Jaguars Daily: Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney says Trevor Lawrence will be “international superstar”

Want to get Jaguars news straight to your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday?

Subscribe to the Keep Choppin’ Wood newsletter and get analysis, opinion, and even the occasional mac n’ cheese recipe!

---

Happy Thursday, everyone! We have teal uniforms, Trevor Lawrence on deck, and more.

Here’s all the Jacksonville Jaguars news that’s fit to print, or find from around the Internet.

Dabo Swinney: Trevor Lawrence will be an “international superstar”

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has already put one star quarterback into the NFL in Deshaun Watson, and now he’s about to watch another make that jump in Trevor Lawrence. Expectations are high for Lawrence, who is being dubbed one of the best quarterback prospects ever and the biggest sure-thing since Andrew Luck in 2012. But Swinney expects him to meet — and even exceed — those expectations.

After Lawrence’s pro day on Friday, Swinney told NFL Network’s Jane Slater that he would be an “international superstar” within the next 10 years, according to The Clemson Insider.

Jaguars officially make teal the team’s primary home uniform color

Today, after a slew of social media buzz and a campaign posted by the team’s Twitter handle, the team announced that teal will return as the team’s primary uniform color at home.

Watch the video here!

Urban Meyer gave Trevor Lawrence three options ahead of NFL Draft

Following successful surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, projected No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence is expected to be full go for NFL training camp later this year, a positive development for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Urban Meyer, who most are picking to select the Clemson signal caller.

In a recent interview this week with NFL Network, Meyer said he called for Lawrence’s Pro Day last week so he and a couple of his new coaches could get an up-close view of his talent prior to surgery.

‘’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],’’ Meyer said on NFL Network, via Jacksonville.com. ‘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.’”

Jaguars coaches hint that OL may not be a top need

As important as the quarterback position is, perhaps the most crucial building block for a successful offensive unit is the guys up front. You can have talent under center and at the running back position, but if your offensive line can’t allow you the time to make things happen, it’s pointless.

That’s the reason why many expect the Jaguars to be aggressive in addressing offensive line needs both in free agency, with veterans like Trent Williams available, and through the draft. Assuming Jacksonville takes Trevor Lawrence with the first pick, it would make sense if building up a strong offensive front was a top priority.

But a recent quote from head coach Urban Meyer after Lawrence’s pro day indicates the Jacksonville coaching staff may not see the offensive line as a major weakness.

5 free agents the Jaguars could sign next month

The Jacksonville Jaguars are primed for a big spending spree once free agency opens on March 17th. According to Over the Cap, the Jaguars have around $77 million in cap space.

That’s the most in the NFL.

Having this much cap space is going to allow the Jaguars to make a run at some big named free agents, who might like the idea of playing on this young, up-and-coming team. With their need at quarterback solved through the 2021 NFL Draft and Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars are able to turn their attention to free agency for some of their other needs.

Here are five free agents the Jaguars could target in the next few weeks.

Urban Meyer has to prioritize the tight end position

The Jaguars have been without a playmaking tight end since they had Mercedes Lewis on the roster in 2017. The tight end position has been evolving for some time now and we have seen how important players like Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, and George Kittle have become for their respective teams.

Tight end hasn’t been a major focus of past Urban Meyer offenses. He didn’t like the idea of using one initially while he was coaching the Florida Gators but began to warm up to the idea when he saw how beneficial they could become in a spread offense.

Michael DiRocco wrote in 2010: “Meyer started looking for mismatches wherever he could — and he eventually figured out the best way to do that was find someone big enough to play on the line of scrimmage but fast and athletic enough to catch passes.”

Read more here.

BCC Q&A: Anything and everything Trevor Lawrence!

Let’s answer your questions about Trevor Lawrence with some help from Matt Miller over at TheDraftScout.com!

You can follow Matt on Twitter at @nfldraftscout.

Let’s get to it!

How would an Orlando Brown trade look for the Jaguars?

After going 1-15, the Jacksonville Jaguars have several upgrades to make on their roster, and left tackle for Trevor Lawrence could be among them. Cam Robinson’s contract has expired, and the team now has to decide whether they should keep him on a long-term deal, franchise tag him, or look for another option in free agency or the draft.

However, a situation in Baltimore has unfolded where Pro Bowler Orlando Brown has requested a trade in hopes to find a team that will allow him to play left tackle. With the Ravens signing Ronnie Stanley to a five-year extension worth $98.7 million last year, they view him as Lamar Jackson’s blindside protector of the future.

As a result, it seems as though Brown and Stanley can’t be on the same roster.

ESPN thinks Jaguars target these top free agents next month

With Super Bowl LV over, the NFL has now truly entered offseason mode, which means roster decisions for current players, free agency and the NFL Draft are all things on the horizon. The Jaguars have of course already been in offseason mode for a while, hiring Urban Meyer as head coach and building a whole new staff and culture.

Jacksonville could be a big spender in free agency if it wants to be, as the Jaguars have the most salary cap available in the league in 2021 with almost $80 million at the franchise’s disposal as things currently stand, according to Spotrac.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently published an article looking at best team fits for each of the top-50 available free agents in 2021. Of those 50 players, Fowler thinks three of them make the most sense to end up in Jacksonville, including his second-ranked free agent, offensive tackle Trent Williams.

Pete Prisco likes Jaguars’ playoff chances

There might not be anybody higher on the Jaguars’ chances to improve than CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, who believes the postseason is a real possibility for the Jaguars next season.

With a bolstered staff, a plethora of cap space, and several draft picks, Prisco said he felt the Jaguars were an easy fix after the Super Bowl, but added they wouldn’t be ready for a push for the Lombardi Trophy until later.