JACKSONVILLE – The Jaguars went through their ninth practice of 2017 Training Camp Sunday.
The Jaguars practiced two hours in 87-degree temperatures on the practice fields adjacent to EverBank Field, and will travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts, later Sunday. The Jaguars are scheduled to practice against the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots Monday and Tuesday.
The Jaguars play New England in the 2017 preseason opener Thursday in Foxborough.
"It breaks up the monotony of camp," Head Coach Doug Marrone said of the dual practices. "You're competing against the same players or people on your same team. Now you've got to go out and compete against different players and different schemes. …
"It's an opportunity to go against the best team to see where you are, and go out there and get better and be ready for our game on Thursday night. There are a lot of positives. I really don't see any negatives in practicing against some other teams."
Former Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew attended practice in his role as an analyst on NFL Network. He shared his thoughts on rookie running back Leonard Fournette, which we'll also cover later in this story.
Marrone opened his press conference talking about the news of the day – the team's release Sunday morning of oft-injured safety James Sample, a fourth-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft who played just four games in two seasons with the team.
Sample missed several practices late this past week with an undisclosed injury.
"It's just availability and weren't able to see a lot at this time and you're making roster moves," Marrone said, noting that rookie fullback Marquez Williams being activated off the physically unable to perform list necessitated a roster move. "You look to see who's competing and who has the best chance to make the team and who doesn't. We obviously made that move."
Marrone also said he liked how left guard Patrick Omameh has fared in practice in the last week. Omameh has worked with the starters extensively during that time.
"The consistency there … if that keeps going I feel real good with that vision," Marrone said.
Notes and observations from Day 9 of Jaguars 2017 Training Camp practice:
*Jones-Drew, a three-time Pro Bowl running back who played for the Jaguars from 2006-2013, said he likes how Fournette is being used. "He's everything that you thought he could be," Jones-Drew said of the No. 4 overall selection in the '17 draft. "My concerns were that the Jags' offensive line had to create seams for him. He's not a guy that's going to create holes." Jones-Drew added that the Jaguars are "creating seams for him and that's what you have to do for a guy like that. I think he's going to be very successful. He's going to kind of continue the backs that we've had here in Jacksonville." …
*Wide receiver Marqise Lee, a second-round selection in the 2014 NFL Draft, is having perhaps his best camp since joining the Jaguars. While Lee struggled with hamstring issues during his first two seasons, he played all 16 games last season and has practiced throughout this offseason and training camp. He has looked the part of a four-year veteran throughout camp, practicing consistently – and is listed as a starter on the first 2017 unofficial depth chart. "I was actually talking to [fellow veteran receivers] A-Rob [Allen Robinson] and [Allen] Hurns about it a couple of days ago," Lee said Sunday. "You watch [rookie wide receivers] Dede [Westbrook] and [Keelan] Cole go in and you remember when you were in that position. Now, we're on the opposite side. I look at myself as a vet. We've been through this journey and now I'm going into my fourth year, so I feel like I've been through the things I needed to go through to be vet." …
*Lee said he feels the veteran element not only in his consistency, but in a better understanding of plays. "In my first couple of years, it was me just understanding my job," he said. "Now, when the coach mentions 'double A blitz' and things like that and says 'you need to cross dog,' now I understand it. I have a better understanding of what the defenses do as a whole rather than just the back four [the secondary].'' …
*Marrone on Sunday discussed Fournette diving in goal-line situations. Fournette did this in practice last Thursday, but few NFL backs do so regularly. "I've been around a couple players that have that unique ability," Marrone said. "It's a lot of technique that goes into that. I'm just going to keep evaluating it; if he can do it like some people in this league that have done it by jumping over, then obviously it'll help us. …"
*Marrone said if Fournette indeed is going to dive over the line it's important the team practice the situation. "I know we haven't drilled that or taught that, so just to see what his natural instinct would be …" Marrone said. "It's something we've just got to look at and see. If it's something that he does, then obviously we've got to drill it because it does take time." …
*Marrone said he plans on injured players making the trip to Foxborough this week. "We're going to be in meetings," he said. "We're still going over everything. … So I'm trying to bring as many of those players as I can to keep them going, to keep them involved in team, but basically just the meetings." …
