JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars wrapped things up in town and prepared to hit the road for their final work of the preseason.
Next up, a trip to Atlanta for the most critical week of camp. When the Jaguars wrap things up Saturday in their fourth preseason game the expectation is that the coaching staff will have all the information they need to hash out the final 53-man roster.
Coach Doug Pederson said that it’s still possible for a player on the roster bubble to scratch out a spot on the team with a good week of work and make it a tough call for final cut day. Teams must cut rosters from 80 players to the final 53 by Aug. 30.
“Yeah. I think we’ve got a pretty good idea right now, but I told the team this morning, this is going to be a big week for a lot of guys,” he said.
“And, too, they’ve got to understand, not just our team but 31 other teams are watching our roster as well and seeing who’s going to make the 53, who’s not, because there’s going to be a lot of our players get picked up if they’re not here, but it’s a great opportunity for many players, especially the young guys to practice well and play well in this football game because they could end upon a roster. It may not be here, but it could be somewhere.”
That week began Tuesday with a lighter practice inside TIAA Bank Field and will end with the team on its way to Atlanta. The Jaguars will get two days of work with the Falcons (Wednesday and Thursday), practices Pederson said will be significant for the starters. The bulk of the No. 1 unit is not expected to suit up on Saturday but the plan is to get them a large number of reps in the combined practices.
Two players Pederson is expecting to get significant work for the first time this preseason are Darious Williams and Devin Lloyd. Both have been limited throughout camp battling through injuries. Williams had offseason shoulder surgery and had worn a red non-contact jersey in parts of camp. Lloyd pulled a hamstring the day before training camp opened and has been working off to the side or just in the walkthrough portion of work.
On Tuesday, both Lloyd and Williams went through the team portion of practice, a positive sign as the regular season opener looms on Sept. 11 at Washington.
“It’s hard to say until we see him in live action,” Pederson said of Lloyd. “That’s why this week can be important for him to get out there and try to increase his reps each day and hopefully get some time in the game and see where he’s at. I know he’s getting mental reps, and he’s in there during the walkthroughs in the afternoons with the defense, making calls and all that, but when things get sped up is where things can kind of get sideways, so we just need to see him out there this week and hopefully in the game.”
Jacksonville made its cuts from 85 to 79 on Monday afternoon, then waived kicker Ryan Santoso on Tuesday morning following an erratic preseason. It put in a waiver claim to get kicker James McCourt from the Chargers. The Jaguars brought Jake Luton back to fill Santoso’s vacancy.
Even though it’s late in preseason, Pederson said that he wasn’t worried about the kicking situation.
“2017 [with the Eagles] we tried out six guys Week 1. Settled on Jake Elliot. He kicked all the way through to the Super Bowl, so I’ve had some experience there,” he said.