Rounding Up Jacksonville Jaguars' Offseason Buzz, Post-Minicamps
Mandatory minicamp has come and gone for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and there is now a stretch of the offseason that is, well, quiet. Training camp will kick back up eventually, but until then, it's time to look back at the most important buzz of this past week.
First and foremost, it's fair to say that the Jaguars have had an eventful and productive offseason thus far. There has been significant change and improvement on both sides of the ball, and at the individual level as well.
While the season still seems far away, there has been a lot of excitement generating in Jacksonville. Maturity, competition and a positive attitude have been the major themes, and it's apparent to see that impact on the team.
The Jaguars may not be quite at the level of playoff contention, but the improvement is there all the same. As the season draws nearer, the team seems to be more prepared and more tenacious than we've seen in years.
Gus Bradley's Primary Offensive Vision Is a Strong Running Game
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Head coach Gus Bradley's recent Q&A with John Oehser of Jaguars.com has a plethora of great information about Bradley's opinion of this offseason and what is to come. And a big part of what is to come is the desire for a strong running game.
This isn't necessarily new or surprising, but Bradley going on the record and saying, per Oehser, that's what he wants in the offense really solidifies what we might see from the Jaguars in 2015:
"I would like to see us have a really good running game. I think that will open up the play passes and when you can have a run game, your protection is better and it can take pressure off the offensive line and it can take pressure off the quarterback.
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It's a basic—but true—explanation from Bradley. The Jaguars will be doing everything they can to help quarterback Blake Bortles, and building a dominant run game is a big part of that.
If the Jaguars do implement a stronger running game, the vision of hard, long drives that can wear out opposing defenses comes to mind. Balance in the offense is something the Jaguars haven't been able to achieve in the past couple of years, and 2015 may be the turning point.
Dan Skuta Is Settling Nicely
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Part of a San Francisco 49ers exodus, linebacker Dan Skuta has traded the Bay area for Duval County. It's not always easy to make a transition from two extremely different teams like the 49ers and the Jaguars, but Skuta seems to be doing just fine.
According to John Oehser of Jaguars.com, Jaguars leader Paul Posluszny definitely thinks so; Posluszny said:
"We finally have the guy, the body, that’s supposed to be the Otto linebacker. He’s a big guy. You know he’s physical. You know he’s going to set the edge. He can drop. He can rush. That’s great. That’s the first time we’ve really fulfilled what it should be.
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Skuta had the best season of his career last season, highlighted by five sacks. The Jaguars have gone without the "proper" Otto linebacker (a strong-side linebacker, albeit much more independent and almost mercenary in nature).
As Poz points out, Skuta has all the skills you look for in an Otto, and it seems like the Jaguars made the right choice when selecting him. While Posluszny's judgment may not be a certain guarantee, his opinion is one of the most valued on the team.
Along with Telvin Smith, the Jaguars' linebacker group now has three high-performance starters. While depth isn't necessarily the best, this positional group really elevated itself with the addition of Skuta.
Bradley Recognizes the Maturity on the Team
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As mentioned, maturity is a strong theme of this offseason. For the first time in a couple of years, it seems like the team isn't going to be as rookie-heavy in games. While every player deserves a shot, experience can't go unappreciated.
In Bradley's Q&A with Jaguars.com, per Oehser, Bradley recognizes this and believes that it will also carry over to other traits:
"I think they are a maturing team. I think they’re going to be an aggressive team. I think the big thing we’ll find out is the consistency. I think you’ll see some splash plays and some big plays, but the difference between being good and really good is the consistency at a high level and playing good, smart football. That will be the challenge for our team and that’s what we’re challenging them on now.
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A more mature and a more aggressive team? Sounds like exactly the type of football you want to see. Harking back to the days of 2007, when the Jaguars defense was as ferocious as the franchise has ever seen, now seems like a real possibility, if not this year then in the future soon after.
Maturity and progress are relative and can vary, but the Jaguars are on the right track. It's not just the fact that the team is getting older and more experienced, but they're also becoming tenacious in the process.
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Training Camp Will See the Return of Various Injured Players
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Wide receiver Marqise Lee's nagging knee injury will subside for the time being, as he and several other players are expected to return from injury for training camp. According to Jaguars.com's John Oehser, these are the other players returning:
- WR Bryan Walters (calf)
- C Stefen Wisniewski (shoulder)
- S Josh Evans (shoulder)
- DT Roy Miller (knee)
- S James Sample (arm)
Everyone except for Sample is expected to return for the start of training camp; Sample is expected to return midway through.
While it would've been preferable to have every player healthy for OTAs and minicamp, that's nearly impossible. So, the fact that these five players and Lee will return for training camp, that's pretty fantastic news.
Elsewhere, first-round selection Dante Fowler Jr. is obviously ruled out for the season thanks to his ACL tear, and key defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks will be looking to be ready for Week 1 after recovering from his own ACL tear.
It's not easy to handle injury and the bounce-back from a extended spell of absence can be hard to handle, but the majority of the players should be able to get that sharpness back in time for Week 1.
Bradley Thinks Bortles' Progress Is Apparent, and It Should Show Up on the Field
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Blake Bortles' progress has been the biggest storyline of the offseason. There have been few players who have been as monitored as he has. And, according to Bradley's Q&A on Jaguars.com with Oehser, it appears that there is improvement to be observed.
Several of Bradley's last questions, per Oehser, were about his assessment of Bortles' offseason so far, and he seemed characteristically optimistic:
"It’s probably a cliche, but his practice habits and how he performs in practice this year versus last year has been off the charts. We already know that he appears to be better on Sundays than he is in practice, so that gives us the idea that maybe he’ll be even better on Sundays for us.
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"Off the charts" is a pretty strong way to describe his practice performance. If there's anyone who has been on top of Bortles' progress, it's Bradley, and seeing him approve enthusiastically is encouraging.
While the correlation of practice to "Sunday" isn't definite, that statement of Bortles' changes in performance has seemed true. This comment should be kept in mind when looking at Bortles' play this season.
All stats were provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.
Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter at @evanreier.
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