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Jaguars rookie minicamp begins. Pederson talks camp, will wait on play-calling questions
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- Jaguars rookie minicamp begins. Pederson talks camp, will wait on play-calling questions
The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked off the team's three-day rookie minicamp Friday. The camp will feature all nine of the team's draft picks this year, including first-round receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and the team's 13 undrafted free-agent signees.
The biggest name among the group on Friday was veteran receiver Jarvis Landry , who did not play football in 2023. Landry last played in the 2022 season with the New Orleans Saints .
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In addition to Landry, the Jaguars invited back a few players who could participate after not earning a credited season last year. That included cornerback Erick Hallett II, outside linebacker D.J. Coleman, linebacker Dequan Jackson and receiver Seth Williams .
'It made me grounded': Jarvis Landry talks year away during Jacksonville Jaguars minicamp
Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson talks with his players at the end of Friday's rookie minicamp session. The Jacksonville Jaguars held their first day of rookie minicamp inside the covered field at the Jaguars performance facility in Jacksonville, Florida Friday, May 10, 2024. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
Players such as CB Christian Braswell , offensive lineman Cooper Hodges and LB Ventrell Miller are ineligible to participate as they ended last season on the team's reserve/injured list, accruing a year toward their pensions.
Among the players that were there though, and of the players that have been in town over the last few weeks during the first couple of phases of the team's offseason program, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson praised the team's availability, participating in the voluntary portion of the year.
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"The biggest thing is the number of guys that are here. I think that's a credit to them with the voluntary program and I get it, there's workout bonuses and all that kind of stuff and contracts. But I think other than that, they want to be here," Pederson said Friday morning, the first day of on-field work during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center.
"Obviously, the defensive guys get some new staff and everything and learning offensively just keep the new guys going and even with the guys we've been with now for going on three years, just keep them coming as well. So it's been good. [There has] been a lot of energy out there. Phase two, we're not competing against each other. Offense defense, more so than just competing with yourself to make yourself better."
Pederson remains non-committal on playcalling in 2024
The Jacksonville Jaguars held their first day of rookie minicamp inside the covered field at the Jaguars performance facility in Jacksonville, Florida Friday, May 10, 2024. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
Pederson did not have a lot to say Friday when asked about play-calling duties for the third time this offseason. He was asked about a potential change during the NFL Scouting Combine in February and again during the NFL Owner's Meetings .
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His answer remained unchanged and was even more succulent than the last two occasions.
"[We] don't play a game until September, so got some time," he said, quickly moving on.
Last season, Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor called the team's plays, just as he did during the second half of games last year. When Pederson was first introduced in Jacksonville, he stated that he will call the plays, but much of that has morphed and transformed since the 2022 season until now.
Jaguars reveal 2024 rookie minicamp roster
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas (7) pulls in a pass during Friday's rookie minicamp session. The Jacksonville Jaguars held their first day of rookie minicamp inside the covered field at the Jaguars performance facility in Jacksonville, Florida Friday, May 10, 2024.
There isn't much going on during a rookie minicamp. Players are not dressed out in pads, only sporting jerseys and shorts as they run around to impress the coaching staff.
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Still, the valuable portion of the three-day minicamp is to get to understand a player's mentality and how they'd learn moving forward rather than much of the physical aspect of football.
"This weekend though, from the meetings to the on-the-field stuff is really going to prepare 'em for the next five weeks," Pederson said, speaking about the team's rookies and alluding to the next five weeks of the offseason program which includes voluntary Organized Team Activities.
"Come Monday, when everybody starts walking in here and they start seeing all the guys, it makes an impact on them. And a lot of these guys, obviously they were starters in college and now they're going to have to take backup roles and they're going to compete for starting positions or at least compete for that backup spot and it changes just a little bit for them."
Here is the full 2024 Jaguars rookie minicamp roster:
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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 rookie minicamp roster revealed, Pederson talks play-calling
