The Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL during the 2023 season. It struggled to protect Trevor Lawrence despite rarely facing blitzes and allowed Travis Etienne to be stuffed for no gain at a league-high rate.
But Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson doesn’t seem too concerned about finding replacements up front.
“Cam [Robinson] missed eight games last year, our left guard was a little bit of an injury revolving door type thing, Luke Fortner at center, Brandon Scherff, and then Anton [Harrison], the rookie, was learning every week and played every game for us,” Pederson said during an NFL Network appearance during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
“We really feel comfortable with the guys we have there, we just have to get back to what they do best. To me, that’s kind of simplifying, put it on their shoulders, but at the same time, as coaches, putting them in position to just go out and execute.”
Earlier in the week, Pederson noted that continuity was a big issue for the line too.
“If you think about it, Cam, Ezra [Cleveland], Luke, Brandon and [Anton Harrison] played one game together,” Pederson said. “We didn’t have consistency; we didn’t have continuity. That affects five guys up front. That’s what we have to get back to, we have to get back to a little bit more consistency there.”
Should Pederson be taking at face value? Maybe not. There’s little incentive for the coach to throw his linemen under the bus in late February when there’s still plenty of offseason to sort out changes on the roster.
Yet, Jaguars brass has also had no issue with underlining cornerback as a spot on the roster that needs work.
Trent Baalke told reporters he expects Cam Robinson to stay on the roster, he’s in negotiations to bring Ezra Cleveland back, and the Jaguars appear to be in no rush to part with Scherff either.
It seems Fortner is the Jaguars offensive lineman most in danger of being replaced, but wholesale changes up and down the line are looking increasingly unlikely.
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