Jaguars Training Camp 2024: Wednesday, Day 16, Buccaneers Joint Practice report

Day 16 of Jaguars 2024 Training Camp has wrapped up at the Miller Electric Center practice fields, as the team completed today's first joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here are today’s highlights, social media updates, and other observations from the field that you may have missed. As an aside, with today being joint practices, the number of available video highlights skyrocketed. Strap in everyone.

Practice notes:

The Jaguars defense had a reasonably stout day up front, limiting the explosive rushes by the Buccaneers offense. While Tampa Bay had an up and down redzone period, most of their successes in that period was through the air via checkdowns and throws to 3rd and/or 4th options. The secondary had a really solid day of coverage, with multiple defensive backs making today’s list of notable players. The defense’s day was wrapped up with a Ronald Darby pass breakup and a with a Travon Walker “sack” on Baker Mayfield during the third-down period.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars offense had a pretty exciting day in the passing game on the surface, with multiple explosive plays occurring throughout practice. However, a deeper dive for both the passing and run game may be needed for those not present that we will discuss below. In short, the Buccaneers’ defensive front had themselves a day.

Noted absences: Jaguars WR Christian Kirk did not dress or practice today for undisclosed reasons. He was present on the field, without pads, in a jersey and hat, however. WR Coach Chad Hall was also not present during practice due to a personal matter.

Today’s players of note:

• Trevor Lawrence

Lawrence was extremely sharp starting day in 7-on-7 redzone with touchdowns to Brian Thomas Jr, Parker Washington, and Evan Engram in consecutive attempts. Lawrence was 4/6 for 3 TDs within the inital period. However, once the team periods kicked off the Buccaneers pass rush became more problematic for the offense and Lawrence. Lawrence had no turnovers, which is noteworthy (and the same can be said for all QBs on both team). It was a reasonably strong day for Lawrence and the skill group, but unfortunately that compliment may come with a caveat, which we’ll touch on later.

• Evan Engram

Engram started the day off great, catching the above touchdown in 7-on-7 redzone. He then followed that up with a contested catch in the middle of the field in teams period. However, that was, for the most part the end of his highlight plays on the day.

• Brian Thomas Jr

Thomas Jr started his strong day off early into the redzone teams period with a touchdown, beating Buccaneers starting CB Zyon McCollum for the below TD.

He later followed that up with a few other catches, but none better than this 80-yard bomb from Trevor Lawrence, beating Bucs backup safety Kaevon Merriweather by multiple steps on the route.

• Elijah Cooks

Cooks came through with easily the highlight play of the day, a 40-yard catch where he used his frame and high-pointed the ball to come down with the catch over Tampa Bay backup CB Josh Hayes.

Cooks would later bring in an impressive sliding intermediate-level catch in the same period. Cooks really flashed in today's practice, when challenged by the physical Tampa Bay secondary.

• Parker Washington

Washington had himself really productive day in teams, with Christian Kirk sitting out practice today. Parker brought in four catches in 11-on-11. However, his true highlight of the day was this beauty in 7-on-7 with Tampa Bay backup CB Bryce Hall in coverage.

• Gabe Davis

Got the day started early with two catches in the 11-on-11 period. It seemed like Davis's busy day would continue after his first down catch to begin the following period; however, he was quieter from that time moving forward with just one additional intermediate catch.

• Tank Bigsby

Despite having very limited running room available to him outside of the redzone periods, Bigsby had himself a truly commendable day with three rushing touchdowns in the various redzone 11-on-11 periods.

• Jarrian Jones

Jones had an up and down day in coverage during teams, securing a PBU early in the period, then giving up two highly contested catches while he was tight in coverage. Still a positive day for the rookie overall, as his "negatives" on the day were that he was tight in coverage barely missing making a play on a few catches. Still hoping for those to be incompletions tomorrow, however.

• Tyson Campbell

Campbell made a great play in the 11-on-11 redzone period forcing a PBU in Bucs WR Mike Evans. He later forced an incompletion on a deep, midfield target when matched up against Evans in the following period.

Other Notes:

• Brenton Strange

Strange had a really impressive sideline catch from Trevor Lawrence that looked like it was going to be an incompletion during the teams period at midfield. Strange, while diving was able to pull the ball in and get his feet down for the first down catch. Trevor fit it into a tight window and Strange came down with the difficult catch.

• Terrell Edmunds

Edmunds had a great forced incompletion from Baker Mayfield where Terrell pinned Bucs RB Bucky Irving to the sideline.

• Antonio Johnson

Johnson had a few great plays in the redzone period today which was highlighted by a great pass breakup in teams on a route that was heading across the formation. He later followed that up with a near interception in redzone.

• CJ Beathard

While the highlights may or may not be made public by the team, I just wanted to note that Devin Duvernay’s 11-on-11 touchdown was such a great anticipation throw by Beathard, to lead Duvernay to the back of the endzone. When the ball was released Duvernay had just made his break and looked to be covered well. CJ threw him open, leading away from the underneath defender.

CJ still had the occasional head-scratching misses on the day, but this play was one of his better throws of practice, in my opinion.

• OL/DL 1-on-1

The Jaguars' defensive 1-on-1s took place on the far-field, with the Buccaneers defensive line battling the Jaguars' offensive line on the nearby field. All this to say, it was difficult for fans and media to see the outcomes for the Jags D versus the Bucs O. In summarizing the day for the Jags' OL versus the Bucs' DL 1010xl's Rick Ballou may have summarized it best here:

To Ballou's point, both Mitch Morse and Luke Fortner struggled today in 1-on-1s. However, Morse did have himself a few wins. Mitch initially struggled with his first rep versus DT Vita Vea. After understanding what he was dealing with, he was able to win his second rep, anchoring in his rematch versus Vea. Forter struggled with a speed move on his initial rep while struggling against power in his second rep to go 0-2. LT Cam Robinson won both of his reps in 1-on-1 with RT Anton Harrison also having two reported wins in the period. RG Brandon Scherff was victorious in half of his reps, spitting the period, losing one rep to DT Logan Hall. Hodges won his initial rep vs DL Judge Culpepper also.

The interior of the OL will continue to be a conversation for most moving forward. Hopefully, it improves as Ezra Cleveland works himself back from injury with today's return.

Lingering Questions:

• When will the interior run game show up? Will the starting interior OL able to put it together to ignite the run game? Today's joint practice featured many team periods with very little movement up front versus the staunch Buccaneers DL. Many of the more successful rushes were on the edges or towards outside.

Jaguars.com's Brian Sexton previously noted, per his conversation with Mitch Morse:

“Mitch Morse told me last week that the running game thing it sometimes takes a game or two into the regular season before you understand what the guy next to you is doing, especially when you have a new starting Center. So, that's going to take some time."

• Can the OL protect the QB? While the periods are not live, and no contact is allowed on the QBs, many of the Jaguars offense's bigger plays that occurred outside of the redzone (IE: longer developing plays) were arguably sacks by Tampa Bay in a live game situation. For instance, the deep, 80-yard bomb to BTJ was truly a sack before the throw as Bucs DL William Gholston bowled over LG Ezra Cleveland at the snap. Gholston was a yard past Lawrence at the time of the throwing motion.

Per John Shipley on Jaguars on SI, the starting OL today gave up seven total Trevor Lawrence sacks by his count (six sacks in 11-on-11 teams and one additional coverage sack in 7-on-7 drills). Much of the pressure on the day came directly up the middle from Buccaneers’ DT Vita Vea and DT William Gholston.

None of this is to dampen fan excitement, but simply to note that questions will remain for this offensive line unit throughout the offseason. Until this unit is able to consistently put together a better finished product up front, fan concerns stemming from 2023 will seemingly remain warranted.

Injury Updates:

• DT Arik Armstead practiced for the first time this offseason, as he was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on Tuesday evening. It would seem he is recovered from his offseason meniscus surgery. While he did not practice today and is not expected to play on Saturday, this is great news for Jaguars fans.
• LB Foye Oluokun returned to practice after being out earlier in the week due to hamstring tightness suffered during Saturday’s matchup.
• LB Ventrell Miller practiced in full while wearing the red non-contact jersey today, likely due to his broken hand.
• LG Ezra Cleveland returned to practice today from his ankle/heel injury he sustained a week ago. He and Blake Hance rotated snaps at guard today as he works himself back.
• RB/RS Keilan Robinson was not in practice from his toe sprain sustained in OTAs. He was wearing a walking boot today on the side.
• TE Patrick Murtagh did not practice after breaking his ankle a week ago. No roster moves have been made to date to indicate the team’s next steps.
• S Andrew Wingard again missed practice due to the “significant” knee injury he sustained two weeks ago. No roster moves have been made to date to indicate the team’s next steps. However, Coach Pederson on Monday provided an expectation that Wingard would likely be out approximately 6-7 weeks.
• S Darnell Savage practiced in full while still wearing the non-contact red jersey today. The team previously said they would be cautious during his recovery from a 2023 torn rotator cuff.

Next Up:

The next Training Camp practice is scheduled for Thursday, August 15th at the Miller Electric Center practice fields, for day two of joint practices with the Buccaneers. Warm-ups begin at 9:30 A.M. Practice kicks off at 10:00 A.M. Don’t forget to reserve your free tickets!