Joe Douglas took a close look on Friday at what the Jets can’t have.
The general manager of the Jets was present when quarterback Trevor Lawrence gave 52 passes during a hurriedly arranged training for NFL personnel inside the training bubble at Clemson. But Douglas didn’t have the best view of the house.
Newly hired Jaguars coach Urban Meyer and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney joined in at the hip for most of the training, including staying in midfield about 15 meters from consensus as the best defender since Andrew Luck in 2013, while others were standing on the sideline.
“Yes, I saw him,” said a smiling Lawrence about Meyer on the ACC network. “I just waved at him pretty quickly. I really can’t communicate here. “
Even with the benefit of choice # 2 in the NFL’s 2021 Draft, the Jets were reduced to due diligence at Lawrence – as were most of the 17 NFL teams that sent 31 representatives, according to Sports Illustrated. The Jets sent three and the Giants two batsmen, and both teams in need of a receiver were certainly eyeing one of Lawrence’s training partners – the one chosen for the second or third round, Cornell Powell.
Free agent receiver Caleb Scott – a 2018 Vanderbilt product who had time with the Seahawks and Packers – also fired with a Lawrence deep ball dive capture.
The Jaguars hold the No. 1 pick and league sources tell the Post that the main draw to get Meyer out of retirement was the opportunity to train Lawrence. Meyer’s last season as head coach at Ohio State was in 2018, when Lawrence led Clemson to the College Football Playoff title as a real freshman. Meyer praised Lawrence in his two years as a television analyst.
Lawrence is scheduled to undergo surgery on his non-playing shoulder, so he organized an individual workout at Meyer’s suggestion, instead of waiting until Clemson’s regularly scheduled Pro Day (March 11). Meyer told the NFL Network that he discussed three options with Lawrence: wait until March 11 and risk rehab by running to the boot camp, skip Professional Day and let your college curriculum speak or …
“I said, ‘Why don’t you just take a ball and play some?'” Said Meyer. “And he said, ‘Come on.’ That’s it. The next thing I know, we are here on a Professional Day that they organized. He’s a guy who loves football and trusts his skills. “
With the NFL Combine significantly altered by the restrictions of COVID-19, all pre-draft training this year must be held on university campuses. Lawrence is training with Jordan Palmer, the former NFL quarterback who mentors many of the top picks of each season, including Sam Darnold of the Jets. They had been planning for just two weeks when the training date changed.
“Just to show that I’m no different from anyone,” said Lawrence. “I still want to do the process the right way.
“It’s not like the original plan – to have two months of training in California, then come back on March 11th and put on a show. But sometimes life happens. Showing that I am able to adjust and still willing to come here and pitch and give the teams a chance to see me was important to me. “
Lawrence checked all of the important measurement boxes: six-foot-high, 213-pound, and six-foot-high hands.
“Approximately … I think I can start releasing 6 to 8 weeks after surgery and looking at the total release in 4 to 5 months,” said Lawrence. “I will be able to do things before that. It shouldn’t be too bad. I just have to rehabilitate a lot. I’m excited to fix this and start on the road to getting healthy. “