(05-04-2021, 12:20 PM)Bullseye Wrote: Now that we pretty much know what the roster is going to be, what position battles do you look most forward to watching as minicamps and training camps progress?

For me:

1.  RB.  While draft position/politics might indicate Etienne will win the position, Robinson performed well enough last year to make it interesting.

2.  Tackle-What will Little do?  Will he be able to shake off the rust in time to supplant either Robinson or Taylor in the lineup?  Searcy was saying something about 1000 reps before the rust starts to come off for Little.  How will Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor respond to Little's presence?

3.  Cornerback-  With the addition of Campbell at the top of the second round, we have three highly drafted/highly paid players at the position.  Who will pay outside?  Who will be the nickel?  Is Henderson okay physically and mentally?  What happens further down the depth chart with Herndon and Sidney Jones?

4.  Safety-The addition of Campell, Cisco and Jenkins also adds a whole new level of competition to S.  Campbell played S in high school and has the build to play it in the NFL.  He would certainly make it a faster position if the coaches decide to switch him there.  Cisco is a ball hawk while Rayshaen Jenkins was a free agent addition.  Who will be the safeties>  Will the team have the strong free safety designation?  If so, how does that sort itself out?  Will the scheme have a S in the box or both playing deep?  Who would you think is best suited for each role among the candidates?

5.  Defensive line-with the switch to the new scheme and all of the DL added during this offseason, who will win the starting spots?  How many DL does the team keep?

What are your thoughts?

In regards to RB, I don't see it as a competition as in one will win and get 100% of the carries and the other will get 0%.  To me, the question is more about the ratio between them and I don't think that will be fully settled in training camp.  It may vary from game to game and could even evolve over the course of the season.  They will be used in different situations.  It may be an over-simplification, but I think Etienne will be used to get the lead while Robinson will be used to hold the lead.  Etienne will be used if we need longer yardage on a play and Robinson if we need shorter yardage.  If we need a quick score, Etienne will be on the field.  If we have the lead and want to kill the clock, Robinson will be the guy.  In other words, we may see a lot of Etienne.  

In regards to the tackle, I think I'm just going into it with lower expectations.  With a rookie quarterback, I think Meyer wants experience and consistency on his offensive line.  I think a rusty rookie will have a tough time generating enough trust from Meyer to crack the week one lineup.  Meyer is also going to be biased in favor of Cam Robinson simply because he paid him $14 million.  He'll look foolish if Cam never steps on the field.  My guess is that a player goes down injured at some point in the season, Little steps in, and then plays well enough to never look back.  Maybe it's homerism and off-season optimism, but I do think Little will be the long term answer at left tackle.  I just would be surprised if it was week one.

In regards to cornerback, I take Meyer at his word.  Henderson and Griffin on the outside and Campbell as the nickel.  Jones and Herndon make nice depth.  I will say that I have a suspicion that the Jaguars will be blitzing a lot this year.  First, Meyer specifically mentioned Campbell's ability to blitz.  Second, I think he wants three fast cornerbacks on the field when a linebacker or safety blitzes.

In regards to defensive line, I think they are going to use different players in different situations and will rotate them so I'm not sure the "starter" really means too much.  If you are talking about the base 3-4, I think it is Malcom Brown as nose tackle with RRH at one of the DE spots.  The other spot is up for grabs.  I'm rooting for the rookie, Tufele, but I'm guessing he is beat out initially by a veteran such as maybe Smoot.

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