Latest news with #LiamCoen
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
WATCH: Travis Hunter highlights at cornerback from Jacksonville Jaguars' OTAs
The Jacksonville Jaguars posted some highlights from one of their recent OTA practices of Travis Hunter playing the cornerback position. During rookie minicamp and the two OTA practices that have been open to the media, we've only seen Hunter playing wide receiver. However, following this past Tuesday's practice, Liam Coen did confirm that Hunter played cornerback during one practice last week. Advertisement The highlight video put together would indicate that Hunter has had at least one other practice on the defensive side of the ball. Although Hunter has seen more practice reps at wide receiver--which was the expected plan in the early going--he has been learning the defensive playbook and terminology, along with being in the defensive meetings since he arrived in Jacksonville. "It was good," Coen said of Hunter playing defense last week. "He's still learning. He's been learning a ton defensively and offensively, as we know. But that was more so fundamentals, techniques, it wasn't a ton of 11-on-11, 7 on, it was fundamentals, techniques, communication, that was what last Wednesday was. He's been learning with those guys and meeting with them extra as he's needed to." In season, there will be practices where Hunter sees snaps at both receiver and cornerback, but that won't be the case for the time being. As Coen highlighted on Tuesday, Hunter will continue to spend the entirety of practices either playing offense or defense, depending on the day. Advertisement "Fired up to have him out there, and he did a very good job getting out there," defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said of Hunter playing cornerback last week. "He's done a great job with coach Milus, coach Lascari, and a couple of the other coaches on staff, just spending time, and he's doing extra every day. So I have a ton of respect for everything he's done." This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars OTAs: Watch highlights of Travis Hunter at cornerback
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bucs Star Defender Reveals Hardest Offensive Coaches to Game Plan Against
Bucs Star Defender Reveals Hardest Offensive Coaches to Game Plan Against originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are entering 2025 with the fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Advertisement It's not because they're bad, quite the opposite. It's because two of the three previous coaches were hired as head coaches after just one season in Tampa Bay. After the 2023 season, Dave Canales was hired by the Carolina Panthers as their head coach. Liam Coen took over and after one season with the Bucs, he was hired this offseason to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even with the success the team has had recently - on a run of four straight division titles and five playoff appearances in a row - the team gets very little national attention or respect. In an interview with ESPN's Mina Kimes, Bucs star linebacker Lavonte David said that fact baffles him. Advertisement "I don't know why. We're a humble organization," he said. "We've got a lot of great players. It's good, though, we like having that underdog mentality. We have a bunch of underdogs. A lot of guys with a tremendous amount of talent and a lot of heart that battle week in and week out for each other." David then named both Canales and Coen among the hardest offensive coaches to game plan against. "Liam Coen, going against him. Dave Canales." Lavonte stated. "Sean McVay obviously. That whole tree. Shanahan, you know all those guys." David elaborated about what makes guys like Canales and Coen tough to game plan against. Advertisement "Having guys move in every place, so you've got to be able to get lined up when you're in a certain defense so you don't get outleveraged. You don't want to get outflanked when going against those guys, because they can hurt you big time." Related: Bucs One of NFL's Most Complete Teams Related: Buccaneers 2nd-Round Pick Tabbed 'Rookie to Watch' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Liam Coen knows Jacksonville Jaguars' defense is ahead of offense. It's part of the plan
The Jacksonville Jaguars are continuing through their offseason program with the start of Phase III. They met for the first organized team activity practice on May 19, marking the first time the offense and defense could face each other on the grass since the season ended. Advertisement Jacksonville's defense was noticeably ahead of the offense, coming away with five takeaways during team periods during the two-hour practice. TRAVIS HUNTER 'DOESN'T GET TIRED': Jaguars rookie impresses Trevor Lawrence Trevor Lawrence threw two interceptions, an overthrow when targeting Travis Hunter that was snagged by Darnell Savage, and a miscommunication with Parker Washington that was tipped and picked off by Jarrian Jones. 'This is the time of year when you work that stuff out. Obviously, you never want to have interceptions,' Lawrence said after the practice. 'You never want to have balls on the ground, you want to be clean. But on the other hand, you want to see the miscommunication or some of that so you can fix it now and not carry that over later on.' Liam Coen provides insight to why Jacksonville's defense is ahead of the offense Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen greets quarterback Nick Mullens (12) during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. First-year head coach Liam Coen had an interesting experience while conducting the OTA. He was initially upset when the turnovers happened as any offensive minded coach would be. Advertisement However, he quickly realized he's the coach for the entire team and should be proud of the plays the defense made. 'We had a couple of guys trying to be intentional about getting the ball out and getting their hands on the football,' Coen said of the defense. '[That's] something that we're actively trying to be intentional about this whole offseason.' Jacksonville's defense struggled last season, coming in last in pass defense for the league and were one of the main reasons for the sweeping changes made this offseason. But during OTA No. 1, they were the better side by a sizeable margin. Why is that? Advertisement 'I'm not diminishing what they have to learn defensively. There are a lot of calls, a lot of different fundamentals, communication that has to occur,' Coen said. 'I think, naturally, you would say that offensively there's a lot more that ends up maybe slowing you down pre-snap and post-snap. But I would hope that the defense would be a little further ahead, to be honest with you.' Liam Coen explains philosophy for distribution of reps during OTAs, says offense looks 'young' Coen is building the offense from ground zero, essentially. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is interviewed by members of the media during a rookie minicamp at Miller Electric Center Saturday, May 10, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Lawrence only appeared in 10 games last season and will be learning his third new system while playing under his fifth play caller. The team brought in four new players who'll be presumed starters on offense and will have several others behind them jockeying for playing time. Advertisement There's a relative youth to the group at this point in their development. 'In terms of just, first day putting it all together, it's not going to be as clean as you'd like it to be,' Coen said. It seems the Jaguars have their starters, but that isn't completely locked in. In fact, Coen shed some light on his thought process when it comes to reps at this time of the year. 'We always want to compete in everything that we're doing, but ultimately, it's about trying to create that continuity at times within the system, within the offense and defense, and the calls,' Coen said. That means it's fully possible to see rookies mixing it up with the starters. Or free agents, who were thought to be brought in as depth players, getting opportunities with the top guys. Advertisement Or vice-versa where those players who were presumed starters are playing next to the reserves. At this time of the year, it's about displaying understanding of system and presenting capabilities. 'There's really no, hey, these are the starters that are going to be out there first game against Carolina,' Coen continued. 'Do you have some ideas? Sure, but ultimately, there is a lot of competition that will occur, especially throughout this offseason and as we get into training camp.' This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars' Liam Coen knows why offense struggling in OTAs
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Travis Hunter has played defense in Jacksonville Jaguars OTAs; plan for getting reps
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen revealed on May 27 that Travis Hunter was able to get defensive reps during Jacksonville's third organized team activity practice. 'He's been learning a ton defensively and offensively, but that was more so fundamentals, techniques,' Coen said when asked if the team had a chance to get Hunter on the field with the defense yet. 'It wasn't a ton of 11-on-11, 7-on-7, it was more fundamentals, techniques, communication. That was what that kind of last Wednesday was.' Advertisement The Jaguars conducted their fourth OTA practice on Tuesday, May 27, from the Miller Electric Center where Hunter was back practicing with the offense. COMPETITION IS KEY: Liam Coen knows Jaguars' defense is ahead of offense. It's part of the plan He's continuing to build the foundation for his relationship with quarterback Trevor Lawrence while also taking in information from meetings and applying it to the field. That doesn't mean that he's falling behind defensively, according to Coen. 'He's been learning with those guys and meeting with them extra as he's needed to,' he said. Travis Hunter won't split time on offense and defense during camp, according to Liam Coen Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. After Hunter was drafted, it was assumed he'd share time with both sides of the ball during practice. It's something he likely did at previous stops Collins Hills, Jackson State and Colorado, and isn't uncommon for two-way players to do at different levels. Advertisement But it's not something the Jaguars are planning to do with Hunter right now. 'We won't put him in that situation to have him do that, although I'm sure he'd probably want to,' Coen said. 'He still meets defensively every day that he's on offense. He's getting the mental part of it and being able to catch up on some of the communication, some of the corrections off the film, from the defensive side of the ball.' TYING THE KNOT: Travis Hunter marrying fiancee Leanna Lenee: What to know about wedding Through the first media availability with Hunter, it shows why the team took the offense first approach with him. He's still very raw as a receiver. It'll take time to develop the necessary techniques of established route runners and get a full grasp of Coen's offense. However, Coen made sure to emphasize that Hunter is still getting his fill on defense off the field. Advertisement 'He's getting a lot of the mental and it would probably be unfair to put him out on the grass and do both,' he said. 'Ask him to go do that and see success.' It's likely that they'll have Hunter work both sides during select practices in-season. Coen gave the example of a day where the team is working on third downs. It'll be important for him to get reps on offense, but he'll also need reps with the defense to get situational understanding on both sides of the ball. 'He's going to probably have to, just because it's the way that practices are kind of organized,' Coen said. 'He's definitely going to have to do that.' This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter playing defense? Jaguars coach explains plan for OTAs
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jacksonville Jaguars OTAs observations: With no Travis Etienne, can running game survive?
The Jacksonville Jaguars were back on the field of the Miller Electric Center for the fourth organized team activity practice on Tuesday, May 27. The team has reached the halfway mark for voluntary offseason workouts and will wrap up with the final four practices before conducting mandatory minicamp from June 10-12. Advertisement Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a much cleaner practice than his first media available performance this offseason. He only tossed one interception, with safety Andrew Wingard making a good play on the ball during 7-on-7 competition. Two-Way Travis: Jaguars' Liam Coen reveals Travis Hunter spent time on defense during OTA No. 3 Lawrence almost connected with rookie Travis Hunter on a pass near the sideline, but Hunter couldn't hold on to the ball. It would've been a big-time play, with Hunter contorting his body mid-air to attempt to catch the ball. If he did hold on to the ball, he might've injured himself as the team isn't in padded gear and it would've been an awkward fall. Advertisement However, the play of the day came from a nice throw from Lawrence to tight end Brenton Strange. Strange snagged a pass along the sideline over the outstretched arms of defensive back Jarrian Jones. It was a good catch, but he also made sure to get both feet inbounds prior to his momentum carrying him out of bounds. Let's look at a few notable observations from OTA No. 4 for the Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Etienne was absent from Jacksonville Jaguars OTA No. 4 Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws the ball to running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. Running back Travis Etienne was not present at the practice. According to head coach Liam Coen, he had travel issues after the holiday weekend. Advertisement Etienne is entering the final year of his deal and the Jaguars drafted two running backs in April's NFL Draft. He could find himself traded prior to the season, but OTA 4 showed why that might be a risky proposition. The Jaguars are largely inexperienced in the room. Etienne is a lead back, recording more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons playing. The next closest player on the roster would be third-year back Tank Bigsby, who has been inconsistent. Then there's three backs who have little to no experience in the NFL. Jacksonville Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen (36), right, runs sprints during the fourth organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Tuesday, May 27, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] There's Keilan Robinson, who missed most of his rookie season due to injury. Then there's rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, who haven't stood out in the small window to view them. Advertisement Without Etienne, what's the confidence that the rushing attack can be a viable option to relieve Lawrence? Especially with how much Coen likes to run the football. Something to think about. Travis Hunter practices with the offense again, Liam Coen reveals he's already practiced with the defense Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) catches a pass during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. Travis Hunter was back after his busy weekend, getting married on Saturday and going viral for surprising a young football player on Monday. Hunter was practicing as a member of the offense again, though, Coen revealed he did practice with the defense during OTA No. 3. As we said in our observations last week, there's a method behind Jacksonville's plan with Hunter. He's still a very raw player and needs as many reps on offense he can get. The time spent this summer learning offense will pay dividends for the team during the regular season. Advertisement OTA No. 4 wasn't notable for the rookie. However, we'll still keep an eye on him throughout the duration of offseason workouts and into training camp. Cam Camper makes impressive catch during 11-on-11 action Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Cam Camper (17) catches a pass during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars are finally in Phase III of the offseason, so they're able to do offense vs. defense drills. During OTA No. 1, the defense was noticeably ahead of Jacksonville's offense. It seems the offense made up some ground this week. We already mentioned the catch made by Strange, but it wasn't the only nice play made by Jacksonville's offense. During 11-on-11 drills, undrafted free agent wide receiver Cam Camper scored a touchdown. He blazed down the field and made a fingertip grab as Doneiko Slaughter and Rayuan Lane collided. With the two defenders wiped out, Camper trotted to the end zone. Coen referenced the catch after practice while discussing some of the younger receivers who are competing for roster spots. Advertisement He illustrated how difficult it is for young players to catch on post-draft as they are taking in so much information that most veteran players have had for more than a month prior to the draft. The wide receiver position, especially, will be one to monitor as guys compete for spots behind Jacksonville's top players. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars OTA observations: Offense misses Travis Etienne
