Tag: Brandon Linder

Jags ‘plan’ to have veteran TE James O’Shaughnessy, center Brandon Linder back vs. Falcons

#Jaguars HC Urban Meyer provided an update on TE James O’Shaughnessy and center Brandon Linder and it appears the arrow is trending upward for their returns.

The Jacksonville Jaguars offense has struggled mightily since the bye week, and the recent injury to receiver Jamal Agnew is unlikely to help. However, the team is likely to get two other veterans back to help lessen the blow of losing Agnew as Urban Meyer said the team plans to bring  back veteran tight end James O’Shaughnessy and center Brandon Linder from injured reserve.

“Both of those players are ready to go,” Meyer said when asked about the veterans Friday. “That’s the plan [to have both back this week]”

Linder’s injuries occurred Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans. On a goal-line play, he injured both his MCL and ankle, which resulted in him being carted off the field.

O’Shaughnessy, on the other hand, injured his ankle early in the Jags’ Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos. He only finished the game with three offensive snaps as a result but was designated to return from IR with Linder last week.

Linder is widely regarded as the Jags’ best offensive lineman and is a top-8 center in the eyes of most. That’s exactly why getting him back would be huge for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back James Robinson.

As for O’Shaughnessy, he was viewed as the Jags best receiving tight end before his ankle injury. Now, those shoes appear to have been filled by trade acquisition Dan Arnold. Still, backup tight end Chris Manhertz isn’t as good a receiver as the veteran and has struggled with penalties. That leaves the opportunity for O’Shaughnessy to return and be a solid No. 2 behind Arnold, which would make the overall offense better.

Jags place center Brandon Linder, TE James O’Shaughnessy on IR/Designated to return list

The Jags are close to getting two of their most experienced offensive veterans back from IR.

The Jacksonville Jaguars received some good news Wednesday in terms of getting some of their most experienced offensive veterans on the practice field. Those players were tight end James O’Shaughnessy and center Brandon Linder, both of whom were placed on the injured reserve/designated to return list.

Now, the team has 21 days to place both back on the active roster, which means fans can expect both to return at some point in the coming weeks.

Linder was placed on injured reserve after the Jags’ game against the Tennessee Titans Week 5 after sustaining an MCL and ankle sprain in a goal-line play. Last Sunday’s game marked the fourth one that he missed since the injury as Tyler Shatley has filled in since.

As for O’Shaughnessy, he was placed on IR with an ankle injury on Sept. 23 after the Jags’ Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos. His injury occurred early in the game as he only took the field for three offensive snaps. Since, they’ve made additions at the tight end position in his absence by signing Jacob Hollister and trading for Dan Arnold.

Linder’s return, whenever it happens will be huge and will give a struggling offense back one of the league’s top centers. And while Shatley has been fine at the position, Linder has Pro Bowl potential when at his best.

O’Shaughnessy was widely viewed as the Jags’ best receiving threat at tight end, but Arnold has come up huge for the team there since being traded to Jacksonville. Since landing with the team in September, he’s accumulated 27 catches for 323 yards, but adding in O’Shaughnessy into the mix would give them a nice one-two punch.

It’s not quite clear if the Jags will look to get both on the field this week against the San Francisco 49ers, but at this point, they don’t have to be rushed back as the Jags are likely out of playoff contention. However, when both can return, they will be welcomed additions as the Jags are currently ranked 23rd in terms of overall offense.

Jaguars place OL Brandon Linder on injured reserve, sign OL Rashaad Coward

To avoid going into Sunday’s game short-handed on the offensive line, the Jags signed veteran Rashaad Coward Tuesday.

As expected, the Jacksonville Jaguars placed center Brandon Linder on injured reserve Tuesday after the veteran was carted off from Sunday’s game against Tennessee with MCL and ankle injuries. With him set to miss four to five weeks, they also replaced his spot on the active roster by adding veteran Rashaad Coward.

Coward, 26, is currently in his sixth season as he joins the Jags and entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears in 2017 out of Old Dominion. He spent training camp and the first four weeks of this regular season with the Pittsburgh Steelers but didn’t see any action as a regular season member of their roster.

However, during his tenure with the Bears (2017-20), Coward played in 30 games and started in 15. While in Chicago last season, he appeared in all 16 games and made three starts at guard and two at tackle. As for 2019, he registered a career-high in starts (10), all of which came at guard.

As previously mentioned, the Jags had the potential to go into Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins short-handed on the offensive line with Linder injured and Tyler Shatley now starting in his place. That’s likely why they elected not to give former Texans receiver Anthony Miller an active roster spot out of the gate.

Now, with Coward on the roster, the Jags have eight offensive linemen to head into Sunday’s game with.

Jags Week 5 injury update: Brandon Linder sustains MCL, ankle injuries vs. Titans

The Jags’ starting center was carted off Sunday against Tennessee, and according to Urban Meyer, it was for injuries to his MCL and ankle.

The Jacksonville Jaguars sustained a couple of notable injuries during Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans and two of them were to starters. Of course, the biggest one was to center Brandon Linder, who was carted off after a fourth-and-goal play where Carlos Hyde was stopped behind the line of scrimmage.

Linder sustained the injury while in the pile, and though the broadcast angle wasn’t clear, it looked as though his leg was twisted in the scrum. With him exiting the game, the Jags replaced him with Tyler Shatley, who saw a total of 15 snaps.

After the game, coach Urban Meyer told the media that Linder’s injury was an MCL and ankle injury that may not be as bad as many initially thought. With that being the case, his situation will be worth monitoring throughout the week, starting with Monday afternoon when Meyer meets with the media again.

The other starter who was injured was linebacker Myles Jack, who left the game with a back injury in the second half and was questionable to return. After his injury, backup linebacker Dakota Allen also sustained an injury (shoulder), which then forced Shaq Quarterman into action.

Heading forward, the situations of Jack and Allen will definitely be worth watching, too, as they could test the Jags’ depth at interior linebacker with a trip to London and a game against Miami coming up. As previously stated, some news could become available on Monday when Meyer speaks with the media, and the injury report, which comes out Wednesday, could also reveal a lot.

Jaguars center Brandon Linder carted off with knee injury

Linder was carted off the field after suffering an apparent leg injury.

Things went from bad to worse for Jacksonville on a fourth-and-goal attempt from the one trailing the Tennessee Titans by 12 in the fourth quarter. First, the team ran an outside handoff to Carlos Hyde, which was promptly stuffed for a loss and a turnover on downs.

But it wasn’t the most potentially damaging moment in that play, as center Brandon Linder, one of the best players at his position in the NFL, had to be carted off the field after suffering an apparent knee injury in the pile on that play.

The broadcast angle wasn’t very clear, but it did appear that Linder’s leg was twisted while in the scrum. He was taken to the locker room, but no air cast was applied to his leg.

With Linder out, Tyler Shatley is in taking his place at center as the Jaguars trail the Titans 37-19 late in the fourth quarter. If Linder’s injury is a serious one, it would be a major loss for an offensive unit that seemed to finally hit its stride in the run game. The offensive line is already down one starter in A.J. Cann, who is currently on the injured reserve.

Urban Meyer provides injury update on Cam Robinson, Marvin Jones, and others

In Monday’s game against the Saints, Marvin Jones Jr. sustained an AC sprain and is questionable for the week. That could leave Trevor Lawrence without two-thirds of his top Wr targets.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of work to do before their Week 1 regular season game against the Houston Texans, but before that happens they need to get healthier. The team trotted starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence onto the field Monday against the New Orleans Saints with three members from the starting offensive line sidelined, and it ended up being a rough night for him.

Jags coach Urban Meyer provided and update on two of the three starters from the group, stating that Cam Robinson should be back at left tackle this week, while Andrew Norwell is unlikely to play until the Week 1 opener.

“[Andrew] Norwell is expected to come back,”Meyer said. “He’ll for sure be back for Game 1. I don’t think we’ll play him this week. Cam [Robinson] was out. I think he’ll be ready for this week. I think I’ll know more tomorrow.”

Robinson sustained an ankle injury prior to Monday’s game and rookie Walker Little started in his place. With it being his first career NFL start (against the Saints at that), there were a lot of teaching lessons for Little. Still, it provided him with valuable time on the field, which is good because he’s a starter of the future for the Jags.

Additionally, receiver Marvin Jones Jr. got dinged up against the Saints as well and Meyer came out to say he sustained an AC sprain after going down hard for a catch in the first half. As a result, he’ll be questionable for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, but will definitely be able to play against the Texans.

“He [has an] AC sprain, so he’s questionable for this week,” Meyer said. “That was just when he dove for that ball.”

Jones has been Lawrence’s favorite target with DJ Chark Jr. out. That said, the veteran’s situation could leave Lawrence without his top two options against the Cowboys Sunday (though he’d still have Laviska Shenault). With the current receivers group already struggling to get separation, that may cause some issues in the passing game and could lead to options like Phillip Dorsett, Laquon Treadwell, and Jalen Camp having to step up.

Injury report: Urban Meyer updates status of Brandon Linder, Tre Herndon

Jacksonville suffered a couple of injuries over the past few days, and Urban Meyer updated their statuses on Tuesday.

Jacksonville managed to avoid any catastrophic injuries in the first preseason game against Cleveland, but it’s not entirely unscathed. Several players suffered injuries in the game, and the most notable was backup cornerback Tre Herndon.

Then, during the week of practice, the Jags also endured an injury on the offensive line as Brandon Linder missed Tuesday’s practice. He was able to take the field for the initial session of the week on Monday, but had to exit practice in the late stages and see the team’s doctor.

Jags coach Urban Meyer was able to update the media on both situations, and according to him, Linder is suffering from patella tendonitis and is currently sidelined. Thankfully for the team, the injury isn’t expected to be serious.

“He’s got patella tendonitis, so they gave him a little rehab day today,” Meyer said. “He should be back out. We’re going to sit him for a little bit, but he’s fine. He’s fine.”

Meyer said that backup center Tyler Shatley will be playing in Linder’s spot for the time being.

Herndon’s injury is a bit more serious. After playing just 11 snaps against Cleveland, he was taken out of the game in the first half with a knee injury. Meyer revealed that Herndon has suffered a sprained MCL and is considered week-to-week.

It seems the team is hopeful that Herndon will be ready for Jacksonville’s Week 1 matchup against Houston on Sept. 12, but his status for the rest of the preseason remains questionable.

Herndon is an important player in the Jags’ secondary and will be relied on to play significant reps coming off the bench, a role that will only expand if the team ultimately decides to trade C.J. Henderson (which seems unlikely given his standout performance against the Browns).

Still, the Jags will hope it’s not a serious sprain and that Herndon will be ready to go by the end of the preseason.

Jaguars DT DaVon Hamilton discuses the team’s veteran leadership

Hamilton said that the addition of players like Malcom Brown has made a big difference.

It’s no secret that Jacksonville’s front seven has a lot of work to do after last season. The unit was a sieve against the run last season, finishing third from last in the league in rushing yards allowed. But at the same time, there’s reason for optimism.

One of those reasons is the play of defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton as a rookie. The third-round pick was a key rotational player, notching 30 tackles and a fumble recovery, as well as his first career sack against Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers.

Hamilton is expected to play a major role in the defensive line rotation again in 2021, but this time, he’ll have some more help around him. The team added several veteran interior defensive linemen, including Roy Robertson-Harris and Malcom Brown, the latter being acquired from New Orleans in a trade.

Both saw starting action with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, respectively, last season, and Hamilton mentioned Brown specifically as being an impactful addition to the unit.

“He definitely brings something to the defensive group, he’s definitely a leader for our defense,” Hamilton said. “And for me, he’s just another vet in the room that’s able to help me out, critique some things that I normally wouldn’t see and ultimately make me better.”

The Jaguars should be happy to see Hamilton taking advantage of the opportunity to learn. After all, they could very well be relying on him to start in the years to come. And it seems he’s not just learning from the veterans on his side of the ball.

Hamilton also mentioned that he’s learning from center Brandon Linder, one of the top players at his position in the NFL and the guy who lines up directly across from him.

“I love going against Linder because he’s a good vet,” Hamilton said. “He’s also one of the best centers in the league, and I can’t ask any more from him. I mean, he’s just giving me advice, helping me get better every day and I mean, I can’t beat it.”

Jacksonville’s defense may be a limiting factor once again, but it seems that players like Hamilton are benefitting from the new talent in the locker room. The Jaguars can only hope it leads to a big Year 2 from him.

ESPN projects Jags’ OL to rank just outside of top-20 in pass blocking

ESPN isn’t super high on the Jags offensive line in pass-protection as Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor have concerning figures in terms of their PBWR rankings.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars drafting Trevor Lawrence, every fan has concluded that their offensive line needs to be stellar in protection. Likely for the sake of building chemistry, new coach Urban Meyer kept last year’s starting offensive line together by franchise tagging the only pending free-agent in the group in left tackle Cam Robinson.

Now, after another year together, the hope is that they can be a better group than they were last season, and if they can be at least a top-16 group, that would be great for Lawrence who fans hope is the franchise savior.

Unfortunately, that’s not what ESPN is projecting for the group in pass protection after running together some figures of all five starters. Specifically, when factoring in each starting lineman’s pass block win rate and the group’s figure as a whole, ESPN slotted the Jags’ group at the No. 21 spot of their 2021 rankings.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars
Projected PBWR: 56%

Projected offensive line: Cam Robinson (59th), Andrew Norwell (15th), Brandon Linder (first), A.J. Cann (35th), Jawaan Taylor (61st)

The Jaguars are a mess at tackle after the confounding decision to franchise-tag Robinson following a poor 2020 season. Linder and Norwell save this line from disaster, but rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence should be concerned about pressure from the edge.

For those wondering how the PBWR figure is defined, here is ESPN’s description of it.

Many fans shared these sentiments about the tackle positions, especially with Robinson. Eight-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams was a huge offseason topic among fans as he hit the open market for a little while, and Baltimore Ravens tackle Orlando Brown was also on the trade block. The Jags didn’t commit to either player and elected to extend Robinson for a year and it’s possible they feel he could take a step forward as a pass protector.

As for Jawaan Taylor, he’ll be entering his third season after the team selected him in Round 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft. He showed encouraging signs at the end of his rookie campaign but regressed a lot last season. However, it’s worth noting that he (and other young players) endured an irregular offseason before the 2020 season, and with more time on the field for OTAs and minicamp, he could be drastically better.

Another good thing about the Jags’ offensive line is that they aided James Robinson to the No. 5 spot in terms of total rushing yards last season. That could very well entice Meyer to utilize the run game to protect Lawrence, but it still would be nice to see the team hold their own in pass-protection scenarios.

Jags center Brandon Linder receives votes for top interior OL

Linder didn’t crack the top 10 from ESPN, but one AFC scout discussed why he’s still among the league’s best interior linemen.

Given Jacksonville’s recent struggles, it doesn’t have many top-tier starters on its roster. However, one of the few the team can boast is center Brandon Linder. He’s been one of the NFL’s highest-graded interior linemen since he signed a five-year, $51.7 million extension back in 2017.

That deal made him the richest center in NFL history at the time, and though it has since been surpassed by others, he continues to produce at a high level.

In the rankings of the top-10 interior player in the league from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which were based on the opinions of anonymous players, coaches and executives, Linder doesn’t appear. But he did receive several top 10 votes, and one AFC scout discussed what they liked about Linder.

Very underrated player,” the scout said. “He has length and good athleticism, savvy. He just plays in Jacksonville, so he doesn’t get much credit.”

The “he just plays in Jacksonville” excuse may not be valid much longer, though. The team drafted a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and hopes to have a solid run game between James Robinson and Travis Etienne, as well. If the team finds offensive success in 2021 and beyond, Linder will be a major reason why.

The eighth-year player certainly doesn’t get the credit he deserves, but that could change if he’s the face of an offensive line that allows Lawrence to have a big-time rookie season.