Team news: Jacksonville Jaguars | Page 3

Due to an inability to agree to a contract extension with the Raiders, WR Jakobi Meyers has requested a trade, per source.

Related players: Jack Bech, Dont'e Thornton, Tre Tucker, Collin Johnson, Brock Bowers

The post went on to say Meyers is going into the final year of his deal and is set to make a base salary of $10.5M in '25. This is certainly a situation to monitor as we head into the meat of draft season. Should Meyers get moved off the Raiders, rookies Bech and Thornton could very well be the team's top-two WRs with Tucker likely also in the mix behind TE Bowers. Thornton has turned more heads than Bech so far this summer, but Bech would likely have to have some role in the offense and does have more draft capital as well.

The Jaguars may hold Travis Hunter out of preseason game 2, as he deals with an upper body injury. Just a precaution, per coach Liam Coen.

Related Players: Brian Thomas Jr., Dyami Brown, Parker Washington

This shouldn't impact the regular season as it stands, but we'll keep an eye on it. Hunter is current ranked as a fringe WR2/3.

Vikings receiver Rondale Moore will not be able to play in 2025.

Minnesota confirmed Moore will miss his second consecutive year after suffering a season-ending knee injury during the club’s preseason opener over the weekend.

Moore went down after he was tackled on a punt return.

Related players: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Tim Jones, T.J. Hockenson

Moore is still only 25-years-old and he spent last season on the Falcons’ injured reserve following a season-ending knee injury. With Moore not in the picture, and Addison suspended the first three games of the season, guys like Nailor and Jones may see a lot more work. It also means TE Hockenson could be in store for a ton of targets with the team a bit short at receiver.

The Jaguars' running back room has been one of the biggest talking points of the early stages of the Liam Coen era, and the Jaguars seemingly made a revealing decision when it comes to the running back room this weekend.

When the Jaguars' starting offense took the field on Saturday, it was Travis Etienne who got the nod for the only drive -- not Tank Bigsby. Bigsby played with the second-team offense, seemingly a change-up from what the Jaguars had displayed throughout most of training camp.

Related players: Bhayshul Tuten

Etienne only touched the ball three times while making the start, but this included a 10-yard catch-and-run on a screen that converted a first-down and showed Etienne's potential value in Coen's offense. The story went on to say Etienne's ability as a pass-catcher could be what separates him from Bigsby, who has struggled on passing downs in his NFL career. There have been other reports floating around X saying Bigsby is well ahead of the rookie Tuten on the depth chart as well. There is still a way to go, but Etienne could be the leader in the clubhouse as we inch closer to the season, however Bigsby will likely still have a role in the offense, at the very least subbing in on early down or in short yardage and goal line situations.

Jaguars kicker Cam Little nailed a 70-yard field goal at the end of the first half of Saturday’s preseason game against the Steelers.

It felt like only a matter of time before someone was successful from 70 yards. Unfortunately, Little doesn’t go into the record books since this is only the preseason. But he at least showed he has the leg for it. Little is our No. 22 kicker.

The Jaguars plan to keep four running backs and to use a committee approach there as well. They see Travis Etienne Jr. as a potentially very dangerous part of Coen's screen game. Tank Bigsby is viewed as more of a physical pounder, so maybe that means he's the short-yardage and goal-line option. Rookie fourth-rounder Bhayshul Tuten, who pulled a hamstring in the practice I attended, is the speed merchant and home run threat at the position. And seventh-round rookie LeQuint Allen Jr. is a player they see evolving into a third-down back due to his pass-catching and pass protection abilities.

As the story concluded, it's a situation to stay away from in fantasy most likely. While there certainly seems to be roles for each back, Etienne at least appears to be the leader of the four especially for PPR leagues. This will be an RB group to monitor as camp goes on.

If Jakobi Meyers continues to work primarily from the slot during training camp, receivers who are more effective on the outside will have a leg up in the competition. As it stands, it’ll be a three-man race between Dont’e Thornton, Tre Tucker and Jack Bech. Thornton stood out the most among the group during OTAs. He’s just different physically — he’s 6 feet 4 and has blazing speed — and is working on the nuances of route running and increasing his knowledge of Chip Kelly’s scheme. Tucker was also ahead of Bech in the rotation and had his moments during OTAs.

The most interesting name in that group may be Bech, the rookie. So far reports about Bech haven't been great. While he's better in the slot, the story pointed out there is a logjam at that position, so Bech will need to learn to play on the outside. The story added Bech has some work to do to make up ground on Thornton and Tucker at this point.

Coming out of Clemson in 2021, quarterback Trevor Lawrence was hailed as the Prince that was Promised to save and fundamentally transform the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise. Five years into his time in the NFL, whether or not that fundamental transformation has occurred is up to the interpreter.

Now, Lawrence enters Year 5 of his NFL career under a new coach in Liam Coen, and yet again is under the microscope that comes with his billing coming out of college and a contract worth $55 million annually. 2025 marks an ample time for Lawrence to live up to what's expected of him, and he made it clear he's aware of that during an appearance on Pardon My Take.

"I feel like this is like getting into my prime," Lawrence said. "I got a lot of good years left ahead of me, and I need to really turn it on. And I think what we've built around me and what they've done this offseason has been a great start."

While Lawrence has had his share of success, including in a Pro Bowl season in 2022 that culminated in a comeback playoff win against the Los Angeles Chargers, he has also not been able to transcend the Jaguars franchise's issues around him. After collapsing in the second half of the 2023 season, the Jags plummeted further to 4-13 in 2024 as Lawrence dealt with turnover issues, injuries, and all that had been built up around him by coach Doug Pederson fell apart, the story all said. The union with Coen this season is giving a lot of hope around the team, especially the offensive side of the ball.

The 2024 first-round pick, Brian Thomas Jr., had an electric rookie season with 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, so it’s fair to argue he’s already broken out. But considering that production on a bad team with turbulent quarterback play, Thomas could explode if the Trevor Lawrence-Liam Coen pairing works out the way it’s been envisioned. — Jeff Howe

Related players: Travis Hunter

Howe went on to point out with Hunter on the other side, defenses will have to decide where to load their coverage. If Hunter comes as advertised as a full-time wideout, Thomas could soon be knocking on the door as one of the league’s premier receivers, Howe went on to say. Thomas is already poised to go early in the second round of drafts.

The Jaguars have released WR Gabe Davis, who was due $12.5M this season.

Related Players: Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter, Brenton Strange, Dyami Brown

Davis played in only 10 games for Jacksonville last season, accruing a 20-239-2 stat line while playing mostly out wide. If he were to have stuck around, he likely would have been a deep rotational piece playing behind the newly-acquired Dyami Brown (and Travis Hunter).