Countdown to Training Camp: Andrew Norwell

Jaguars guard was only lineman not to allow a sack or quarterback hit in 2017

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Left guard has been a revolving door of late for the Jaguars. That will no longer be the case after Jacksonville signed Andrew Norwell to a five-year deal for $66.5 million during free agency.

The deal included $30 million guaranteed and at the time made Norwell the highest paid offensive guard in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the only lineman not to allow a sack or quarterback hit in 2017.

Position: Offensive Guard

2017 Highlights (Carolina Panthers): Started all 16 games and named first-team All-Pro. 

2018 Projection: Last season the Jaguars led the NFL in rushing. Doug Marrone has said the next step for the offensive line is to be able to consistently create running lanes when opposing teams know they’re going to run the ball. That’s something Jacksonville was unable to do in the AFC Championship game against New England.  

On paper this is best offensive line that quarterback Blake Bortles will have played behind. During the off-season program players aren’t allowed to wear shoulder pads so we will have to wait until training camp in order to see how the offensive line has adapted to adding Norwell.

Norwell on if he sees any similarities between the Panthers and the Jaguars in wanting to run the ball:

“Yeah, I see some similarities with statistics and all that, making sure we run the ball for 100 yards a game.  That’s a big statistic of winning games. That would be our goal every game.”