected to do that again on Friday night against the Buccaneers – the players know the joint practices carry more weight when coaches make their final cuts.
“I actually like the joints better than going out there and playing in [a preseason game],” said third-year receiver Brian Thomas Jr. “I mean, because I feel like we get more work done during the joints. And I feel like people are actually going out there and giving it everything during the practice. So, I feel like we get a lot more out of it than that.”
Coen said players trying to lock down the final roster spot at quarterback, wide receiver, running back, offensive and defensive line, tight end, defensive backs and linebackers won’t be evaluated by the joint practices, but rather “more of a result of the body of work” throughout training camp.
Many also know their best opportunity may be on scout or special teams.
“This is a big week for a lot of these guys that are trying to make this team,” Coen said. “And so much of that evaluation also is, can they follow direction on a scout card? Can they do what we’re going to ask them to do on the show team? That might not always correlate with making plays in the games.
“If you can’t follow direction, do what we’re asking you to do, practice clean, still with developmental upside, well that’s not somebody we’re going to be too juiced about having on the scout team. And so, that’s a balance. That’s something that we’ve been working through and being able to evaluate throughout this whole training camp.”
Some of the battles that bare watching include Ameer Abdullah and J’Mari Taylor at running back, Carter Bradley and Joey Aguilar at quarterback, Trebor Pena, Austin Trammell and Tim Jones at wide receiver, Geron Christian, Ricky Lee, Jerome Carvin, Jimto Obidegwu, Sam Mustipher, Timothy McKay and Kilian Zierer to possibly fill voids left by the injuries to Chuma Edoga and Patrick Mekari, Bryan Thomas Jr. and Zach Durfee at defensive line, Jack Kiser and Jahlani Tavai at linebacker, Christian Braswell and Jabbar Muhammad at cornerback and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and Jalen Huskey at safety.
After spending most of training camp either in shorts or at three-quarter speed, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said he values the joint sessions because it’s a rare opportunity to go full speed.
It’s also a chance to work against someone who’s not a teammate.
“We’re going to go as hard as we can. But when it’s somebody else, it’s like, I don’t like you,” Hines-Allen said. “And I don’t want to know who you are. I don’t want to check on your family. I don’t want to see how you’re doing after here.
“Like, I’m here to do what’s being called at a very high level and make the plays that I’m supposed to make. And so, that’s the type of energy and that’s the type of things we get during these joint practices.”
Since the teams will train separately before scrimmaging, Coen said Wednesday’s schedule may be tweaked to seven-on-seven drills instead of 11-on-11, especially if there are additional concerns about injuries.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said the staff will consider the joint practices a better indicator than Friday’s final preseason game.
“It’s really crucial. It’s all serious,” he said. “Everything matters. I think you always got to be honest and fair with the guys and tell them what’s being evaluated.”
