Teams might be calling the Jacksonville Jaguars trying to pry away quarterback Gardner Minshew, but new coach Urban Meyer said the club isn't reciprocating that interest. Yet.
Speaking Friday morning, Meyer was asked directedly if Jacksonville was considering trading the former starter.
"At this point, no," Meyer responded. "At this point, I know Gardner a little bit. He came in yesterday. We had a good visit. That's the second time I've spent time with him. This is all kind of new to me. I'm used to spending about five, six hours a day with our quarterbacks -- that's January, February, to get your quarterback ready to go, and you can't do that in the NFL.
"But there is a lot of anticipation about the first pick, and I understand there is a lot of conversation out there. But there has been no decisions made. Gardner has done some very good things here in Jacksonville. And he's a competitive maniac, which I really appreciate that about him. So there have been no decisions made. Yesterday was the first lengthy meeting we've had, and we're going to continue that here for the next few weeks."
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier this week that the Jags have received a few calls from teams inquiring about Minshew.
Meyer responding "at this point" underscores that trading Minshew could become more realistic as we get closer to the draft.
Minshew Mania took over Jacksonville during the quarterback's rookie season. Last year, however, he ended the season on the bench with the club desiring to test other options.
An elusive QB with good accuracy, Minshew might not have the biggest arm, but he can throw with anticipation and proved he could operate behind a porous offensive line. Given his starting experience, the 24-year-old certainly has value as a backup with upside who could compete for reps. If the Jags decide to move on with an older vet and a rookie, more than a few teams should call about acquiring Minshew's services -- at a later point.
As for the expected new Jags starting QB, Meyer dropped by NFL Network's Good Morning Football on Friday and provided his scouting report on Trevor Lawrence, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick.
"There's a lot of boxes he checks," Meyer said. "The No. 1 that I've always looked for in a quarterback and we've been fortunate... You look at the career that I had in college, and the one thing we've always had is a great quarterback. They might look different. They might play different. But that position, you can't function without them. No. 1, his competitive spirit. He's a competitor. He's 34-2 as a starter. He's an extreme competitor. All the homework we've done on him when I talk to him on these Zoom calls. I don't have to do much more Zoom because I know so much about Trevor. But he's been great conversations. That's No. 1. He's a tough guy. I witnessed that live when I watched him play against Ohio State in the playoffs, not this past year, a year ago. His intelligence, his football intellect, his leadership, and then his ability to adapt in the spread offense. He can do it all. He's 5-for-5 in those areas."
