JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Coming off of a holiday weekend that had the Jaguars off the practice fields for four days, head coach Gus Bradley was very pleased with the way his team returned for OTA number four on Tuesday morning, in particular the defense.
"Of the days. Most productive, Bradley said. "You hope that when you go into it, you see it go back and forth. Offense has a good day, defense has a good day. Where it goes back and forth. So I just think that it’s coming along and what we’re seeing and guys had some energy today too. I think when you have those bursts like that, gives them a good taste in the mouth.”
Bradley also noted that the energy was extended to the sidelines as well with both vets and rookies getting on each other for a missed assignment or a missed tackle. That accountability to each other and the team is something that the head coach says is coming along faster than anticipated.
"It’s a process and it is, but we’re trying to do everything we can to speed that up. And I think that some of the guys that are coming in to help our veterans are some other veterans. (Tashaun) Gipson and Malik (Jackson) and those guys coming in I think have really fit in nice with our group and we’re starting to see them holding each other accountable. Not as much as we want, but now it’s coming so that’s obviously a good sign because usually that takes the longest.”
Second-year defensive lineman Michael Bennett sees the accountability growing as well, even if Bradley and defensive coordinator Todd Wash's patience is not.
"It's really cool that this is OTA number four and we are taking it very, very seriously that guys are messing up," Bennett said. "A lot of times it's the twos (second team) and Coach Wash and Coach Gus have no patience for it. It's about holding each other accountable and making sure everybody is doing their stuff, like all eleven at the same time."
Bennett goes on to say that this accountability in the OTA sessions can only grow from here.
"I think that's going to be a huge difference when we start going to camp and preseason. You are going to see the defense just click."
Part of getting the defense to click in addition to accountability is continuity. Something Safety Johnathan Cyprien says is also on schedule with the rookies, vets and free-agent acquisitions coming together.
"In the OTA's you create those bonds between the new rookies that came in and the new free agents. Also for us having a new defensive coordinator, when we put in all the new twists that he brings to the table, we can gel together and get it ready for camp."