There were a number of factors that played into the struggles of Trevor Lawrence in his rookie season. The Jacksonville Jaguars certainly didn't help their young quarterback by not having good pass catchers for Lawrence to target throughout the majority of his first year in the NFL.
New head coach Doug Pederson vows to change that.
"As I've done my research on Trevor and talked to people, even talked to coaches who have played against him this past year, (they) say nothing but great things and kind of the sky's the limit," Pederson said at his opening press conference Saturday, via the Jaguars website. "Our job moving forward is to find more good pieces to put around him. So, I'm excited from that standpoint."
The Jaguars just didn't have the pass catchers in 2021 to help Lawrence out. Former first-round picks Laquon Treadwell and Tavon Austin played a combined 773 snaps for Jacksonville, which was the third and fourth most on the team respectively. Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault Jr. each ended up playing over 690 snaps for the Jaguars, as the wide receiver group took a huge hit with D.J. Chark playing just four games with a fractured ankle.
Jacksonville traded for Dan Arnold midway through the season to help out the tight end situation, but the Jaguars received a combined 750 yards from their five tight ends in 2021. That will change under Pederson, who used a heavy "12 personnel" set when he coached the Philadelphia Eagles.
The goal is to give Lawrence all the tools necessary to succeed in Pederson's system. That will get the best out of the franchise quarterback.
"I'm just excited to come in here, roll up my sleeves, go to work, create a system that enhances his skill set, and be successful," Pederson said. "I pride myself in that. We did it in my former place with Carson Wentz early in his career and really feel like that's a strength that I can help and be a part of that."
