1st rule of Jaguars rookie camp: Don't touch QB Lawrence
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) ā Trevor Lawrence opened Jacksonvilleās rookie minicamp on a pitch count. Coaches and teammates were essentially given an even stricter rule regarding the No. 1 pick and franchise quarterback: Donāt touch him.
Lawrence is three months removed from labrum surgery on his left, non-throwing shoulder. The cartilage has healed enough to practice, but the Jaguars are taking precautions to make sure the former Clemson star doesnāt do any damage while he fully recovers. He is expected to be full go before training camp in late July.
āThe No. 1 issue is falling,ā coach Urban Meyer said Saturday. āHe canāt hand off right now. He canāt take a direct snap from under center. Weāre just worried about any chance of that arm getting jammed right now. ā¦ We canāt have (him) on the ground. Thatās the biggest thing: Weāve got to keep people away from him. The pitch countās not as big as the fact of keeping him upright.ā
Lawrence is being held between 30 and 40 passes, not including warmups, during each of the teamās two practices that include 18 rookies and first-year players. Most of those Saturday went to assistant coaches.
By the end of the 90-minute session, Lawrence had reached his limit and was going through plays and faking slow-motion throws during team drills.
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āI want to get out there and just throw and go, but I think itās better for me in the long run just to take it slow and get acclimated just because Iām still recovering,ā he said. āItās feeling great. No complaints. Iām making great progress but still just got to be smart and take it easy.ā
Lawrence added that lifting weights is the only physical limitation heās dealing with right now.
āGot full range of motion pretty much,ā he said. āNeed to work on it a little bit, but Iām feeling great so weāre taking steps in the right direction for sure, just trying to make sure Iām good come Game 1.ā
Four rookies were held out of practice. Cornerback Tyson Campbell, a second-round pick from Georgia, tweaked a hamstring during the opening day of rookie camp. Defensive tackle Jay Tufele, a fourth-round pick from USC, was held out after receiving one positive and one negative COVID-19 test result.
Safety Andre Cisco, a third-rounder from Syracuse, and linebacker Dylan Moses, an undrafted rookie from Alabama, are both recovering from knee injuries.
So 14 guys were on the field. But all eyes were on Lawrence and fellow first-rounder Travis Etienne, the 25th overall pick out of Clemson and the Atlantic Coast Conferenceās all-time leading rusher.
Etienne worked exclusively at receiver, lining up in the slot, out wide and even a play or two at H-back. Lawrenceās shoulder may have played a role in having Etienne stay out of the backfield, but Meyer said coaches wanted to get a look at him in a āslashā role.
āWorst-case scenario, you have a running back with the skillset of a wide receiver,ā Meyer said. āBest-case scenario, youāll have a hybrid player who can do both, and thatās what weāre hoping to develop out of Travis.ā
Etienne welcomed the move and believes it could be beneficial for him and the offense.
āFootball is a game of matchups, create problems,ā Etienne said. āWeāre just trying to get the best matchups. I think itās going to work out well.ā
Meyer slowed practice Saturday to a ābetter teach tempo.ā But he made it clear to his players that things would crank up when organized team activities begin May 24.
Lawrence, Etienne and everyone else on Jacksonvilleās 90-man roster could have tight end Tim Tebow on the roster by then.
Meyer said he planned to make a decision on signing Tebow following Sundayās rookie camp finale. Tebow last played in a regular-season game in 2012 (with the New York Jets) and was last on an NFL roster during training camp in 2015 (with the Philadelphia Eagles). He spent the last five years playing baseball in the New York Mets organization.
āAll our focus is on the guys right now and weāll have a chat Sunday,ā Meyer said.
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