Jaguars Mandatory Minicamp Day 1 Recap

Jaguars Mandatory Mini Camp Day 1 Recap

6/14/2016

The Jaguars took to the practice field in front of their loyal fans this morning for the first time in 2016. Here's a full recap of the practice.

By Jordan de Lugo - @jordandelugo

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Over 2,300 fans poured in to the Florida Blue Practice Field this morning as the Jaguars had their first mandatory minicamp of the 2016 offseason. Not only was this the first mandatory minicamp for the team, but it was also the first time fans were allowed to attend practice this offseason. For many casual fans this would be just a boring practice, but for those who bleed black and teal, this was a truly exciting event.

It was an extremely hot and humid day in North Florida (pre usual) as the Jags took the field in front of their loyal fans for the first time this offseason. The team had a fairly non interesting practice. There were no pads and no contact, and while it’s tuff to make any evaluations on players before the pads come on there were some things that stood out.

Blake Bortles is the true leader of this team. He was the first one on the field for the Jags this morning, doing stretching exercises for ten to fifteen minutes before any other players took the field. Prior to this minicamp one of the things I wanted to keep my eye on was the chemistry between Bortles and Julius Thomas. Last summer, prior to Thomas’ injury, Bortles and Thomas established a connection and it appeared that they would be tough for opposing defenses to deal with. But Thomas’ injury derailed the chemistry that he and his quarterback had established early on in 2015. It now seems that the chemistry has returned as Bortles routinely looked Thomas’ way and found success. This will be a tandem to keep an eye on moving forward.

Allen Hurns participated fully in this practice session and looks the part of a forty million dollar man. He caught everything thrown his way and looked like the best receiver on the field. The other Allen, Mr. Robinson, did not participate in practice as a precautionary measure.

Rashad Greene and Marqise Lee were impressive, aside from one drop by Lee. They both took reps as returners and both looked good doing so. It’s going to be a tight race to see who will make the team at the receiver position, but these two will clearly be the third and fourth receiver. As to which will be third and which will be fourth, that part still remains unclear.

Again, I must preface this statement by stating that banking on what you see in a minicamp practice can be fools gold, especially from lineman. Dante Fowler and Yannick Ngakoue both looked really special today. At the very least they will bring speed and explosion off the edge that the Jaguars have been lacking for some time.

Myles Jack played with the second and third team and didn't stand out too much, but it was his first practice with the rest of the team, and he’ll need some time to adjust. He played around the line of scrimmage for most of his reps, but did drop into coverage on occasion.

Telvin Smith is FAST. We all know that Smith is one of the fastest linebackers in the game, but he continues to awe fans with his speed and he did it again today. On one play he had a free run at Bortles that would have easily been a sack in a live game.

Peyton Thompson, a back up free safety, may find a place for himself on the team. He looked impressive in team drills and seems to be around the football a lot.

Tashaun Gipson looks the part and plays it too. He brings an element to this team that has been sorely missed. It was clear out on the practice field today that he’s one step ahead of the offense in most situations.

Jason Myers looked legit. His leg, which is always impressive (save extra points), was on display today as he made a 53 yarder and barely missed a 63 yard attempt wide right.

The Jaguars showed good effort on the first day of minicamp and looked like a football team that has a ton more talent than they have had in years past.

Stay tuned for more minicamp coverage tomorrow and check out our photo gallery below!