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Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars had a top-10 offense in 2022. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence thinks it can be even better in 2023.
The addition of receiver Calvin Ridley to a group of skill-position players who set career highs in catches, receiving yards and rushing yards gives the Jaguars a group of playmakers that may be the best in the league, according to Lawrence.
“I mean, we just have so many weapons, it’s going to be tough for defenses to know what to expect,” he said Wednesday morning after the team’s first training camp practice at the Miller Electric Center. “We can also do so many different things. We’re not one-dimensional. Those guys can do a lot of different things.”
Receivers Christian Kirk (84 catches for 1,108 yards) and Zay Jones (82 for 823) and tight end Evan Engram (73 for 766) set career highs in catches and yards in their first season in Jacksonville in 2022. Running back Travis Etienne Jr. ran for 1,125 yards last season after missing his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury.
That group helped the Jaguars finished 10th in scoring (29.2 points per game) and total offense (357.4 yards per game). Now they’ve added Ridley, who caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in his last full season (2020). The Jaguars acquired Ridley via trade with the Atlanta Falcons last November while he was serving a year-long suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy.
If his first practice is any indication, he’s going to make a significant impact. He was targeted heavily during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 work and had two leaping catches that drew cheers from the fans in attendance.
“Just watching him, the way he runs, there’s not many guys like that, especially in and out of his breaks and he is just really crafty,” Lawrence said. “After the catch he’s really, really good, too. And in spring we were still working him in, so we didn’t get a ton of reps. So now that we’re camp, we’re full go. I’m excited just to continue to build on that.”
That’s why Lawrence didn’t hesitate when asked if he would put the Jaguars’ skill-position players up against any team in the NFL.
“Obviously, we have a lot of work to do and through training camp finding out how good we are. But as far as just talent goes, and the guys that were here last year and we have that chemistry and that connection, I feel really confident in our group up against anyone,” Lawrence said. “We don’t play against the other skill groups, that’s the thing, so it doesn’t really matter as much. But to your point, I do think we are evenly matched, if not above, so I feel really confident in it.”
Lol this is going to be fun@CalvinRidley1 | @Trevorlawrencee pic.twitter.com/tnkWql8FV9
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) July 26, 2023
One area the addition of Ridley should help is the offense getting off to quicker starts. The Jaguars were outscored by six points in the first quarter and by 11 points in the first half of games last season. The team rallied from deficits of 27 points (Los Angeles Chargers), 17 (Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys), 10 (Tennessee Titans) and nine (Baltimore Ravens) to win games in the second half of the season and postseason.
“Even when we played well, it seemed like we always kind of started slow,” Lawrence said. “… Not every game has to be a 10-, 17-, 27-point comeback. Try to start that way and maybe keep a lead or at least keep it tight and then go finish the end of the game. So that’s a big emphasis for us.
“I think it’s just completely dominating the whole game, not the end of it. Not putting our back against the wall every week and trying to fight back, but how can we try to control the game? How can we start fast and just be consistent? I think that’s the biggest thing and definitely an emphasis for us.”
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