JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a couple of days of join practice with the Lions, there was still a pesky preseason game left to play. If we ranked the importance of things the Jaguars did this week it would be:
- Joint practice day 1 (full pads)
- Join practice day 2
- Preseason game
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That order isn’t really up for debate. The work on the practice field gives the coaches full control over matchups and situations. That left the game to just being, well, a game. After two good days of work, Doug Pederson left most of the starters on the sideline and gave the game to the backups. I say most because Walker Little started the game at left guard. This is some foreshadowing on the Jaguars part. With Cam Robinson suspended to start the year, Little will start at left tackle. Then when Robinson is back, Little is likely going to slide inside to guard.
With only backups playing for both teams it was about what you would expect — a sloppy preseason game. With players on the roster bubble getting the majority of the playing time, a few guys were able to make a statement. Here are my Four Cents:
Jags have a legit 1-2 punch at running back 🤩
Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby are going to carry the rock for the Jags this year. After that, it is anybody’s guess. Bigsby has been one of the most impressive players during preseason. He racked up 70 yards averaging 5.4 yards per carry against the Lions.
Those are more than solid numbers, especially when you consider the O-line he was running behind was decimated by injuries. His vision is top-notch. After those two, things get a little murky. D’Ernest Johnson is the better runner but JaMycal Hasty is the better player in the passing game. Wouldn’t surprise me if they kept both guys. But right now I’m leaning towards Johnson because Bigsby showed up as a better receiver than the Jaguars were expecting.
Wave bye-bye to Rourke
At no point have the Jaguars made it apparent that CJ Beathard’s job could be in jeopardy. Rourke has worked exclusively with the third-team offense in practice. Rourke can really spin it and he has shown that so far in preseason. He has shown it to the extent that the odds of him staying in Jacksonville are slim to none.
The Jaguars kept two quarterbacks on the roster last year with one on the practice squad. With the roster squeeze happening at other spots, it is tough to imagine in the Jaguars holding onto three quarterbacks. Rourke has shown enough that another team will scoop him up. Preseason games are an audition for every team in the league and Rourke has earned a spot somewhere. In a perfect world, the Jaguars would love to sneak him onto their practice squad and keep him around, but it is tough to see that happening.
Jeremiah Ledbetter 😤 is going to make the 53
If the majority of the Jags fanbase knew the name Jeremiah Ledbetter I’d be surprised. Ledbetter won a Super Bowl with the Bucs and when Jacksonville hired Mike Caldwell, he came to town with him. The Jaguars D-line has some good players, but it doesn’t have a ton of depth. I was told during OTAs that the coaches challenged Ledbetter to be that guy. This week, he showed up. Ledbetter made some splash plays. That big No. 99 doesn’t make many mistakes and can play a bunch of spots along the line.
Turnover magnet? 🧲
Gregory Junior has been right where he needs to be in the preseason. In Week 1, it was a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Against the Lions, it was an Interception. Even in college, Junior has never been a big turnover guy. Maybe because teams were avoiding his side while he was at Ouachita Baptist, but Junior only had one interception in college.
This preseason has been a very different story. Junior has been under a microscope since training camp started. The majority of the Jaguars starting jobs are locked up, but nickel corner is up for grabs. Junior has been putting a lot of pressure on Tre Herndon for the job. With the door cracked open, he is trying to kick it in with all of these turnovers. Herndon and Junior have both lined up almost exclusively in the slot and it has turned into a two-man race for the job in a battle that will go down to the Jaguars final preseason game against the Dolphins. Right now, I think Herndon still has the edge but Junior is closing that gap quickly.
Bonus the Jaguars have a kicker 🙌
Brandon McManus is dialed in. Isn’t it nice to not be talking about a kicker battle this year?