The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked off the final week of their offseason program with a star-studded seventh OTA, a final push before the team breaks ahead of training camp in July.
Among those in attendance, invited by head coach Liam Coen, were former Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green, former Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, former Patriots defensive backs Devin and Jason McCourty and former NFL defensive line coach Mike Waufle.
The players worked with their respective position groups throughout the day, with players learning invaluable lessons and tips from those who came before them.
OTA No. 7 marked the final opportunity for media members and other invited observers to watch the team during the offseason program. Jacksonville’s OTAs will conclude later this week. The day consisted of typical drills with an emphasis on individual workouts and position work for one of the shortest practices of the offseason program.
Here’s what happened.
Liam Coen catches up with MJD, McCourty twins, others at Jaguars OTA
Coen spent at least 15 minutes before practice picking the McCourty twins’ brains, two former NFL defensive backs who had plenty of success throughout their respective careers.
After practice, Coen talked about the importance of inviting some of the legends out to practice and how valuable their knowledge can be for the franchise. The idea to bring former NFL vets to OTAs sprang up during the team’s discussions to move minicamp dates, opting for a more creative end to the offseason program.
The idea, Coen said, was to give players “somebody else’s voice, listening to and just being around other guys.” Coen said, too, the team plans to bring in more former players including former Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis, former Jaguars legendary running back Fred Taylor, former Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame pass rusher Demarcus Ware, among others, to impart their wisdom on the team.
“Really to get our guys around players that did it at a high level whether it was here or elsewhere, man, if they can take any nugget from them over the next three days, we got better,” said Coen.
After a successful 13-4 season, the key for Jacksonville moving forward will be sustained success. Some of that will come organically, but seeing it from people and players who have already done so creates a different environment.
“Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, but then those teams that were great and going into some of those details of what it takes to be great, what it takes to sustain success over the course of years. And that’s why I think it was really important to get these guys out here,” Coen added.
Parker Washington continues stellar offseason program
While Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has received the majority of the praise among receivers this offseason, fourth-year wideout Parker Washington continues to showcase why he was so valuable to the franchise late last season.
With receiver Jakobi Meyers absent from practice, Washington’s workload seemingly increased, allowing him to show off some of his receiving ability from a variety of positions on offense.
Washington’s output on offense should increase, while his work on special teams might take a bit of a backseat this year. Jaguars special teams coordinator Heath Farwell spoke of the potential change last week.
“There may be games when we need a big play and he’s back there and there’s other times when we’ll provide a big play from somebody else,” Farwell said of Washington continuing his role as a punt returner.
“If he is the top target for us as I’d imagine he will be, what does that look like for special teams? We’ll figure it out,” he added.
The Jaguars drafted WR Josh Cameron in the sixth round of this year’s draft. He has experience as a return specialist and could help the team in that regard.
Travis Hunter remained locked in throughout OTAs
Though he didn’t participate in drills, Jaguars cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter mirrored everything his counterparts did throughout the offseason program.
Hunter’s return is expected to happen when training camp rolls around in late July, but he did not participate in the team’s offseason program as he makes his way back from an LCL injury that required surgery last year.
Hunter appears bigger, particularly his upper body, and he’s detailed the importance of working out and staying in playing shape throughout his rehab process.
Though the fixation has centered on Hunter’s expected increase in workload on defense, his presence on offense will remain. Hunter stayed in tune with what the receivers worked on, typically hanging with that group throughout a given practice session.
While he hasn’t actively participated in drills, he routinely mirrors receivers’ movements from behind the line of scrimmage, remaining as engaged as possible.
Jaguars OTA No. 7 attendance report: Several players sit out
Multiple players were missing or held out of practice on Monday. OTAs remain completely voluntary, so none will be marked for their absence.
Jaguars who did not practice Monday for OTA No. 7: CB Jourdan Lewis (side), WR Jakobi Meyers, CB/WR Travis Hunter (side), RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., LB Jalen McLeod, RB Ameer Abdullah, DE Zach Durfee, OL Quinton Bohana, OL Cole Van Lanen (side), OL Robert Hainsey, OL Anton Harrison, TE Hunter Long, TE Brenton Strange and TE Nate Boerkircher.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky at Demetrius.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Maurice Jones-Drew, NFL vets share secrets of success at Jaguars OTAs
Reporting by Demetrius Harvey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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By Demetrius Harvey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
