JACKSONVILLE -- Senior writer John Oehser's notes and observations on Day 11 of Jaguars 2018 Training Camp Tuesday at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex
1.Jalen Ramsey's athletic interception that highlighted the Jaguars' 11thpractice of 2018 Training Camp Tuesday has been well-documented on Twitter – and if you haven't seen the video, see it here. It's worth the watch. It's also worth remembering that it was this time a week ago that the third-year cornerback reported for camp after missing the first four practices following the birth of his daughter. There were observers during his absence wondering if this was a case of Ramsey being treated differently because of his status as perhaps the NFL's best cornerback, just as there were observers who criticized Ramsey for not participating in the team's voluntary activities this past offseason. All of that not unexpectedly now seems like a long time ago, and any angst over Ramsey's brief absence seems a little silly. Ramsey is an elite talent who barring injury is going to be elite – and the face of this franchise – for a long time. That is and will continue to be the major thing to remember about Ramsey – not his presence, or lack of presence, in offseason activities or his absence for perfectly legitimate reasons early in a training camp.
2.Wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. has been a highlight of '18 camp, with the rookie second-round selection increasingly making plays as practice has continued. Chark, who played collegiately at Louisiana State University, began camp working extensively with the second team but he appears to be getting increased first-team repetitions – and he appears to have a real chance to be a major part of the receiving rotation as a rookie. Chark on Tuesday was asked his goal for the preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints at TIAA Bank Field Thursday at 7 p.m. "No mental errors," he said. "If I can go out there without making mental mistakes, the rest will take care of itself. That's the biggest part of the game right now to me, the mental aspect of it. … My biggest thing is consistency. I know if I look past today's practice, I'm going to have a bad practice. I try to focus not only a day at a time, but a rep at a time. When I go that, I tend to have better days." …
3.A big pre-training camp storyline has become a non-story. The right guard competition many anticipated instead has become fourth-year veteran A.J. Cann – a starter since the Jaguars selected him in Round 3 of the 2015 NFL Draft – working pretty much every starting rep. Cann missed the offseason program with an unidentified injury, and Head Coach Doug Marrone talking during that time of players such as veteran Josh Walker looking good at the position prompted speculation of a training camp competition. Marrone on Tuesday said Cann has benefitted from focusing on the NFL's new rule prohibiting players from initiating contact with the top of their helmets. "A.J. would drop his head at times and put himself at risk and other players at risk," Marrone said. "The one thing now that I have seen is that he plays quite a bit now … he's playing it with the proper technique and his head up. Because of that, he has been playing better. It's something that we want to just see. We don't want to jump too far ahead of ourselves, but he is doing a better job. He is playing better now than he ever has. Can he keep that up? And there is still room for improvement for him. I am excited about seeing how he progresses and what happens when he starts playing in the games."
