Last season was one Jacksonville Jaguars fans want to put behind them despite going into things with a positive outlook. One reason for that was the fact that the team finally was able to grab an elite prospect at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, who could take the team to new heights with the right pieces around him.
Unfortunately, the organization did the opposite last year and paired him with the wrong coach in Urban Meyer, who failed massively after trying out things in the NFL. As a result, Lawrence had a rough rookie season where he only registered a 59.6% completion rate (359-of-602) for 3,641 yards through the air, 12 touchdowns, and 17 picks.
Meyer’s horrendous tenure, which was filled with several incidents off the field, was cut short as a result. Then in February, a new Super Bowl-winning coach was hired to replace him in Doug Pederson.
This is a key reason fans are once again optimistic, and NFL.com’s Adam Schein shares those feelings. In a recent post, he listed Lawrence’s bandwagon as one of the top ones for fans to hop on heading into the upcoming season.
Here’s his explanation of why fans should be excited about Lawrence’s potential heading into the season:
At this time last year, Lawrence was thought to be The Next Big Thing. Then Urban Meyer suffocated the entire Jacksonville organization, simultaneously ruining the ultra-talented quarterback’s rookie campaign.
Well … Ding-dong, the witch is dead! In the wake of Meyer’s 13-game debacle, enter Doug Pederson. The former Eagles head man brings positivity, a proven track record of quarterback development and savvy play-calling chops. Oh, and a Super Bowl ring.
Schein also mentioned the Jags’ willingness to get Lawrence some help in free agency and the return of his Clemson teammate Travis Etienne.
The Jags’ decision to sign Pederson and pair him with Lawrence is a great reason for fans to jump on the second-year quarterback’s bandwagon. Pederson helped former Philadelphia Eagles first-round quarterback Carson Wentz look like an MVP caliber player in 2017, so elevating a prospect of Lawrence’s magnitude sounds even more intriguing.
As for the weapons the Jags added in free agency, the team signed two new receivers in Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. They also added a new pass-catching threat at tight end by signing Evan Engram. Then lastly, they were able to add an All-Pro to the offensive line in Brandon Scherff.
While most of those names aren’t household names, they are players who Pederson can make some noise with, especially with a talent like Lawrence at quarterback. After all, he flashed at times with a less talented group and dysfunction all around him, so taking a second-year leap like Wentz isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
