JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — As he adapts to his third offensive scheme in five seasons, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has already identified aspects he appreciates about coach Liam Coen’s approach, which he has brought from Tampa Bay to Jacksonville.
“It has a lot of answers,” Lawrence noted on Monday after the team’s first of 10 organized team activities. “It’s great. It puts a lot on the players. You have to know your stuff, but it gives you all the answers.
“You don’t feel like you’re stuck in a play that’s not set up for success. It provides us with a wealth of solutions, and we alter the presentation a lot, making various elements look similar. … It’s definitely different from any system I’ve learned before.”
Lawrence, who was the first overall selection in the 2021 draft, began his NFL career under coach Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. He transitioned to Doug Pederson and Press Taylor in the following year, but by his third season, he seemed to have regressed amid injuries and inconsistent performance.
Lawrence currently holds a record of 22-38 over 60 starts with the Jaguars, throwing for 13,815 yards, with 69 touchdowns and 68 turnovers.
Now, Lawrence is optimistic that this new system will foster greater success and long-term stability.
“I really like the people we have here now,” Lawrence expressed. “I love the system. I love the staff, the players that we brought in alongside the guys that were already here. I feel very confident in our direction and the trajectory we’re headed toward.
“I can’t change the past, of course. I would have preferred to experience a bit more success up until this point. But the reality is that this is where we are, and I love our position. I have a lot of confidence in it.”
Coen, along with general manager James Gladstone and executive vice president Tony Boselli, has made it clear that their primary focus is building around Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension last summer.
The franchise’s current leadership moved up three spots to draft two-way college standout and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the second overall pick. Hunter has made a strong impression during the team’s offseason workouts, including on Lawrence.
“He’s got a lot of juice; he can run all day,” Lawrence said. “A lot of energy. I love it. Good energy. Always dapping guys up. Just bringing juice every day and, like I said, high motor, can just go. It’s like a kid just runs around all day. He doesn’t get tired. Can’t have enough of that.
“And then as far as just talent … ball skills, running after the catch. He’s very explosive. Didn’t realize how explosive he was in and out of cuts. He’s impressive to watch. It’s only going to keep getting better and better.”
The Jaguars are relying on Hunter, Pro Bowl receiver Brian Thomas Jr., and speedster Dyami Brown to offer Lawrence more options as they enhance an offense that averaged 17.9 points per game in 2024. They also revamped the tight end, running back, and offensive line positions to support Lawrence.
“We’re not even close,” Coen remarked. “We’re working toward playing in September, obviously. So at this stage, it’s strictly about how much we can actually learn from every day. We’re not evaluating some of the things you would typically assess in a game or season.”
During Monday’s practice, Lawrence threw two interceptions in a turnover-laden session. It wasn’t the start to OTAs he hoped for, but given it was his first day in a new system facing a different scheme, it’s not a cause for alarm.
“(This is) the time of year where you work that stuff out,” Lawrence said. “Obviously, you never want to have interceptions. You don’t want to have balls on the ground. You want to be clean. But, on the other hand, it’s stuff you want to see so you can fix it now and not carry that over later on. So we’ll address that and get it cleaned up.”
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