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Tyson Campbell talks new contract on the opening day of Jacksonville Jaguars training camp
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- Tyson Campbell talks new contract on the opening day of Jacksonville Jaguars training camp
Tuesday was a hard day for Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell to find the words to describe. He signed a four-year contract extension worth $76.5 million that tied him to the team long term.
But Wednesday was back to work for the fourth-year player as he and his teammates returned to the field of the Miller Electric Center to begin the 2024 training camp slate.
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Campbell was one of the stars of Day 1 of camp , coming up with an athletic pass breakup against Gabe Davis by swatting away a would-be touchdown from Trevor Lawrence .
His leadership was also at the forefront on Wednesday, being one of the first players on the field to congratulate rookie defensive back Jarrian Jones after the first-year player made a pass breakup of his own.
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell (32) walks on the field during the first day of an NFL football training camp practice Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
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And he spent time talking with assistant defensive backs coach Corey Robinson as the second and third groups were on the field, likely discussing things he noticed from the sideline.
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"I was telling people all the time I just knew God was going to blow my mind. He did; I was speechless," Campbell said of his new deal at the conclusion of practice. "Today I'm doing better since I'm playing football now. So, back to reality."
Campbell's reality is a that of a young player whose team just invested in, signifying his importance to the future plans of the organization. He joins Trevor Lawrence , Josh Hines-Allen and Foye Oluokun as players who signed large extensions this offseason and each of those players are seen as cornerstones of the Jaguars.
"Yesterday and throughout this whole camp we are trying to build a standard around here: to be an organization that plays in late January and February," Campbell said when asked about being a core player. "We are setting a standard and building a winning culture around here."
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell (32) kneels as safety Andre Cisco (5) looks on along with cornerback Tevaughn Campbell (29) during the first day of an NFL football training camp practice Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
Campbell's second year saw him breakout as a star in the making. His third year in the league was up-and-down largely because of a soft tissue injury that sidelined him for six games.
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But according to him, his confidence and motivation hasn't been impacted by the injuries nor the extension.
"That's an every year mindset to get better. Even every day, to find something to get better at to master your skills," he said. "I feel like I've always had work ethic so getting better, trying to be better and having ambition is not new to me."
Attacking style: Campbell trusts DB room, Pederson lauds Nielsen's coaching
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen coaches during an organized team activity Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
While Campbell has been locked down as a staple of Jacksonville's secondary, the position opposite him is still up in the air with several players jockeying for the position.
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Veteran corner Ronald Darby snagged an interception during the teams period and seems to have a leg up but third-year defensive back Buster Brown also had a strong showing on Wednesday.
And Jones — who had one of the best performances of any player this offseason — seems to have picked up where he left off at the end of minicamp.
"I trust every single one of those guys in that DB room," Campbell said when asked if it matters to him who wins the position battle. "We have so much talent in that room. I trust in my brothers, man. Whoever steps on that field, I definitely believe they're capable of helping the team win."
It'll be an interesting decision for defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and his staff as he enters his first training camp in Jacksonville. Nielsen took the approach of not using depth charts this summer, allowing players to get reps with different personnel groupings.
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It's too early to know if that approach has carried over into the early days of camp but head coach Doug Pederson gave praise to Nielsen's coaching style as the team opened camp.
"I think you'll see, when you're out there, the excitement. It's an attack-style defense—guys are moving forward," Pederson said. "I think it just suits the players, right? I think the players have really bought into that. You're going to see a lot of teaching, a lot of coaching."
That style can greatly benefit pass rushers Hines-Allen and Travon Walker . According to Pederson, both players can be downhill, attacking players and game-wreckers in this scheme.
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"Again, I think the scheme is really going to help Travon, going to help Josh. [It's] going to utilize the strengths of both of those players," Pederson said. "I think it's the reason why we drafted Travon and the reason why Josh is here and why we extended Josh. I mean, it's their skillset, get after quarterbacks.
"The two of them together is a pretty good group in this league and I just think the changes we've made, they're going to benefit from that."
Pederson downplays Arik Armstead 's Physically Unable to Perform designation
Jaguars director of football communications Dylan Morton talks with Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead (91) at the end of the organized team activity session Monday, June 3, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
It was announced last week that veteran defensive lineman Arik Armstead would begin training camp on the active/Physically Unable to Perform list as he continues to recover from an offseason meniscus surgery.
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While he'll start the season off the field, it's expected he'll rejoin the team at some point during training camp and be a full participant in practices.
Armstead signed with the team in March and has rehabbed his knee for most of the offseason, missing most of the on-field portions of the team's organized team activities slate.
However, Armstead was a participant in most of the minicamp schedule as he worked individually with strength and conditioning coaches.
While not contributing on the field, Armstead brings a veteran presence to the team that was missing last season. And his experience can go a long way to helping the team this season.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead (91) talks with defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen during an organized team activity Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
Whether it's in the film room or as an extra set of eyes on the practice field, he's able to act as a conduit between players and the coaching staff to provide insight.
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To Pederson, that's invaluable.
"I don't have a lot of concern with it. I want to make sure guys like that—we brought them here to help us, but at the same time we've got make sure they're healthy before we put them on the field," Pederson said on Wednesday. "He knows what it takes. I've seen him during OTAs, I've seen him even while he was here during our little three days with the rookies and just how he's kind of another coach right now on the field until he gets ready to go.
"That's invaluable — that's gold out there on the field. I'm not concerned right now, this early, that he's not out there. I just want to make sure that when he's out there he's 100 percent."
Juston Lewis is a Jacksonville Jaguars beat reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on the website formerly known as Twitter at @JustonLewis_ .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars training camp notebook: Tyson Campbell's payday
