Jags Notes: Lawrence, Etienne, Tebow
Let’s round up a few items out of Jacksonville:
- The expectation remains that Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick of this year’s draft, will be at full strength when training camp opens in a couple of months, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network observes (Twitter link). In fact, head coach Urban Meyer said Lawrence should be “pretty close to full go” before the end of mandatory minicamp on June 17 (via John Oesher of the team’s official website). Lawrence was on a 30-40 throw “pitch count” during this weekend’s rookie minicamp, and both he and Meyer believe everything is trending in the right direction. Lawrence underwent surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder in February.
- Lawrence was obviously the headliner of the 2021 draft, but there is also plenty of excitement about the Jaguars’ second first-round choice, RB Travis Etienne (Lawrence’s teammate at Clemson). Etienne is a threat to break off a big play whenever he touches the ball, and his receiving abilities are just as enticing as his rushing prowess. In an effort to continue honing Etienne’s skills as a dynamic dual-threat talent, Meyer said that Etienne took most of his rookie minicamp reps at wide receiver, as Rapoport tweets. The Jags do have 2020 UDFA James Robinson on the roster, and Robinson turned in a terrific rookie campaign both as a runner and as a receiver. Despite Robinson’s presence, it doesn’t sound as if Etienne will be transitioned to a full-time WR. Meyer said he knows what Etienne can do as a rusher and just wants to see if he can also excel when split out wide (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).
- The Jags are planning to sign Tim Tebow as a tight end, but according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington (via Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report), not everyone in the building is thrilled with the proposition. The detractors think that the signing does not send the right message to the rest of the team, and that it will not provide the locker room with the “cultural jolt” that Meyer is anticipating. But this is unquestionably Meyer’s club now, and there is an obvious void at TE. Whether Tebow is a legitimate candidate to fill that void remains to be seen.
Jaguars Planning To Sign Tim Tebow
Well, it’s pretty much official now. The Jaguars are “planning to” sign Tim Tebow as the former star quarterback makes his NFL return as a tight end, sources told Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Rapsheet writes that the deal “could be official in the next week or so.” He also reports it’ll be a one-year contract, unsurprisingly. Things have been trending in this direction for a while, with Tony Khan (son of Jaguars owner Shad Khan) recently saying Urban Meyer wanted him on the team.
Meyer, of course, coached Tebow during their glory days together at Florida. Pelissero tweets that Tebow is still “a long shot to make the team,” but it sounds like he’ll have his chance at training camp. It’s not like the Jaguars have a ton at tight end right now, as Meyer recently highlighted when discussing the team’s interest.
Tebow hasn’t played in a real NFL game since the 2012 season. His last pro football stint was with the Eagles during the 2015 preseason. He’s since attempted a pro baseball career, spending time in the minor leagues with the Mets, which he just recently retired from.
If nothing else, you’ve got to admire his resiliency and work ethic. Teams had wanted Tebow to try out at tight end in the past, but he always refused. Turning 34 in August, it’s unclear how much he’ll have left in the tank physically, but it’ll be a fun storyline to monitor this summer no matter what
NFC South Notes: Saints, Panthers, Bucs
After trading down twice in Round 2, the Panthers planned to select BYU tackle Brady Christensen at No. 60 and add LSU wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. with a subsequent trade-up shortly after. However, the Saints eyed Marshall at No. 60, Darin Gantt of Panthers.com notes, prompting the Panthers to change course and select Marshall earlier than initially planned. Carolina drafted Marshall at No. 59, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The Saints then took Ohio State linebacker Pete Werner at 60. Marshall, who now joins Panthers vets D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, played a key role for LSU’s national championship team alongside Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase and last season after those future first-rounders left. He totaled 23 touchdown grabs from 2019-20. New Orleans cut No. 2 receiver Emmanuel Sanders this offseason and has been unable to find a steady complement for Michael Thomas for a few years. The team still has Tre’Quan Smith, who is entering a contract year, and used a seventh-round pick on a wideout (South Alabama’s Kawann Baker). The Panthers ended up getting Christensen at No. 70, trading up three spots to land him.
Here is the latest from the NFC South:
- Prior to the Bears trading up to No. 11 and selecting Justin Fields, they called the Panthers about the No. 8 choice, Gantt adds. While the Panthers discussed trading down with a few teams before the draft, the Bears called during Round 1. Carolina ultimately decided moving down 12 spots, to Chicago’s No. 20 slot, was too much. The Panthers selected cornerback Jaycee Horn in Round 1. The Broncos aided the Bears’ quarterback quest a pick later, taking Patrick Surtain II over Fields.
- This draft profiled as one of the weakest for defensive tackles in recent memory, and the class ended up influencing the Buccaneers to retain veterans at the position. While the Super Bowl champions completed a stunning effort of keeping their team together, GM Jason Licht said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine) the thin D-tackle class moved the team to re-sign Ndamukong Suh, Steve McLendon and Rakeem Nunez-Roches earlier this offseason. The Bucs did not draft a defensive tackle this year.
- The Saints are reuniting with C.J. Leak, a staffer who once worked as their Combine scout. The Texans dismissed Leak as their assistant director of pro personnel in February, but veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson tweets Leak will return to the Saints. Houston hired Leak in 2018. Leak previously spent two years with New Orleans.
- Staying on the scouting subject, the Panthers are adding Jared Kirksey to their scouting staff, Neil Stratton of InsideTheLeague.com tweets. Kirksey was previously on the Jaguars’ staff and has previously worked as a Bucs and Texans scout.
Khan: Urban Meyer Wants Tim Tebow
A Tim Tebow to the Jaguars deal is starting to look more and more likely. The news of Tebow trying to come out of retirement as a tight end came completely out of left field, but Jacksonville is seemingly taking it quite seriously. Head coach Urban Meyer acknowledged at the time that the team would explore signing Tebow in the near future, and now ownership is endorsing the prospect. “Tim has definitely come in and worked out,” Tony Khan, son of Jags owner Shad Khan, told BleacherReport.com, via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. “So beyond that, I can’t say too much, but Tim has come in and worked out as a tight end. That’s not a position that we’ve seen him play, but it’s a position that he’s been practicing at with us.”
A Tim Tebow to the Jaguars deal is starting to look more and more likely. The news of Tebow trying to come out of retirement as a tight end came completely out of left field, but Jacksonville is seemingly taking it quite seriously. Head coach Urban Meyer acknowledged at the time that the team would explore signing Tebow in the near future, and now ownership is endorsing the prospect. “Tim has definitely come in and worked out,” Tony Khan, son of Jags owner Shad Khan, told BleacherReport.com, via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. “So beyond that, I can’t say too much, but Tim has come in and worked out as a tight end. That’s not a position that we’ve seen him play, but it’s a position that he’s been practicing at with us.”
“Urban really believes he can help us, and I think it makes a lot of sense. And it’s a position where we need to get better.” That last sentence is the money quote that makes it sound like the Jaguars signing Tebow is a matter of when, not if. Obviously Tebow played for Meyer at Florida, and if the new head coach and shot caller wants him back as a reserve tight end, the front office isn’t going to stand in the way. Jacksonville is thin at the position right now, and crazier things have happened. Assuming he gets signed, it’ll be entertaining if nothing else.
Jaguars Decline Taven Bryan’s Option
Add another player to the list of 2018 first-round picks not getting their options picked up. The Jaguars have declined the fifth-year option on Taven Bryan, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.
Had they picked it up, the Jags would’ve owed Bryan a fully guaranteed $7.368MM in 2022. He’ll now be a free agent after this season. The 29th overall pick of the 2018 draft hasn’t done much to stand out in the pros. The defensive tackle has appeared in all 48 games since getting drafted, but has only started 17.
This past season in 16 games and eight starts, he played about 45 percent of the defensive snaps as a run-stuffer. He finished with 18 tackles, three for a loss, and a half sack. In 2019 the Florida product was more productive, with 30 tackles, five for a loss, and two sacks.
The new regime in Jacksonville has no ties to him, and they made upgrading defensive tackle a priority this offseason. The Jags signed Roy Robertson-Harris and traded for Malcolm Brown.
Jaguars Wanted Toney At No. 25
- The Jaguars reunited Trevor Lawrence with his college running back by drafting Travis Etienne 25th overall, but it sounds like they would’ve preferred someone else. On Friday head coach Urban Meyer said there was a player who “broke our heart” that they couldn’t draft, and on Saturday he revealed who that was. The team was hoping to pick Florida receiver Kadarius Toney, Meyer said, via John Shipley of Jaguar Report (Twitter link). It’s rare for a coach or GM to openly say something like that, so they must’ve really wanted him. Meyer called the Florida star a “human highlight reel,” and highlighted his relationship with current Gators coach Dan Mullen as to how he’d gotten close to Toney. Unfortunately for Meyer, the Giants nabbed Toney at 20th overall.
Jaguars Work Out Tim Tebow
May 2: The Jaguars’ TE depth chart is very thin. The club just drafted Luke Farrell in the fifth round, but he is viewed as more of a blocking-first type of player. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Meyer conceded that he is concerned about the state of the position.
“There’s some great quality, quantity wasn’t there in the draft this year, and that’s a concern right now,” he said. “That’s a concern right now. . . . We just didn’t hit that today.”
That might be good news for Tebow. Meyer said he did not stay for the entirety of Tebow’s recent workout, but he did say that the team will explore the possibility of signing Tebow in the near future.
Apr. 29: Off the NFL radar for years, Tim Tebow has resurfaced with his former college coach. The Jaguars worked out the former quarterback recently, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Tebow, however, worked out as a tight end, according to Rapoport. Inaccurate as a passer, Tebow resisted previous overtures to move to another position. Having ended his baseball run earlier this year, the 33-year-old TV analyst appears to have changed his mind on playing tight end. The former Broncos first-round pick requested to work out at the position, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
This does not appear to be a case of Urban Meyer offering a courtesy workout to his former Heisman-winning Florida Gators superstar; the sides have discussed a deal, Rapoport adds. This would certainly be a major development, despite Tebow’s lengthy NFL absence. Tebow worked as a three-year starter for Meyer at Florida and played a key role as a freshman. The pair won two national championships together.
It is worth wondering how viable Tebow’s path back to the league is. He has not played a regular-season game since 2012, when he worked as a Jets backup. The popular southpaw passer caught on with the Patriots and Eagles in subsequent offseasons but could not land game-day gigs with either. Tebow spent the past few years in the New York Mets’ farm system. The quarterback-turned-outfielder showed considerable progress, considering he had not played baseball competitively since high school, and logged nearly 300 Triple-A at-bats in 2019. He fell just short of the majors. For what it’s worth, the Mets listed the 6-foot-3 Tebow at a tight end-capable 245 pounds.
The Jags have needed help at tight end for a while now. While Tebow would be a flier at best, it is not like the team is set at this position. Jacksonville should be expected to add a tight end at least by the middle rounds this week.
Jaguars To Sign UDFA LB Dylan Moses
A former five-star recruit who once projected to be a high draft choice, Dylan Moses was not one of the numerous Alabama starters to hear his name called this weekend. But he agreed to a UDFA deal minutes after the draft’s conclusion.
The Jaguars are signing the former Crimson Tide linebacker, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Moses is coming off knee surgery and will begin his Jacksonville tenure on the team’s NFI list. He will be getting a nice payday for a UDFA, with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweeting that Moses will pocket $70K in guarantees ($50K in guaranteed salary plus a $20K signing bonus).
Moses’ prospects dimmed somewhat after an ACL tear wiped out his 2019 season. However, he returned to action in 2020 and earned first-team All-SEC acclaim. Moses made 76 tackles (six for loss) in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, helping the Crimson Tide to a dominant national championship run. The accomplished defender revealed he played through knee pain as a senior, and the persistent knee trouble certainly affected his draft status.
Urban Meyer‘s first draft running the Jaguars did not include a linebacker. The team has Myles Jack and Joe Schobert returning to reprise their roles as three-down ‘backers. Moses certainly profiles as a flier but one with considerable qualifications, should he be able to overcome his run of knee trouble.
2021 NFL Draft Results By Round
The 2021 NFL Draft is here! We’ll be keeping tabs here, from pick No. 1 through No. 259:
Round 1
1) Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB (Clemson)
2) New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB (BYU)
3) San Francisco 49ers (from Texans via Dolphins): Trey Lance, QB (North Dakota State)
4) Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE (Florida)
5) Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase, WR (LSU)
6) Miami Dolphins (from Eagles): Jaylen Waddle, WR (Alabama)
7) Detroit Lions: Penei Sewell, OT (Oregon)
8) Carolina Panthers: Jaycee Horn, CB (South Carolina)
9) Denver Broncos: Patrick Surtain II, CB (Alabama)
10) Philadelphia Eagles (from Cowboys): DeVonta Smith, WR (Alabama)
11) Chicago Bears (from Giants): Justin Fields, QB (Ohio State)
12) Dallas Cowboys (from 49ers via Dolphins via Eagles): Micah Parsons, LB (Penn State)
13) Los Angeles Chargers: Rashawn Slater, OT (Northwestern)
14) New York Jets (from Vikings): Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL (USC)
15) New England Patriots: Mac Jones, QB (Alabama)
16) Arizona Cardinals: Zaven Collins, LB (Tulsa)
17) Las Vegas Raiders: Alex Leatherwood, OL (Alabama)
18) Miami Dolphins: Jaelan Phillips, DL (Miami)
19) Washington Football Team: Jamin Davis, LB (Kentucky)
20) New York Giants (from Bears): Kadarius Toney, WR (Florida)
21) Indianapolis Colts: Kwity Paye, DL (Michigan)
22) Tennessee Titans: Caleb Farley, CB (Virginia Tech)
23) Minnesota Vikings (from Seahawks via Jets): Christian Darrisaw, OT (Virginia Tech)
24) Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, RB (Alabama)
25) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Rams): Travis Etienne, RB (Clemson)
26) Cleveland Browns: Greg Newsome II, CB (Northwestern)
27) Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman, WR (Minnes0ta)
28) New Orleans Saints: Payton Turner, DE (Houston)
29) Green Bay Packers: Eric Stokes, CB (Georgia)
30) Buffalo Bills: Gregory Rousseau, DL (Miami)
31) Baltimore Ravens (from Chiefs): Jayson Oweh, DE (Penn State)
32) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Joe Tryon, LB (Washington)
2021 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team
The 2021 NFL Draft has arrived! As the picks come in, we’ll keep track of each team’s haul right here:
[RELATED: 2021 NFL Draft Order By Round]
Arizona Cardinals
Round 1: No. 16 Zaven Collins, LB (Tulsa) (signed)
Round 2: No. 49 Rondale Moore, WR (Purdue) (signed)
Round 4: No. 136 (from Ravens) Marco Wilson, CB (Florida) (signed)
Round 6: No. 210 (from Ravens) Victor Dimukeje, LB (Duke) (signed)
Round 6: No. 223 (from Vikings) Tay Gowan, CB (Central Florida) (signed)
Round 7: No. 243 James Wiggins, S (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 7: No. 247 (from Bears through Raiders) Michal Menet, C (Penn State) (signed)
Atlanta Falcons
Round 1: No. 4 Kyle Pitts, TE (Florida) (signed)
Round 2: No. 40 (from Broncos) S Richie Grant (Central Florida)
Round 3: No. 68 Jalen Mayfield, OT (Michigan) (signed)
Round 4: No. 108: Darren Hall, CB (SDSU) (signed)
Round 4: No. 114 (from Broncos) Drew Dalman, C (Stanford) (signed)
Round 5: No. 148 Ta’Quon Graham, DT (Texas) (signed)
Round 5: No. 182 Adetokunbo Ogundeji, DE (Notre Dame) (signed)
Round 5: No. 183 Avery Williams, CB (Boise State) (signed)
Round 6: No. 187 Frank Darby, WR (Arizona State) (signed)
Baltimore Ravens
Round 1: No. 27 Rashod Bateman, WR (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 1: No. 31 (from Chiefs) Jayson Oweh, DE (Penn State)
Round 3: No. 94 (from Chiefs) Ben Cleveland, G (Georgia)
Round 3: No. 104 Brandon Stephens, CB (SMU)
Round 4: No. 131 Tylan Wallace, WR (Oklahoma State) (signed)
Round 5: No. 160 (from Cardinals) Shaun Wade, CB (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 5: No. 171 Daelin Hayes, LB (Notre Dame) (signed)
Round 5: No. 184 Ben Mason, FB (Michigan) (signed)
Buffalo Bills
Round 1: No. 30 Gregory Rousseau, DL (Miami) (signed)
Round 2: No. 61 Carlos Basham Jr., DE (Wake Forest) (signed)
Round 3: No. 93 Spencer Brown, OT (Northern Iowa)
Round 5: No. 161 (from Raiders) Tommy Doyle, OT (Miami (Ohio) (signed)
Round 6: No. 203 Marquez Stevenson, WR (Houston) (signed)
Round 6: No. 212 (from Saints via Texans) Damar Hamlin, S (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 6: No. 213 Rachad Wildgoose, CB (Wisconsin) (signed)
Round 7: No. 236 (from Panthers) Jack Anderson, G (Texas Tech) (signed)
Carolina Panthers
Round 1: No. 8 Jaycee Horn, CB (South Carolina) (signed)
Round 2: No. 59 (from Browns) Terrace Marshall Jr., WR (LSU)
Round 3: No. 70 (from Eagles) Brady Christensen, OT (BYU) (signed)
Round 3: No. 83 (from Bears) Tommy Tremble, TE (Notre Dame) (signed)
Round 4: No. 113 Chuba Hubbard, RB (Oklahoma State) (signed)
Round 5: No. 158 Daviyon Nixon, DT (Iowa) (signed)
Round 5: No. 166 (from Titans) Keith Taylor, CB (Washington) (signed)
Round 6: No. 204 (from Bears) Shi Smith, WR (South Carolina) (signed)
Round 6: No. 222 Thomas Fletcher, LS (Alabama) (signed)
Round 7: No. 232 (from Titans) Phil Hoskins, DT (Kentucky) (signed)