Year after feeling pop, Woodard now healthy
JACKSONVILLE — Jaguars defensive end Jonathan Woodard called it “just an everyday, natural bag drill.”
An everyday drill with a year-ending result.
Weeks after the Jaguars made him a 2016 seventhround pick, Woodard was participating in a workout when he planted his foot to get around the piece of equipment.
“It just popped,” Woodard said. “After I did it, I got up and walked off and I knew something didn’t feel right.”
Linebacker Dan Skuta looked at the back of Woodard’s leg.
“I think you just tore your Achilles,” Skuta said.
“What? No, you’re crazy,” Woodard said. Not crazy, just correct. “People said they could hear it [pop], but he saw what happened and thought that was the case,” Woodard said. “And he ended up being right.”
Just like that, Woodard’s rookie season was over before he had even put on a Jaguars helmet much less shoulder pads.
Back healthy, Woodard is competing for a defensive line rotation spot.
Wednesday’s practice was the Jaguars’ fourth in pads and Woodard’s first set of contact workouts since he played in the January 2016 College Gridiron Classic in Bedford, Texas.
“Pretty sore,” Woodard said earlier this week. “But that’s pretty expected. During OTAs, I was getting acclimated to the game, but that was in helmets. Full contact is a totally different animal.”
Woodard (6-foot-5, 287 pounds) has yet to distinguish himself, but he’s not alone — the defensive line has been dominated in 1-on-1 drills.
“The one thing I will say about him is he’s worked extremely hard,” coach Doug Marrone said. “I’m sure there is a little level of frustration because you have to get acclimated to playing again. It’s a technical game and when you get injured, there are a lot of things you can’t work on. You see that with a lot of young players.”
Woodard spent last year tooling around EverBank Field on a scooter, his leg first in a cast and then a boot. He would attend the defensive line meetings to gain a grasp of the playbook.
“That helped me a lot because I was able to see how the guys watched film and what they took from the meetings and what they learned from watching their opponents and took it to the field,” Woodard said.
Jaguars long snapper Carson Tinker is out for the season after sustaining a torn right ACL in Wednesday’s practice. Tinker was placed on injured reserve Thursday and the Jaguars signed long snapper Matt Overton.
The Jaguars also waived injured tailback I’Tavius Mathers and signed guard Malcolm Bunche. If Mathers clears waivers, he will be placed on injured reserve.
Tinker was participating in non-contact special teams drill when he appeared to either get tangled up with a teammate or took a wrong step. Tinker, a 2013 undrafted free agent who had not missed a regular season game in four years, will soon undergo surgery.
Mathers was carried off the practice field via stretcher on Tuesday and spent the night in the hospital before being released. The Jaguars said he sustained a “cervical spinal cord injury.”
Overton played in 80 games for Indianapolis (2012-16) and played in the 2013 Pro Bowl. He has also played for Seattle (2008, ’10) and the Florida and Omaha franchises in the now-defunct United Football League.
Bunche (6-foot-6 and 320 pounds) finished his college career at UCLA in 2014 and previously spent time with Philadelphia and the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats.