Tag: Press Taylor

Press Taylor: Jaguars’ logjam at OT is ‘great problem to have’

What will the Jaguars do with their starting lineup when Cam Robinson’s suspension ends? Press Taylor isn’t too worried about it.

It’s no mystery who will start at offensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. With Cam Robinson expected to serve a yet-to-be-announced suspension at the beginning of the season, Walker Little is set to start at left tackle while first-round rookie Anton Harrison will take over at right tackle.

What the team does when Robinson’s suspension ends is a dilemma with no clear solution, though.

“[It’s] a great problem to have,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Tuesday morning in a press conference. “Depending on the timeframe they give us with Cam [regarding the length of his suspension], or however that falls, we’ll have a plan — a little bit firmer plan moving forward into that. Until then, we’re just preparing every single day for everybody to be the best at whatever we’re asking them to play that day.”

Robinson’s future with the franchise looks shaky, at best. The Jaguars can save $17.75 million in cap space by moving on from the offensive tackle during the 2024 offseason. They could even save $17.1 million this year by trading him before or during the 2023 season.

With Little and Harrison, two top 50 draft selections, on the roster for much less, moving on from Robinson at some point in the next year makes plenty of business sense. On the other hand, re-inserting a stalwart left tackle into the starting lineup after his suspension ends could make a lot of football sense.

It’s a situation the Jaguars will have to navigate not only when Robinson’s suspension ends, but through the remainder of the year and into the offseason. But as Taylor said, having three capable tackles juggling two starting roles is a much better problem than the alternatives.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Report: Colts hiring Jim Bob Cooter as offensive coordinator

Jim Bob Cooter is reportedly set to become the Colts offensive coordinator.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly losing passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter as their divisional rival, the Indianapolis Colts, is expected to name the assistant coach their new offensive coordinator, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Cooter, 38, spent just one season with the Jaguars after joining the team as part of Doug Pederson’s staff last offseason. With the trio of Pederson, Cooter, and offensive coordinator Press Taylor at the reins, Jacksonville’s offense made leaps and bounds in 2022.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who led the NFL in interceptions as a rookie, earned Pro Bowl honors in his second season with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His passer rating climbed from 71.9 in 2021 to 95.2 in his second NFL season.

Prior to joining the Jaguars, Cooter had a three-year stint as the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions from 2016 to 2018. After his contract was allowed to expire, Cooter spent two seasons as the New York Jets’ running backs coach and one season as a consultant with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Colts recently hired former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their new head coach and the team appears primed to draft a quarterback in the top five picks of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Cooter also interviewed for offensive coordinator positions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers prior to the Colts’ interview request.

It’s unclear for now if the Jaguars will make an outside hire to fill the vacancy, promote a coach already on the staff, or eliminate the position. Changing the title of quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy to passing game coordinator may be the most prudent way to fill the void.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[stnvideo key=”cH6delYfOl-2553469-7617″ type=”float”]

Ravens reportedly denied interview with Jaguars OC Press Taylor for OC vacancy

The Jaguars reportedly denied the Ravens request to interview Press Taylor for their offensive coordinator position

The Baltimore Ravens have been leaving no stone unturned in their search for their next offensive coordinator. The team and now-former offensive coordinator Greg Roman parted ways a few weeks ago, and while they have interviewed plenty of candidates, there’s one name who was reportedly blocked from interviewing with Baltimore.

According to a report from Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the Ravens’ request to interview Jacksonville Jaguars’ coach Press Taylor for their vacant offensive coordinator position.

The news broke after a weeks-long search for their next offensive coordinator has, to this point, been a fruitless endeavor. Though the Ravens have reportedly scheduled several candidates for a second round of interviews, they have been unable to zero in on anyone who might fill the role next season.

Whomever the team decides on will find themselves in a great situation in 2023 with the weapons that Baltimore currently has at its disposal. Assuming that the Ravens are able to hammer out a long-term deal with quarterback Lamar Jackson in the coming months, any of the various candidates that Baltimore has interviewed would be hard-pressed to underperform in their capacity as the team’s primary offensive strategist.

While the Ravens’ search for a new offensive coordinator doesn’t seem to be heading for an end in the immediate future, the thorough nature of their pursuit is commendable for a team that has playoff aspirations and plenty of talent under contract. Surely, fans would rather Baltimore take their time to find the best candidate to maximize their situation rather than hire somebody that doesn’t have a clear vision to bring the team to serious playoff contention.

With Taylor off the board, the Ravens will continue their search for the ideal candidate, and will almost certainly hire a new coordinator by the beginning of the new league year on March 15th.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby9dgr2e1eyts4 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Report: Jaguars blocked Ravens’ request to interview Press Taylor

The Jaguars aren’t letting offensive coordinator Press Taylor go anywhere.

The Baltimore Ravens hoped to interview Press Taylor for their vacant offensive coordinator position, but their request was blocked by the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to a report from Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

Taylor, 35, just finished his first season as the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator, giving the team the right to deny Baltimore or any other interested team an interview with the coach for a lateral move.

It’s an unsurprising decision for Jacksonville after a breakout season for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the team’s offense. With new head coach Doug Pederson and Taylor calling the shots, the Jaguars finished 10th in points scored, total yards gained, and passing yards.

Taylor, who is the younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, previously spent eight seasons as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles, including Pederson’s five-season tenure as the team’s head coach.

Pederson was fired by the Eagles after the 2020 season due to disagreements with the front office and ownership over his coaching staff. Pederson reportedly wanted to promote Taylor to offensive coordinator and was unwilling to budge on that wish.

While Pederson spent the 2021 season away from coaching, Taylor was a senior offensive assistant with the Indianapolis Colts before reuniting with Pederson in Jacksonville last year.

The Ravens are hunting for a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Greg Roman following the 2022 season.

Press Taylor: Jaguars offensive growth speaks to character, work ethic

Press Taylor says the Jaguars added offensive players who love to work because they knew it’d manifest late season success.

It’s safe to say the Jacksonville Jaguars feel good about the offensive investments they made in the 2022 offseason. Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram are all posting career-best numbers after joining the Jaguars in free agency, and they’ve helped second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence blossom into a star.

With all of its recent additions excelling, the Jacksonville offense is gelling at the perfect time. The Jaguars won three straight games to finish the month of December and are heading into January in first place in the AFC South. That late season surge is no coincidence, says Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

“We felt like coming into this thing, we have a young quarterback that needs a ton of reps,” Taylor said Thursday. “We targeted guys that — from everything we knew — were always available, loved to practice, loved the process, time where we could get time on task on the side.

“Then we kind of knew through our course of time together that those reps would take over and would start to see itself manifest now where the chemistry seems like it’s super high. If you’ve got guys that are often injured and can’t practice, missing reps, or taking themselves out, you’re not going to get that for a young quarterback that needs that.”

Lawrence, 23, began his year with 10 touchdowns, six interceptions, and an 84.8 passer rating through the first eight games. In his last seven, Lawrence has 14 touchdowns, one interception, and a 108.2 passer rating.

In recent weeks, the Jaguars have thrown more wrinkles into their offense and Taylor says that says a lot about the players too.

“The biggest part of this thing is the character of those guys,” Taylor said. “The guys that are involved, the quarterback, everybody being able to handle a lot of things. We can put a lot on their plate because they’re professional in their approach, their day-to-day process, the way they play, the way they can adjust within the game.”

The Jaguars currently rank sixth in total offensive yardage and 11th in points scored.

Jaguars OC Press Taylor: Trevor Lawrence’s toughness is ‘no question’

Trevor Lawrence’s availability Sunday isn’t a question of pain tolerance.

Trevor Lawrence’s chances of playing Sunday in a divisional matchup against the Tennessee Titans are in question after the Jacksonville Jaguars’ second-year quarterback missed practices both Wednesday and Thursday.

Earlier this week, Lawrence said he’ll play Sunday if he can, but he’s at the mercy of the pace that his toe heals from a sprain suffered in a Week 13 loss to the Detroit Lions. On Thursday, offensive coordinator Press Taylor said that Lawrence’s availability this weekend won’t have anything to do with pain tolerance.

“There’s never been a question of his toughness and his availability for the team, I don’t think,” Taylor said of Lawrence. “I think everybody feels very confident that if Trevor is going to play if Trevor has the ability to. There’s times when it’s our decision to protect players from themselves. Same thing with Travis [Etienne]. There was a possibility of Travis playing against Baltimore, and we decided to pull the plug on that just to protect him from himself.”

Etienne had only two touches in a Week 12 game against the Baltimore Ravens before suffering a foot injury and sitting out the rest of the day. After the game, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson told reporters that Etienne was cleared to return, but the team kept him out of action out of an abundance of caution.

Last week, the Jaguars followed a similar playbook when they decided to designate Andre Cisco as inactive, despite Pederson telling reporters a day later that “he was good” and kept out just to be safe.

The Jaguars will likely try to avoid doing the same with Lawrence if they can. While the coaching staff (and Lawrence even) have expressed confidence in backup C.J. Beathard, the reality is that the team’s chances at beating the Titans would be significantly hurt if Lawrence isn’t able to play.

Through 12 games this season, Lawrence has 17 touchdowns with six interceptions and a 92.8 passer rating, 12th best in the NFL among starting quarterbacks. Lawrence hasn’t missed a game yet in his NFL career.

Press Taylor: ‘You can never take your foot off the gas’ vs. Chiefs

No lead in safe against the Chiefs, says Press Taylor.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have led in all but two games so far in the 2022 season. The exceptions were a Week 4 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that saw the Jaguars blow a 14-0 lead early and a Week 5 loss that was tied with less than four minutes left.

If the Jaguars manage to build a lead against the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, offensive coordinator Press Taylor says he won’t even think about easing up.

“I think one of the biggest things with these guys is they’re never out of the game,” Taylor said of the Chiefs on Thursday. “If you build a lead, or you’re sitting there, it’s not something where, alright we can just run some clock and we’re okay with three-and-out and punting the ball. They can score in a hurry.

“You can never take your foot off the gas with these guys and the offensive system that they have because they’re capable of scoring. At the same time, we never go into a drive thinking we’re not going to score. We’re always trying to score, it’s just we’ve got to do a great job as our offense of eliminating the unforced errors that we’ve had.”

The Jaguars have turned the ball over at least once in six straight games after starting the season with just one turnover in the first three weeks. In the team’s three wins, quarterback Trevor Lawrence has thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions. In the six losses, he has five touchdowns with six interceptions.

Kansas City is No. 1 in scoring offense with an average of 30.4 points per game. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes leads the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns.

Press Taylor: Travis Etienne isn’t ‘anywhere close to where he’s going to be’

Press Taylor says Travis Etienne has only scratched the surface of his potential.

The brightest spot for the Jacksonville Jaguars during their winless October was the emergence of rising star running back Travis Etienne.

Etienne, 23, has recorded career highs in rushing yards in four straight games, recording 71 yards in Week 5, then 86, 114, and 156, in the next three weeks. After not scoring in the Jaguars’ first six games, Etienne has recorded a touchdown in back-to-back weeks.

While his ascension in the Jacksonville backfield has been swift, Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said the best is still ahead of Etienne.

“I wouldn’t say he’s anywhere close to where he’s going to be,” Taylor said. “As he continues to learn what defenses are doing, why we’re calling runs for certain fronts, the tracks on runs, how people are going to try to take us off, combinations and pullers and different things like that. I think as he matures, just in his football knowledge and understanding offenses with schemes and how we’re trying to attack, I wouldn’t put a ceiling on him.”

Through the first eight weeks of the season, Etienne was sixth in the NFL in rushing yards with 571. The 2021 first-round pick is third in the league in rushing yards per attempt among players with at least 40 carries.

Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, Leonard Fournette, and James Robinson are the only four players to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season with the Jaguars.

Jaguars OC Press Taylor: JaMycal Hasty has ‘earned the trust’ of team, coaches

JaMycal Hasty is set to take on a bigger role and Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor says it’s well deserved.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ decision to trade James Robinson to the New York Jets cleared the way for Travis Etienne Jr. to take the lion’s share of the carries for the team. But it also means more snaps for JaMycal Hasty, who was bumped up to second on the depth chart at running back after the deal.

Hasty, 26, spent the first two seasons of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers before he was cut at the end of training camp. The Jaguars claimed Hasty off waivers and he quickly supplanted fifth-round rookie Snoop Conner as the third option in the Jacksonville backfield.

In Week 6, Hasty broke free for a 61-yard touchdown rush and now — with Robinson off to New York — he’s set to take on a bigger role that offensive coordinator Press Taylor says is well deserved.

“I think he’s earned the trust of a lot of guys; coaches, players, everything,” Taylor told reporters Thursday. “Our confidence in him has grown, I think his confidence in his own understanding of the system has probably grown.”

While it was becoming increasingly clear that Robinson wasn’t the best fit in Doug Pederson’s offense, the question remains if the Jaguars will struggle to convert short-yardage situations without him. Taylor said he’s confident all of the Jacksonville backs can thrive in any given situation, but he singled out Hasty as one who has shown it on the field.

“We have the versatility from our skill guys to be able to do a lot of different things, I think you saw that nobody anticipated the Indianapolis short yardage play, JaMycal taking it 60 yards,” Taylor said. “We needed a yard, and we were trying to emphasize that with him, we were confident that he was a guy that could go get a yard in that particular play, and he turned it into a 60-yarder. That was a short-yard situation, we put him on it, he did a great job executing it, everybody did across the board.”

Hasty scored one touchdown in each of his first two seasons with the 49ers, but recorded only 216 rushing yards during his time with the team. The former Baylor standout joined San Francisco as an undrafted free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft.

Press Taylor: Christian Kirk’s absence is ‘completely on coaching staff’

Offensive coordinator Press Taylor says it’s the coaching staff’s fault that Christian Kirk caught only three passes in the last two weeks.

The $72 million investment in Christian Kirk looked well worth it for the Jacksonville Jaguars when the wide receiver started his tenure with the team with 267 receiving yards and three touchdowns through his first three games. Then he disappeared in the next two weeks.

In a Week 4 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Kirk struggled with drops on a windy, rainy day and caught only two passes. In the Jaguars’ 13-6 loss to the Houston Texans a week later, Kirk was targeted just twice and finished with one reception for 11 yards.

“That was completely on us as a coaching staff,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor told reporters Thursday. “We got to be able to target him, he’s one of our better guys, clearly. … There are ways to incorporate him that we certainly need to do. He’s a guy that needs to touch the football and have an impact on the game for us.”

On Wednesday, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence also stressed the importance of getting Kirk back involved in the offense.

“We’ve got to get him the ball,” Lawrence said. “You’ve seen how productive he can be and how much he helps us when he gets a lot of touches, so obviously, that’s important. Any great player you have, you’ve got to find a way to get them the ball. That’s an every week thing. He’s no secret. People have seen what he can do. It’s not going to sneak up on anybody, but for us, it’s just put him in situations to succeed and be open to get touches and all that.”

In the Jaguars’ 24-0 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, Kirk finished with six receptions, 78 yards, and two touchdown grabs. The Jaguars are slight underdogs for the Week 6 rematch in Indianapolis.