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Jaguars C Mitch Morse details arrival, excitement to work with Pederson, Trevor Lawrence
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- Jaguars C Mitch Morse details arrival, excitement to work with Pederson, Trevor Lawrence
Mitch Morse didn't take long to make his decision to join the Jacksonville Jaguars , and he wasn't necessarily surprised he had to make one, either.
Before players left for their respective offseason homes after the Buffalo Bills lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs this year, Morse and Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane sat down to discuss the long-time Bills center's future.
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It was a candid conversation, Morse admitted on his Wednesday morning introductory press conference via Zoom, noting that he understands the NFL is a business at the end of the day. Morse understood the Bills' situation when it came to the team's salary cap.
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After being the Buffalo Bills' center the previous five years, Jacksonville Jaguars' center Mitch Morse understands what a difficult road environment the team will face at Highmark Stadium on Monday Night Football.
"The personal side of it definitely hurt, the business side of it makes sense. [Buffalo] will be home for me and my family, we spent five great years there but time marches on and it happened quickly, as you see. We're so excited to not only be a part of this organization but to immerse ourselves in the Jacksonville area."
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'Thought it would be fun': Mitch Morse details why he wanted to join Jaguars
So, onto Jacksonville.
Morse described the past week as a "hailstorm," visiting with the Pittsburgh Steelers before hopping on a plane down south to Jacksonville on a visit before ultimately agreeing to terms on a contract with the franchise.
Still, he's thankful it happened quickly.
"It's definitely better than the alternative which is you wait around and figure out no one wants you," he said with a smile.
Jacksonville Jaguars center Mitch Morse signs his reported two-year contract with the team on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
He doesn't have to wait any longer and now gets to reunite with his first NFL offensive coordinator, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. Pederson was with the Chiefs as the team's OC the year Kansas City selected Morse in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
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Pederson is, in part, why Morse wanted to join the Jaguars.
"I've always had a sense of trying to get back to him ever since he became a head coach. I thought it would be a fun deal," Morse said when asked about why he chose Jacksonville, adding that the team's culture was also a part of why he wanted to join.
While he might not remember everything about Pederson's coaching, Morse said he does know him as a person and his personality, something that he feels you want in a head coach.
"Not only is he not afraid of candid conversations but he's easy to talk to. He's the same person on and off the field. He's just a good man and I think what that usually does is good dudes or good people usually lead to good football players," said Morse.
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"Not exclusively good football players and good coaches, it's what you want in a coach. You have good X's and O's but what's it going to be like on game day?"
He also remembers the Jaguars-Bills Week 5 matchup in London last season.
"We [the Bills] got absolutely smacked last year in London and I've been a big fan of that defense for a very long time as well as the offense obviously," Morse continued about the Jaguars' 25-20 win over Buffalo.
The Jaguars have their franchise quarterback, Trevor Lawrence , in place and Morse noted that as a factor, too, while giving praise to the team's young QB.
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"I think this league is a quarterback-driven league, and to win in this league you have to have a quarterback with the tangibles and the intangibles. I think Trevor kind of embodies both of those things," he said, noting that the sunshine doesn't hurt, either.
Morse talks past relationship with Brandon Scherff , future relationship with Luke Fortner
Morse is likely to enter the Jaguars' locker room and immediately become the team's starting center, but he's not worried at this time about that. Rather, Morse wants to build relationships with his new teammates.
"You try to immerse yourself fully within the group. The last thing you want on any team or in any facet of life you've been around is someone coming in and talking like they've been there for years or having some 'rah-rah' deal. Immediately it's for the birds, you're not into it," said Morse.
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The Jaguars' newest center called Jaguars right guard Brandon Scherff the "pinnacle" of the offensive line class in 2015, noting that he's "super excited" to work with him.
Jacksonville Jaguars guard Brandon Scherff (68) looks on from the sideline during the second quarter an NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans 34-14. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
"I don't know if you've seen his college highlights but they're about as gnarly as I've ever seen. From what I've seen he's just a country dude who likes to play football, hang out, spend time with his family and friends and hunt. I get behind that," said Morse. "So, I've been a fan of his for a very long time, he's been playing at a very high level."
Scherff is set to return to the team after reportedly restructuring his contract to save the franchise $5 million. Now, Morse gets to play with who he feels is one of the top guards to enter the league.
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"I'm excited to be in the same offensive line room as him, chew the fat, hopefully, be friends, and see where that takes us football-wise," he added.
Jacksonville Jaguars center Luke Fortner (79) stretches during training camp Monday, Aug. 7, 2023 at Miller Electric Center at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. This was the 11th day of training camp.
It is a bit of an awkward situation Morse will be in with center Luke Fortner remaining on the roster. Though it hasn't been made official, Morse is expected to start for the Jaguars after reportedly signing a two-year deal worth up to $10.5 million. Fortner has started 34-straight regular season games with the Jaguars, and two playoff games.
Morse is worried more about being a good teammate, though.
"Luke and I have chatted, and I'm just looking forward to competing and growing with him. I think that's what football is all about. It's about no matter where you are in your career, growing, being a better professional, and learning how to take your game to the next level," said Morse, noting that the last thing you'd want to do is to polarize anything.
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"So, no matter what happens, how that works out for me I'm trying to be a resource for him, he's going to be a resource for me, and we'll see how it plays out."
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Mitch Morse talks Bills, Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence
