JACKSONVILLE – The focus Tuesday? Focus.
With the Jaguars working for the first time since Friday, Head Coach Doug Marrone shortly before Day 4 2018 Organized Team Activities talked extensively about the topic.
"It's easy to focus and have discipline during the year," Marrone said shortly before Tuesday's practice at the at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex.
"You practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and there's a game on Sunday. There's an end to that week and everything goes into it. You know why you're doing it. I've tried to do a good job this year of saying, 'This is why we have the voluntary period; this is what we need to accomplish.'
"Even though there's not a game at the end, mastering your position – whether it's techniques or your assignments – is something we must focus on."
Tuesday marked the beginning of Week 2 of 2018 OTAs, a day on which cornerback A.J. Bouye participated after not attending the first week of OTAs. All NFL offseason work is voluntary except for a three-day mandatory veteran minicamp in mid-June.
For the Jaguars, that minicamp will be held June 12-14.
Marrone said discipline has been and will continue to be a major focus of the offseason program, and he outlined three areas of importance: "One, philosophy of what we want to get done; two, making sure you know what to do to win games; three, knowing how to execute assignments, because that goes into the accountability of everyone who's on that field."
Marrone said this is the time of OTAs he expects to see young players improve in the aforementioned areas.
"You've given them a lot of information, but you want that focus and discipline," Marrone said.
Marrone said he expected Tuesday's practice to emphasize third-down situations.
"We're looking forward to this week, getting back in," Marrone said. "I'm always a little careful coming off four days without practicing, with the players kind of getting their way back into it. We'll just have a little more stress on third downs."
Marrone said emphasis likely would be on third-and-6 situations defensively and third-down overall offensively.
"That's one of the things we're trying to get done," he said.
Marrone also on Tuesday addressed right guard, a position offensive line coach Pat Flaherty said on Friday "will work itself out." Fourth-year veteran A.J. Cann started 15 games there last season, and Marrone on Tuesday mentioned fourth-year veteran Josh Walker as a possibility at the spot.
"I look at A.J. – and I think that he would say the same thing – that he would like to play better,'' Marrone said. "He has the ability to do it. He's been in there for a while now. He's rehabbing and getting ready to get back on the field and working hard. At the same point, we have other players who are able to get in that position to see if they can play or not.
"Josh Walker is obviously playing there. He's getting those reps now, so we can see where he's at – whether we think he can play or not. He has that ability in there, and we know what we have in there with a couple of the other interior guys [such as Tyler Shatley and Chris Reed].''
