JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – That’s a wrap.
With one final minicamp on Wednesday morning, the Jaguars put a bow on their off-season program. The next time that players show up in bulk to TIAA Bank Field, it will be to take a look at their new Miller Electric Center facility and begin the start of training camp.
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It will be the most anticipated season in years. The Jaguars are coming off an unexpected AFC South title and wildcard win over the Chargers. So, what happens between now and late next month for the Jaguars?
It’s part relaxation, part maintenance time for Jaguars players across the next five and half weeks before things ease into the next phase of the season. Jacksonville players will get a bit of a break before moving into their new Miller Electric Center adjacent to TIAA Bank Field, which construction crews are putting the finishing touches on now.
Coaches are pleased with the offseason work and progress but don’t want players to scale back too much right now.
“You can’t just be idle for five weeks. They put so much good time in now, they’re in really good shape right now,” coach Doug Pederson said. “It’s just a matter of maintaining that and coming into camp healthy and ready to go.”
Jacksonville had a scaled-down final week on the field. Pederson gave the majority of the veterans off for the mandatory portion of camp this week, but still had roughly half the team here and getting some reps in. Second-year players like Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma, along with fifth-year edge Josh Allen and receiver Calvin Ridley headlined the big names at minicamp.
Allen skipped the voluntary portion of camp and returned for the mandatory camp this week. Lloyd and Muma, draft picks last year, played regularly in 2022 but Pederson wanted them both in the mandatory camp this week to soak in more reps.
Ridley, acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Falcons last year, was another big name at minicamp. Pederson said that the team has tried to take it slow with Ridley as he segues back into camp after a yearlong suspension for gambling. Ridley largely worked off to the side with receivers coach Chad Hall throughout minicamp. Wideouts like Kevin Austin Jr. and Kendric Pryor were two of the players who looked sharp Wednesday while catching passes from Nathan Rourke.
A theme of minicamp was getting glimpses of players who didn’t have to be there still showing up and working with younger players. Linebacker Foye Oluokun had been singled out by Pederson and defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell as a player who could have been enjoying the week off but stayed around to try and help others.
“I think it’s an indication, a good indication of where the guys are, and in the culture and the strength of the locker room, that we have a guy like that, who was just a new player for us a year ago and still wants to be around,” Pederson said. “I think it sends a good signal to the rest of the team.”
With the offseason program in the books, things will look quite a bit different when players return. The team will move their football operations into the Miller Electric Center next month. That facility was announced during Urban Meyer’s brief tenure with Jacksonville. It will be the epicenter of Jacksonville’s football hub and includes two outdoor grass practice fields and an indoor practice field, as well as locker rooms and a shaded viewing area for fans.
“Been over there a few times. And, each time it just gets your excitement and juices going to get over there” Pederson said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of work transitioning from here to there, even though we only have to go 100 feet into that building. But there’s a lot of man hours coming up this summer and moving and getting us over there.”