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Bob Bratkowski: Gabbert offense's most improved player; passing offense a 'work in progress'

As Bob Bratkowski sees it, the improvement is undeniable.

That was the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator’s thought on quarterback Blaine Gabbert Monday morning, but Bratkowski said something else is as true a little more than a week into 2012 Training Camp:

The passing offense overall still needs work.

“There’s no doubt -- our passing game right now is not very good,” Bratkowski said Monday between a pair of practices at the Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields adjacent to Everbank Field.

“It starts with the protection: drops, running routes properly. When you stand on the sidelines, a lot of times it looks like the quarterback, but I’ll be honest with you: In many cases, the quarterback’s getting fooled, or he’s under pressure and having to make decisions faster than you want him to make.

“But we’ve got time. That’s why we’re practicing. It’s a work in progress.”

Bratkowski was asked if it would be a “credible” NFL passing offense by Week 1.

“That’s the hope,” he said, smiling. “That’s the plan. That’s what we’re working at. It’s a challenge. We know it. We’re going to get them right.”

Bratkowski said Gabbert’s progress since the offseason began is significant.

“We’re seeing quite a bit of improvement on a day-to-day basis with Blaine,” Bratkowski said. “To this point, at least with the practices we’ve been through and the scrimmage, Blaine is the most improved player on offense.”

Bratkowski was asked about a period late in practice Monday in which Gabbert threw an interception with two other balls that could have been turnovers.

“Those things are going to happen in practice,” he said. “That’s why we’re out here practicing. We come out, put him in situations and he’s forced to make decisions. You learn from them, and you hope those don’t occur as you get into the game situations.”

Bratkowski said he has seen particular improvement from the second-year quarterback in the area of mechanics, a focus of Gabbert and the coaching staff this offseason.

“He’s taking the techniques and the fundamentals that we indentified when we looked at him on film from last year, and they’re showing up in the practices,” Bratkowski said. “They showed up in the scrimmage the other day and the next step is to see how they show up on a game day come Friday night.

“A lot of it is mechanical. It starts with his drop, his balance, his posture as he gets back to the back part of his drop. It finishes with his weight transfer on the throw and his body alignment on the throw.

“Those are the things we’ve been working on, and he has made great improvement in those areas.”

Gabbert completed 10 of 13 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown in the first half of a scrimmage Friday inside EverBank before throwing three touchdowns in a red-zone drill later that same night. He said being more consistent in his mechanics continues to be a focus.

“I feel great back there,” he said. “I feel very comfortable. I’m just going to keep working and getting better.”

Bratkowski on Monday echoed the thoughts of Head Coach Mike Mularkey, who on Sunday said Gabbert needed to be able to be confident in the ability of wide receivers to get open and catch the ball when a pass is accurate.

“Any quarterback in the NFL, no matter who it is – Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, any of them – they have to have guys they can count on, that they can trust to make plays for them,” Bratkowski said. “The great ones that don’t have those guys will struggle at times.

“Blaine’s no different. He has to get a trust level with some of the guys. They have to pick up their games. They’re dropping way too many balls and they’re out of position on too many routes at this point in time. That makes it difficult. He has to fight through it, because that’s what it is.

“We have to deal with that. That’s part of the maturing process.”

Asked if he was seeing improvement with his receivers, Gabbert said, “No question.”

“That’s what training camp’s for, building confidence in everybody – the offensive line, the wide receivers, the quarterback,” he said. “It’s getting the chemistry down together, so we’re all on the same page on every play, not just every other play….

“Frustration is part of the game. Drops are going to happen. Missed throws are going to happen. Turnovers are going to happen. Our job is to minimize those.”

Bratkowski said while free-agent wide receiver Laurent Robinson has shown consistency in the first nine days of camp, for the rest of the receiver group camp thus far at times has been a case of “two steps forward and one step back.”

“They show improvement, then the next day they take a step back because of whatever,” he said.

Bratkowski said some of the issues with drops could be part of the process of learning the offense. He said the coaches have installed about 90 percent of the offense, with a large amount of material being introduced each day.

“Generally, their minds are so focused and churning on what my assignments are, what the adjustments are, what my split is, what the depth is that catching gets left behind and all of a sudden a ball goes through their hands,” he said. “I think as they feel more comfortable, the consistency of catching will be better….

“There are things you can do. You have to go through a repetitive process. You have drills you do. You slow the film down. You watch their eyes. You see if they’re pulling their head out. If they don’t get it then, then you replace them. They’re working hard at it. They work their tails off trying to get it right.

“You hope the light goes on. You really do. We have to squeeze as much out of them as you can, and I think we will.”

And Bratkowski said while the process may not be as smooth or quick as might be ideal, he remains confident improvement will continue.

“Coaches, we’re perfectionists – we want it to be perfect every play,” he said. “When it’s not, we get frustrated. When it doesn’t get better as fast as you’d like it to get better, you get frustrated. In 21 years in the NFL, I get frustrated every year with different groups.

“It’s no different this year than any other year. We’ll get them right.”

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Breaking down Justin Blackmon's deal
August, 6, 2012
Aug 6
10:16
PM ET
By Andrew Brandt | ESPN.com

The contract between the Jaguars and Justin Blackmon -- the last player in the 2012 draft class to sign -- became a stare-down between the team and Blackmon’s agents over what contractual penalty Blackmon would receive based on his DUI arrest. (He tested three times the legal limit June 4.)

The Jaguars are ushering in a new era: new owner, new coach and a new contract negotiator certainly intent on impressing the new owner.

Citing the embarrassment that Blackmon brought not only upon himself but also upon the team and the city, the Jaguars took a hard line on this contract. They also noted that this was Blackmon’s second alcohol-related arrest (although they drafted him fifth in the draft after the first one), initially offering no signing bonus, no guarantees and a total value much lower than the maximum slot for the fifth pick.

Speaking of that slot, the maximums were virtually the same as received by the slot last year by Patrick Peterson of the Cardinals: $18.5 million over four years with an $11.9 million signing bonus.

After weeks of wrangling and 12 days into training camp, the team and Blackmon finally struck a deal that -- through delayed cash flow -- accounted for Blackmon’s problematic behavior but rewarded him with the full slot amount and signing bonus.

According to league sources close to the negotiation, here are the key components of Blackmon’s contract:

He will receive only 60 percent of the slotted $11.9 million bonus -- an amount of $7.11 million -- as signing bonus, with the balance coming as follows:

2013: March roster bonus of $700,000, followed by a guaranteed roster bonus of $1 million five days before the start of training camp. Thus, after one year, Blackmon will have received 75 percent of the slotted signing bonus.

2014: Guaranteed roster bonus of $1.7 million five days before the start of training camp.

2015: Guaranteed roster bonus of $1.39 million five days before the start of training camp.

And Blackmon will receive the following guaranteed salaries:

2012: $390,000
2013: $1.23 million
2014: $2.07 million
2015: $2.91 million

Despite their initial position, every bit of the $18.5 million in the contract is guaranteed; it just comes in different waves over time.

Blackmon’s contract has the same language as other first-round picks, where suspensions would void future salary guarantees, but doesn't have different or special language in his deal based on his DUI transgression.

And as for “the issue” from the back side of these contracts at the top of the draft, Blackmon’s contract contains no offset language, leaving Miami’s Ryan Tannehill as the only player in the top nine picks to have offset language in his contract. Thus, if Blackmon is released before the contract ends, he can “double dip” if he signs with a new team.

Overall, the Jaguars and Blackmon came up with a creative way to handle a sensitive issue. The team got its cash flow preference; the player will (eventually) get his money.

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Jaguars WR Justin Blackmon: 'Obviously I’m behind. I’m ready to catch up'

The past is the past, and when Justin Blackmon arrived at EverBank Field Tuesday, he was ready to leave it there.

“Obviously, I’m behind,” the Jaguars’ rookie first-round selection said following his first practice after signing a four-year contract.

“I’m ready to catch up.”

Just how fast will that happen?  As Head Coach Mike Mularkey sees it, that depends on Blackmon.

Mularkey, in his first season as the Jaguars’ head coach, said Tuesday while he was concerned about the No. 5 overall selection early in organized team activities this past offseason, he said Blackmon’s approach changed dramatically following his arrest for DUI in early June.

Blackmon, a wide receiver from Oklahoma State, appeared to work harder and spend more time studying the playbook following the DUI arrest, Mularkey said, and the head coach said that gave him confidence in Blackmon as the offseason ended.

“I felt better when he left,” Mularkey said.

Blackmon ended a 10-day holdout to open 2012 Training Camp by signing what has been reported as a four-year, $18.5 million deal. Early Tuesday, Mularkey spoke to Blackmon.

His message was simple.

“I had a talk with him this morning when he first came in, that I will know what you know based on how fast you do things,” Mularkey said. “It will be evident if he’s going to struggle or not, to see how fast he’s working.”

Blackmon upon reporting Tuesday said although he is behind, he spent the past two weeks working out in Dallas and his hometown of Norman, Okla. He said he practiced the Jaguars’ route tree during that time, and that he focused on getting in the best shape possible.

“It’s a lot hotter in Oklahoma than it was here today, so it was real good,” he said. “I was able to run the routes, practice getting in and out of my breaks.”

Blackmon said he didn’t know the details of the contract, and that his decision to sign came because his agent told him an acceptable deal had been reached.

“It was hard, I wanted to be here, and like I said, I’m happy to be here and ready to get going,” he said.

The Jaguars are ready for that, too, and Mularkey said wide receivers coach Jerry Sullivan has been given permission to spend time out of meetings working with Blackmon.

“He’s been wanting to coach him and get him going,” Mularkey said. “We all have. Jerry’s going to be with him and basically be his shadow until he gets it. I don’t know how long that’s going to be. Hopefully, the sooner the better for all of us.”

Blackmon for the past two seasons was one of the most productive players in college football, catching 233 passes for 3,304 yards and 38 touchdowns in that span. He worked only in shorts and a helmet Tuesday, but early in drills, showed an ability to get in and out of breaks and catch the ball cleanly.

Jaguars teammates said he showed that same natural ability during the off-season, but players and Mularkey alike said there’s far more to being a productive NFL player.

“I think he will figure that out on his own,” Mularkey said, adding Blackmon will know quickly he can’t get by on natural talent. “Once you go against our corners and corners in the league you’ll find out real fast that that’s not how it works.

“He’ll have to study, work at it, understand the guy across from him, know what the guy eats for breakfast in the morning across from him, everything to make it easier. Know the answer before the question.  That’s what he’s got to learn how to do.”

Blackmon, the last first-round selection in the 2012 draft to sign, will be limited in practice this week by NFL rules. He passed his physical Monday, which Mularkey said meant he could work in a helmet Tuesday. He won’t play in the preseason opener against the Giants Friday, and will begin full-padded practice Sunday.

Mularkey said had the Jaguars planned a padded practice Thursday, Blackmon could have participated fully that day. The team will work in shorts with the preseason opener the following night.

Mularkey said because Blackmon has yet to work full, it was difficult to evaluate just where Blackmon is physically and in terms of knowledge of the offense.

“You can’t bump and run when you have no pads on,” Mularkey said. “It’s hard for me right now to know exactly what he has. We weren’t going to put him right in and have every rep. We’ll be smart with him. I just need some time to get him with the team and really see what he knows.”

“That’s a position that you really have to know a lot before it happens and react fast and execute the play. The guys that can do that consistently are the guys that know the offense better than the other ones.”

Mularkey said although Blackmon participated in OTAs and minicamp, “he’s got some learning to do,” and that Blackmon over the next week or so will be “bombarded” with the same offensive installation the rest of the offensive player underwent the past two weeks.

Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski estimated Monday the team has installed about 90 percent of the offense.

“I’m hoping he’s kept his book,” Mularkey said. “He had a lot of information when he left out of here.”

Mularkey said while Blackmon’s talent was evident in OTAs, his progress early during that period was a concern. He said he while he didn’t believe Blackmon was working hard enough or “getting it” before the DUI arrest, “I do have confidence because of what he did after his incident.”

“When he left here I was confident,” he said. “Again, that’s something I have to see as we go along. We still have time.”

Mularkey said while he is confident that Blackmon can make up whatever he may have missed in the last two weeks, realistically, only time – and Blackmon – can decide that.

“We will know by how fast his progress happens in this camp,” Mularkey said. “I believe even since the incident his approach to everything he’s doing on the field and in the meetings was different after the incident. That was a good thing.

“I literally have seen him for four hours now. I can’t make a judgment on him until he’s been around here a while.”

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Starters likely to play about 17-20 plays in preseason opener against New York Giants Friday

Mike Mularkey’s approach Friday will be pretty simple.

The Jaguars will play their 2012 preseason opener against the New York Giants. It will be his first game as the team’s head coach, and that will bring with it excitement and emotion. It also is a “practice” game, so the Jaguars will be smart and approach it as such.

Still, don’t think Mularkey doesn’t want to be ahead when the game ends.

“I’ve never been in a competition that I haven’t tried to win – at any age, against anybody,” Mularkey said Thursday as the Jaguars prepared to play the Giants at EverBank Field Friday at 7:30 p.m.

“That’s including my kids when they were little: I’m not going to let them win – unfortunately, that’s the way it is. I’ve never in my life considered not winning.”

After a little more than two weeks of training camp and the accompanying morning practices, evening meetings and daily grind, Jaguars players . . .

Well, they’re ready, too.

“Every time you put the pads on against another opponent, you want to put your best effort forward,” Jaguars safety Dawan Landry said. “Even though the results don’t hold on to your record, you always want to play your best and see how you’re holding up. You want to make all the plays you can.”

That makes Friday for the Jaguars what pretty much any NFL preseason game is for any team – a balancing act between wanting to win and being smart.

The team wants starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert and an offense that will start running back Rashad Jennings to get early work against the Giants’ starters. That group and the starting defense will get about 17-20 plays, though Mularkey said the starting offensive line could play a bit more to give backup quarterback Chad Henne a chance to work with that group.

“What I’d like to see is us play really good, disciplined football,” Mularkey said. “I would like is not to make a lot of mistakes that we’re in charge of, so we can get a fair evaluation. Let’s have a competitive game. Let’s get our guys out there playing fast and confident.

“We’re not going to have our guys do a lot of exotic things. We’re going to let them play and let’s just see where we are – not only as players, but as a team – when this is over with.”

Rookie wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who signed Monday after a 10-day holdout, likely will miss the game. While NFL rules would allow him to play, Mularkey said because the 2012 NFL Draft’s No. 5 overall selection has yet to work in pads, there’s no reason to put him in a position to fail.

The team also is expected to be without starting linebacker Daryl Smith (groin), starting guard Will Rackley (ankle), defensive end Austen Lane (foot), offensive guard Jason Spitz (foot), tight end Zach Miller (shoulder) and safety Jeremiah Brown (concussion). Linebacker Clint Session (head) and defensive end John Chick (knee) remain on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew, the NFL’s leading rusher last season, also remains away from the team in a holdout, but the focus throughout camp has been on preparation. It remained that way this past week, and because the team is still focusing on installing and working on its own schemes, the Jaguars didn’t game plan for Friday’s game.

“To me, this is still training camp,” Mularkey said. “Training camp ends after the 32nd practice. It’s a training camp mentality, and that’s the way we’re approaching it.”

Still, once Friday comes, there will be fans in the stand. Stadium lights will be on, and the opponent will not only be real, but will be the defending Super Bowl champions. That makes it something more than practice.

“It’s a practice game, but you still do your normal game routine,” wide receiver Laurent Robinson said. “You go through everything, your assignments. You’ve got to go out there and have fun.”

And while the final score matters little, Robinson said how the offense plays given its opportunity matters very much.

“We want to all be rolling on the same page,” Robinson said. “You want to see the offense getting the play in the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage, knowing what to do. You want to see us converting against coverages and being on the same page as the quarterback.

“You still get to put on that uniform and run under the lights, so it’s a great feeling. It doesn’t matter if it’s a preseason game or a regular season game; you have to go out with the same mentality.”

For Jaguars veterans, the approach may be measured and professional. For rookies, it’s different. Jaguars wide receiver Kevin Elliott, who played collegiately at Florida A&M, never has attended an NFL game, meaning Friday’s will be his first in any capacity. And Mularkey said if Elliott is feeling nerves beyond what might be expected for the preseason, he certainly won’t be alone.

“It’s funny – I was talking to (linebacker) Russell Allen during one of the (practice) periods and he said the young guys don’t really know exactly the emotions that take place this first preseason game,” Mularkey said. “If you played in this league nobody forgets your first preseason game as a rookie.

“You could literally wear yourself out with nerves before you even step on the field, so you’ve got to be very careful about that. It’s hard to control that. Things are faster, things are more violent, and there’s a lot of things that are going to happen that’s going to open up their eyes.

“That’s just the way it’s been going on since the dawn of time for young players and it’s memorable. Hopefully it’s a good memory when the night’s over with.”

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Ten things the Jacksonville Jaguars must do against the New York Giants in the 2012 preseason opener.

At last, the Jaguars play a game tonight.

It’s the 2012 preseason opener, and while “only” preseason, it is a significant evening. New coach versus former coach. A first look at a new offense. The next look at quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

It’s the first game of the Shad Khan era, the first game of the Mike Mularkey era. It will be played against the New York Giants, with Tom Coughlin – the Jaguars’ first head coach – coaching on the visiting sideline at EverBank Field.

It’s also a night with a new tradition – the Prowl, in which the Jaguars will walk through the fans beneath the Bud Light Party Zone before taking the field.

“Ten Things?” That’s an old tradition, and it’s back this season, so here’s a preseason version, which means it won’t be as much 10 things about winning as 10 things you want to see from the Jaguars as they progress to the regular season.

So, the Jaguars prepare to Prowl and finally play, ten things they must do against the Giants at EverBank Field tonight:

1)Set a tone. A victory would be nice, but you want to see things done Mularkey’s way. Aggressive. Physical. Smart. It won’t be perfect in the first game, but you want to see it moving that way. Mularkey certainly does.

2)Protect Gabbert. Guard Will Rackley is out, but the rest of the starters should play. The line now looks like this: Eugene Monroe, Eben Britton, Brad Meester, Uche Nwaneri, Cameron Bradfield. The Jaguars moved to that lineup Thursday, so there will be hiccups, but the group is capable of protecting Gabbert, who has been pressured too much in practice. He must get time and that must start now.

3)Get to the quarterback. Note we didn’t say, “Rush the passer.” The defensive line wants to get home this season. The front could have had eight or nine sacks in the scrimmage. It needs to keep that up.

4)Stay healthy. Some have wondered if the starting offense would play into the second half to gain continuity. No. The starters will play about 17-20 plays, and that’s smart. As Mularkey says, this is a practice game.

5)Get Rashad Jennings going. He looked good in the scrimmage Friday. Get him a few carries. Let him show he can be physical and fast. Throw him a few passes. Let him break a few tackles. There’s no reason he shouldn’t do these things. He has been doing them all camp.

6)Get open. The receivers are doing this better the last few days of camp. Keep doing it.

7)Catch the ball. The receivers did this a *little* better late this week, too. Keep doing that, too.

8)Be fast defensively. The Jaguars played faster defensively in 2011 than in 2010. That was a big reason for the improvement. If Mel Tucker gets what he wants, you’ll see swarming early. That should create turnovers, which is what this category could have been called.

9)Get better. Duh, but the point is you don’t overanalyze victories and losses in preseason. Improve, and move on. It’s what the preseason is about.

10)Stand tall, play confident. We saved Gabbert for last. He has looked good in practice – and in the scrimmage, too. He checked down early in that scrimmage, but showed patience, then found a rhythm. If he sticks to the offense, and plays as fundamentally sound as he has in practice, he’ll continue to improve. No reason to believe he won’t, but he still has to do it.

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Senior writer John Oehser takes a look inside Day 13 of the Jaguars 2012 Training Camp

STEPPING IN IMMEDIATELY

When it comes to Justin Blackmon, the Jaguars are wasting no time.

Blackmon, the No. 5 overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, lined up as a starting outside receiver in the team’s afternoon practice Sunday, two days after he sat out the preseason opener.

Blackmon, who signed with the team last Monday, could have played against the Giants Friday, but Head Coach Mike Mularkey opted against it, not wanting to put the rookie from Oklahoma State in a position to fail. But Mularkey said he expected Blackmon will play Friday against New Orleans.

“We’re trying to get him as many reps as we can with (starting quarterback) Blaine (Gabbert), obviously,” Mularkey said. “He has to hear those plays and rep those plays as fast as we can get him going.”

Said Blackmon, “It felt good. I’m still trying to catch up on everything, get everything down and get out there and not make mistakes.”

Mularkey said the goal is to have Blackmon ready to start the regular-season opener, and that it appears Blackmon studied and worked during his holdout.

“It’s a matter of transferring it over to practice,” Mularkey said.

The practice Sunday was originally scheduled to be shoulder pads and helmets. But Mularkey said the team played hard enough to take the pads off two days later.

“They earned it,” Mularkey said.

Blackmon’s first work in pads with the Jaguars will be Monday morning.

“I want to keep improving and get better every snap,” he said. “I just want to get out and make as few mistakes as possible.”



EVANS RELEASED

The Jaguars on Sunday released veteran wide receiver Lee Evans.

They also the same day signed six-year wide receiver Demetrius Williams and guard/center Josh Beekman, placing wide receiver Taylor Price on injured reserve. Beekman’s signing came amid news that three-year veteran John Estes could be out for the season, according to Mularkey.

Estes sustained a knee injury that will require surgery, and while Mularkey said it’s too early to know for sure the extent of the injury, he said Estes’ injury didn’t look good.

“He’s going to miss for sure the rest of the preseason,” Mularkey said.

Mularkey said Evans, whom he coached in Buffalo in 2004 and 2005, “just wasn’t the same player, obviously.”

“I think he felt the same way,” Mularkey said. “It’s always difficult. I’ve been in that chair. I’ve known Lee a long time. I was hoping we could get another year out of him. I think he was, too. It’s disappointing.”

Mularkey said Evans struggled to get in and out of breaks, and that Evans approached him last week. That led to the decision not to play Evans Friday, then to his release Sunday.

“The route-running, it looked like it was hurting him on some of those breaks,” Mularkey said, adding that Evans may retire. “I don’t think that will ever go away. We had talked in the last week. He approached us and he recognized he wasn’t the same guy on film.”

Also on Sunday, Mularkey said he expects cornerback Derek Cox (hamstring) and fullback Brock Bolen (knee swelling) to miss at least two weeks while guard Will Rackley could return earlier than expected from a high-ankle sprain.

While Rackley likely won’t play Friday, Mularkey said he may play in the third preseason game.



MULARKEY SAYS

“I thought the (route) running (by the wide receivers) was very good (against the New York Giants). It picked up a notch from even the practices. They did a good job with the routes and that’s why some of the timing was as good as it was.”



WHAT WE SAW

The Jaguars went through their 13th day of training camp Sunday, working in helmets and shorts two days after a 32-31 victory over the Giants in the preseason opener. Blackmon took work with the first team, and center Uche Nwaneri got work at center after a knee injury to Estes Friday. Fullback Montell Owens had a big run down the right sideline in team drills, and Cecil Shorts had a long touchdown on a pass from backup Chad Henne. Tight end Marcedes Lewis had a 20-yad reception from starter Blaine Gabbert and Colin Cloherty had a long touchdown pass from reserve quarterback Nathan Enderle. The practice was delayed about 25 minutes because of lightning and rain, then ended under clear skies. “I’m glad we got it in,” Mularkey said. “We were going to wait it out as long as we could to get this practice in.”



WHAT’S NEXT

Training camp continues with its normal schedule Monday, with a practice with full pads from 8:30-11 a.m. and a 4:30 afternoon walkthrough. Practices are closed to the public.



TODAY’S TAKE

For a coach who isn’t “connecting with his players” (see last week’s Heath Evans flareup), Mularkey seems to be doing a good job of . . . well, connecting with players. He has implemented a program he first had when he was the head coach at Buffalo in 2004-2005 in which he donates $250 to the Ronald McDonald House if a player hands the ball to the official after a touchdown. Mularkey started the program when the league started penalizing 15 yards for excessive celebration. “I thought, 'How can I make sure our guys don’t do something ridiculous and do that and create a penalty that will really hurt our football team?’ ” he said. “Everybody wins. It looks good. The Ronald McDonald House wins, we win with no penalties.” On Friday, Jaxson Deville knocked the ball from Shorts following the first touchdown, and on Sunday, the mascot donated $250 to the Ronald McDonald House. Owens faked a spike following a touchdown Friday, then handed the ball to the official. “He did it purposely just to see if it would get me going,” Mularkey said laughing, and Owens added, “We talked throughout the week and he kept reminding us, ‘If you get in the zone, make sure.’ I was just pulling his leg.” The team will match every $250 Mularkey donates, meaning $500 will go to the Ronald McDonald House each time the Jaguars hand the ball to an official following a touchdown.



QUICK HITS

*Mularkey said while he didn’t like the pressure allowed on the first play of the game Friday, he did like how Gabbert stood in against intense pressure and delivered a long pass down the middle. “I didn’t realize the pressure that came that fast,” Mularkey said. “It was too fast. He actually got clobbered. I like that he stood in. That was very positive.”

*Mularkey said cornerback Leigh Torrence is in the concussion program following Friday’s game, but that he doesn’t expect the veteran to be out long.

*Wide receiver Laurent Robinson got kicked in the leg late in practice, but Mularkey said the situation wasn’t serious.

*Cameron Bradfield played well and was more productive at right tackle than at guard or left tackle, Mularkey said. He played about 50 plays at the three positions. “As soon as we started moving him, his production and execution went down,” Mularkey said. “A lot of that was us doing that to him. He just came back from PUP. I’m proud as heck of how he played. If we leave him at a spot and have him play, I think he’ll improve daily.”

*Mularkey said he was “shocked” how well Eben Britton played at left guard considering he had been moved there two days before the game. He said Britton gave up one pressure on a play – on a play that forced Gabbert to protect himself from pressure -- he hadn’t repped, but beyond that played well. “Now that he’s getting more play time, he’s going to be pretty darned good,” Mularkey said.

*Mularkey said while Bolen will miss two weeks Will Ta’ufo-ou has played well since joining the team early in camp. “He will hit you,” Mularkey said. “He fits right in with us.”

*Mularkey also praised rookie free agent Drew Nowak, who played about 50 plays after moving from defensive tackle to guard last week. “He had five mental errors but you talk about a guy that has a chance to be a player,” Mularkey said. “He’s smart, he’s tough, it’s just amazing what he did.” Mularkey said Nowak also can work at center.

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WR Justin Blackmon shows 'knack for the ball' in first padded practice with the Jaguars

The product isn’t finished, and areas must improve. Sooner, not later.

One of those areas is conditioning. Teammates and coaches said that much was clear Monday morning, the first day Justin Blackmon put on full pads for the Jaguars.

But Rashean Mathis said something else, something far more important, was clear, too: The things you want in a receiver? The things that make a guy special?  Blackmon has those.

And yes, Mathis said, that’s something you know after the first day.

“He makes it look easy,” Mathis said Monday morning, shortly after the team’s full, padded practice at the Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields. “When the ball is around him, it’s easy for him to grab it. The best have that quality.”

Jaguars cornerback Aaron Ross said when the ball hits Blackmon’s hands, “it’s not dropping.”

“That’s a quarterback’s dream,” Ross said.

It was natural that all eyes were on Blackmon Monday morning. The Jaguars selected the two-time Biletnikoff Award winner No. 5 overall from Oklahoma State in the 2012 NFL Draft in April, and aside from the development of second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert perhaps no storyline in training camp is getting more focus.

The Jaguars ranked No. 32 in pass offense last season, and haven’t had a Pro Bowl receiver since Jimmy Smith in 2001. Add to that Blackmon’s 10-day holdout at the beginning of training camp, and his first day in full pads was widely anticipated.

“I’ve got to get in game shape, but overall, it felt good,” Blackmon said. “I felt like it went good. I’m still learning. I’ll watch film, make corrections and go on from there.”

And while Mathis and wide receivers coach Jerry Sullivan each said Blackmon wore down near the end of the two-and-half hour session, each also said he showed positives early.

That was particularly true in a red-zone drill midway through practice.

Blackmon, who early in the practice caught a pass in traffic in team drills and who also had a sliding catch near the sideline, ran an out route early in the drill. Gabbert, under pressure, laid the ball in the corner of the end zone and Blackmon caught the touchdown just before stepping out of bounds.

Shortly thereafter, Blackmon ran a route in the back of the end zone, and beat double coverage, catching the ball over safety Dwight Lowery.

“That was a phenomenal catch,” Gabbert said. “It was a great rout for him to get inside. With that coverage, he’s really the only guy. I led him in there, and he made a great catch.”

It wasn’t so much that Blackmon caught the touchdowns, teammates said. Rather, it was how easy he made the plays appear.

“You just look him and you know he’s a big, physical receiver,” Gabbert said. “The way he plays, he’s really aggressive when the ball’s in the air. That’s what quarterbacks like to see – when the ball’s in the air, it’s his ball. He’s going to do everything he can to break it up or catch it.

“The more reps we get, the better he’s going to be.”

Head Coach Mike Mularkey said last week it was evident Blackmon studied and worked during his time away despite not having a playbook. Gabbert on Monday agreed.

“He stepped right in,” Gabbert said.

Mathis covered Blackmon in a late team drill, and held the rookie to one short reception on the sideline that converted a first down. Blackmon, Mathis said, was stronger earlier in practice than at the end.

“It’s conditioning,” Mathis said. “That’s going to take a little time. He hasn’t been through the bulk of the camp yet. His wind has to get better. When he’s fresh, he’s good. Nobody is good when they’re winded.”

Sullivan, too, said that Blackmon lacked the conditioning that really can only be gained from being in pads for an extended period.

“I thought he did a nice job,” Sullivan said. “He got gassed at the end. He got tired, but he did some nice things. He should get better as he gets in better conditioning and as he gets more comfortable with what we’re doing.”

Sullivan said the Jaguars are giving Blackmon as much of the offense as they can, and that it’s up to the rookie to keep up, learn and be ready. Mularkey on Sunday said Blackmon will play against New Orleans, and the idea is for him to start the regular-season opener.

He worked with the first team on Monday.

“He’s having to learn on the run, but no, we’re not slowing down for him,” Sullivan said. “You can only cram so much into a guy’s head. If you went to take the law exam, and you weren’t there for the first couple of weeks, it would matter.

“It’s the same thing here. He’s trying to catch up. And we’re not slowing down for him to catch up, so it’s tough.”

Said Ross, “His route running is getting better, and he’s getting his legs up under him. You can tell he’s starting to improve each and every day.”

Mathis said while he wasn’t labeling Blackmon “great” or “special” after one practice, “he definitely has a knack for the ball.”

“Like Keyshawn Johnson,” Mathis said. “When the ball was in his area, he was going to bring it down. That’s a quality he does have.”

And as a teammate, Mathis said that has him excited.

“That’s why at the end of the practice, I was pushing him,” Mathis said. “At the end, I was going, ‘Let’s go one four, you have to finish’ – just to let him know we’re behind him. We want him to succeed. It’s not offense/defense.

“We’re Jaguars and at the end of the day, we want him to be good.”

And if the product isn’t finished, after the first day in pads it appears Blackmon has a very real chance to give the Jaguars exactly what they want.

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Senior writer John Oehser takes a look inside Day 14 of the Jaguars 2012 Training Camp

AREA OF FOCUS

As much good as happened Friday, Blaine Gabbert said improvement must be made, too.

Specifically, the Jaguars’ second-year quarterback said the offense has to reduce turnovers, and he said that starts with him.

Gabbert, who completed 5 of 10 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown in three series during a victory over the New York Giants in the preseason opener, led an 89-yard touchdown drive on the Jaguars’ first series. But the ensuing two drives ended with turnovers.

Wide receiver Cecil Shorts fumbled a reverse to start the second drive, and the starters’ third and final series ended when Gabbert was sacked and lost a fumble at the Jaguars 47.

“Those two turnovers that the number one offense (committed) led to points and you can’t afford those in the regular season,” Gabbert said. “We’ll correct those mistakes, protect the football and just kind of go about our business.”

Jaguars Head Coach Mike Mularkey said following the game Gabbert needed to protect the ball better on his fumble. Gabbert, who said the same thing Friday, reiterated the point Monday.

“I just got to protect it,” he said. “I got to feel them coming. My internal time clock has to be going off, going off, just check the ball right down, but yeah I’ve just got to keep two hands on the ball.”



COVERING UP

Another area that needed improvement from Friday: special teams.

Special teams coach John Bonamego made it clear Monday speaking to the media after practice that a game such as Friday’s wasn’t acceptable.

While the Jaguars recovered two muffed punts against the Giants, returner Mike Brown also lost a fumble on a muffed punt and the coverage teams allowed a 48-yard kickoff return and a 20-yard punt return.

“I think there were things that were encouraging and things that obviously we have to work on,” Bonamego said. “We lost contain twice so there were some fundamental breakdowns. I think that everything that happens absolutely is one hundred percent totally correctable.”

Bonamego said Mike Thomas, Cecil Shorts and Aaron Ross are possibilities for punt returns, while the team is still auditioning kickoff returners, with running back Jalen Parmele and Richard Murphy possibilities.

“I’d love to have Rashad (Jennings) back there, but right now he’s taking all the reps at tailback so we can’t afford to put him back there at this time,” he said.



GABBERT SAYS

“When everybody is on the same page our offense clicks, and we saw that last week. When we’re on the same page we can go 90 yards on a defense and score touchdowns, and that’s what we’re just kind of working towards and striving towards each week.”



WHAT WE SAW

While the focus of practice was wide receiver Justin Blackmon’s first work with the Jaguars in full pads, the work early Monday was one of the most intense practices of training camp. Defensive coaches were particularly animated late in practice during a red-zone drill, and defensive end Aaron Morgan appeared to have yet another productive practice. At receiver, Brown, Thomas and Shorts had drops, as did tight end Zach Miller. Wide receiver Kevin Elliott had one of the most impressive receptions of training camp, tipping the ball to himself over a defender and making a diving catch in bounds for a 20-yard gain. Tight end Matt Veldman also continued to play well, catching a long pass from Chad Henne in the morning practice, with Brian Robiskie following up a productive game Friday with several catches in the morning. Defensive tackle C.J. Mosley and rookie center Mike Brewster also got into a small scuffle near the end of practice, but it was broken up quickly.



WHAT’S NEXT

Training camp continues with its normal schedule Tuesday, with a practice with full pads from 8:30-11 a.m. and an afternoon walkthrough. Practices are closed to the public.



TODAY’S TAKE

We’re not going to keep harping on the leg strength of punter Bryan Anger, but a scene at the end of practice Monday sort of sums up his training camp – not to mention the impact the team feels the rookie from California will make. As the players left the field after the morning practice, Anger stood at his own 40-yard line and punted balls toward the other end zone. He hit somewhere between 7 to 10 punts, and after his approach, he was kicking from his own 43. On at least half of the punts, the kick sailed between the opposite uprights, 67 yards away. One of the punts sailed through the uprights and landed 15 feet high on the net. As he left the field, safety Courtney Greene and several others watched, and as he walked away, Greene smiled and said, “Are you kidding me?” Asked later if he had ever seen a punter in a scene like it, he replied, “Never.” One of the Jaguars’ top special teams players, Greene smiled. “Advantage us,” he said.



QUICK HITS

*Mularkey on Sunday said he believes second-year right tackle Cameron Bradfield will improve given time to play one position. The team played him at guard, left tackle and right tackle in the preseason opener, but he worked with the first team at right tackle Monday. Gabbert said Bradfield did a good job on Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck Friday, and while Bradfield allowed Tuck to pressure Gabbert on the Jaguars’ first play, overall coaches believed he played well. “I thought I did OK,” Bradfield said. “Definitely, there were plays I wish that I could have back out there. For that being the first preseason game, I think I did OK. I’m just trying to be a student of the game right now, and learn as many positions as I can.”

*Wide receiver Demetrius Williams and offensive guard/center Josh Beekman each worked in shorts Monday, a day after joining the roster. They will be able to work full later in the week.

*Cornerback Derek Cox (hamstring) watched from the side Monday, as did linebacker Daryl Smith (groin) and guard Will Rackley (ankle), while Miller (pec) worked in full pads. Guard Jason Spitz (foot), fullback Brock Bolen (knee), center John Estes (knee) and defensive end Austen Lane (foot) did not attend practice. Safety Jeremiah Brown was back in full pads after missing Friday after being in the concussion program, while cornerback Leigh Torrence missed Monday in the program. Defensive end John Chick (knee) continued to work on the side in practice, and he and linebacker Clint Session (head) remain on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

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Blackmon has hands, ball skills Jaguars need

Submitted by Gene Frenette on August 13, 2012 - 1:10pm Gene Frenette's Blog

In Justin Blackmon’s first fully padded practice Monday, the Jaguars’ receiver being counted on to juice up the passing offense showed the kind of ball skills that validated why he was a top-five draft pick.

"His hands are just so strong," said head coach Mike Mularkey.

While it remains to be seen whether Blackmon will make an immediate impact as a rookie, it was clear to players and coaches observing him that he has a unique skill set among the receiving corps.

“When the ball is in his vicinity, [Blackmon] is going to bring it down,” said Jaguars’ cornerback Rashean Mathis. “Once he gets over the conditioning hump, he’s going to be good. He reminds me a lot of Keyshawn Johnson. He didn’t always blow by you. But he’s a guy you can count on to bring the ball down.”

Blackmon had two catches for touchdowns from Blaine Gabbert during red-zone drills. He beat cornerback Kevin Rutland in the left corner on one route. Lined up on the right side another time, Blackmon got inside position on safety Dwight Lowery and reached out for a quick, hard pass from Gabbert to bring the ball in to his body.

“He knows how to use his body, especially when there’s tight coverage,” Lowery said. “He’s able to shield his defender off to create some separation when the coverage is tight, which is a great ability to have on this level. It puts you in a situation where the quarterback feels even though he’s covered, he’s open because he has that ability to use his body to separate. He’s more physical than he looks.”

“That was a great route by Justin to get inside [the defender] because with that coverage, he’s really the only guy,” Gabbert added. “Dwight had him in man-to-man, and he did a great job. You just look at him and know he’s a big, physical receiver. The way he plays, he’s really aggressive when the ball is in the air. That’s what quarterbacks like to see. When the ball is in the air, it’s his ball.

“What kind of separates him is he’s so physical after catching the football. You know you’re going to get a lot of yards after the catch.”

Receivers coach Jerry Sullivan admits that Blackmon is cramming to catch up after holding out the first 12 days of training camp. Blackmon didn't have a playbook available to him during his holdout. There were also some conditioning issues later in the Monday morning practice in high humidity, but the Jaguars seem to like what they’re seeing from Blackmon so far.

“If you went to take the law exam and you hadn’t been there for the first couple weeks, it would matter,” Sullivan said. “It’s the same thing here. He’s trying to catch up, and we’re not slowing down for him to catch up.

“The good thing is he’s very natural catching the ball. He’s got good hands. He makes it look like it ought to look, he makes it look easy. Mechanically, he’s got to get better on his routes, but his ball skills are helping. He handles his body pretty well. He’s just got to learn the offense and things will get easier for him.”

Blackmon, who makes his NFL debut Friday night against the New Orleans Saints, acknowledges he's not where he wants to be just yet. He had a drop early in practice and did push-ups, instead of running a lap, for his punishment.

"Of course I'm not up to speed completely," said Blackmon. "There's still things that I need to learn and don't know, but I feel like I'm coming along good and I'll be caught up to speed."

Third-team quarterback Jordan Palmer thinks Blackmon will be a skilled NFL receiver because he catches the ball like a rebounder in basketball.

“I like receivers that rebound,” said Palmer. “If I throw you the ball, you come to the catch. You don’t wait for it to get into your body. I feel like that’s what Justin hung his hat on in his college career. If he does the same thing in his pro career, coming to the catch, aggressively attacks the ball. . . . He’s talented enough to be able to have soft hands when he attacks it. I think that’s why he’s special and that’s why he’s going to have a great pro career.”