Observations from Jaguars minicamp
June 6, 2008 3:16 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas.
Some observations from the first workout of Jacksonville's minicamp:
We'll have to wait and see how this truly plays out, but the trade for wide receiver Troy Williamson from Minnesota might turn out to be a steal. All the Jaguars had to give up was a sixth-round pick for a guy who had first-round talent when he came into the league. Williamson flashed that talent today, making several nice catches. He also talked after practice and it sounds like he's out to prove Vikings coach Brad Childress wrong. If Williamson and Jerry Porter can play up to their potential, the Jaguars suddenly could have a strong receiving corps, although Matt Jones, a first-round pick in 2005, still hasn't shown much and could be playing for a roster spot.
Nice gesture by all the Jacksonville coaches. They wore "AP Falcons'' hats to practice after making donations to help raise money for the victims of the recent tornado in Parkersburg, Iowa. Center Brad Meester is one of four NFL players from Parkersburg. The "AP'' stands for Aplington-Parkersburg High School, which Meester attended. Green Bay's Aaron Kampman, Denver's Casey Wiegmann and Detroit's Jared DeVries also attended the high school. The Jaguars also sold hats to fans attending minicamp. The hats are available at jaguars.com.
The Jaguars have four players trying out during minicamp and former Minnesota running back Ciatrick Fason may be the most interesting of that group. Fason played for the Vikings when tight ends coach Mike Tice was the head coach in Minnesota. Fason said he was close to signing with a team in the Canadian Football League before the Jaguars invited him in for a tryout. Receivers Ryan Hoag and Bennie Brazell and running back Lavarius Giles also are trying out.
The Jaguars used early picks on defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, but veterans Paul Spicer and Reggie Hayward got the work with the first team. But it's probably only a matter of time until Harvey and Groves start getting some time with the starters.