At the Jags’
training camp, questions linger about the Jacksonville team’s offensive line.
JACKSONVILLE — To hear Jaguars offensive line coach Pat Flaherty tell it, his group’s competition has yet to begin.
“Every place I’ve been, you’re going to find out in camp [who will start] because that’s how offensive linemen earn their living — with the pads on,” Flaherty said.
That makes Saturday night’s first practice in pads notable. And the sooner the starting five crystallize, the sooner Flaherty can figure out which 9 to 11 linemen will make the initial roster.
Flaherty is the Jaguars’ fifth offensive line coach in six years and replaced Doug Marrone, who was promoted to head coach.
The Jaguars have experienced little offensive line stability at the front of the meeting room and similarly on the field. They will have their fourth left tackle, fourth center and maybe fourth right guard and left guard since 2012.
The Jaguars completed their off-season program last month without declaring a Plan A Offensive Line.
“This group comes to work every day and is a hard-working group in the weight room and the class room,” Flaherty said.
“I’m really excited to see how it transfers to the field when we put
the pads on.”
The Jaguars will start camp with 15 offensive linemen. Here are the key figures:
■ Branden Albert: Acquired via trade from Miami to start at left tackle, he is the Jaguars’ most decorated lineman in terms of experience (118 starts) and honors (two Pro Bowls). ■ Brandon Linder: In the final
year of his contract, he projects to return at center even though he played right guard early in the offseason program.
■ A.J. Cann: A promising rookie year was followed by a step-back-of-a-second-season at right guard (team-high 19 “bad” run plays). He could be the Week 1 left guard.
■ Cam Robinson: Since drafting him in the second round, the Jaguars have kept Robinson at tackle so he could be the swing backup or tested at right guard, a position he has not played. ■ Jermey Parnell: Did
not miss a snap last year at right tackle, but was responsible for a team-high 28½ combined sacks/ pressures/hits. But the Jaguars are committed to him.
■ Tyler Shatley/Earl Watford/Patrick
Omameh: Will one of these players start the opener at right guard?
“Do I have an idea of the starting five? I have an idea of who the make-up will be among seven or eight,” Flaherty said. “But I’m hoping that changes for the good and we have 10 or 11 that will be in there and battling one another for starting positions.”
Again this year, the Jaguars’ goal is to have a starting five established by the
third preseason game (Aug. 24 against Carolina). But why not earlier?
“If you get it earlier, [good] … you want to be sure,” Flaherty said. “You want to have enough evidence in practice to say, ‘Hey, this is our best five.’ ”
The Jaguars should have two goals with their offensive line: Continued improvement in pass protection and a quick turnaround in the run game.
The Jaguars allowed 71 sacks in 2014, but then 51 in 2015 and 34 last year. Part of that is a nod to quarterback Blake Bortles, whose athleticism gets him out of trouble, but the other part is the Jaguars have patched together consistency in this area. Only one sack last
year was a result of an unblocked player.
But the run blocking was a season-long struggle last year. This is where the Jaguars are hoping Albert brings a bully-like mentality to the Jaguars and Cann – if he plays left guard – benefits from playing at Albert’s hip. And at right tackle, Parnell was solid as a run blocker.
In eight games last year, the Jaguars failed to average 4 yards per carry.
“We will run block, no question,” Flaherty said. “I’m not stuttering and I’m looking you right in the eye. We will run block. And we will pass protect.”
Now it is just a matter of who will do the run blocking and pass protecting.