Jacksonville Jaguars center Brandon Linder has been apart of three coaching changes with the team, dating back to the time he was drafted and took the field with Gus Bradley and his staff. Since, he’s seen Bradley and the coach who replaced him, Doug Marrone, both fired and now is playing for his third coach in Urban Meyer.
In Thursday’s media session, Linder shared his first public thought about his new coach in Meyer, and like many of his teammates, he likes what he’s seen so far. Despite the team’s limited time with Meyer, Linder told the media that he’s been great about giving the players the resources they need to succeed, something the past regimes struggled with.
“The difference [is] we’re changing the culture, that’s for sure,” Linder said. “He’s been giving us everything that we need to succeed, and we haven’t had that around here in a while. But he asks it from us when we get on the field and that’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve been putting in work and it’s been good. Everyone’s been trusting the process and buying in to the culture.”
Linder’s statements echoed those of some of the Jags’ other team leaders like Myles Jack and Josh Allen, but to hear him mention the lack of player relations in the past is telling. This is also a huge nugget because many feel Meyer could have a hard time with his locker room after the signing of Tebow.
Of course, Linder was also asked about the plans for the former Gators quarterback, but warned the media to pump the breaks on those discussions as there is a lot that needs to be established first.
“I think it’s one step at a time and see what happens,” said Linder. “Before you start having those conversations, you’ve got to feel where he’s at on the depth chart. So, obviously, it’s only been a couple days, so we have not had that conversation as an offensive staff yet.”
Only time will tell how the Tebow project works out for himself and the locker room, but for the time being, it seems as though the top veterans on the Jags’ roster are buying in on Meyer’s plan.