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Jaguars set to get to work as QBs, rookies report for training camp

There was a buzz inside the halls of EverBank Field Monday and it wasn’t because of the Pokemon Go event scheduled there for Monday night. Instead, for the first time in weeks, it was focused on football.

<p><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11px;">Jun 14, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) throws a pass during minicamp workouts at Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports</span></p>

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --- There was a buzz inside the halls of EverBank Field Monday and it wasn’t because of the Pokemon Go event scheduled there for Monday night. Instead, for the first time in weeks, it was focused on football.

Quarterbacks and rookies reported to EverBank Field Monday to open the Jaguars’ 2016 training camp. Whether it was the player check-in tables, or the stacks of playbooks being carted through the bowels of the building, there was definitely a first-day-of-school vibe surrounding the organization.

So after an action-packed offseason that saw big-name free agent signings and a highly touted draft class, what are the main focuses for the team as they enter a new season? For third-year Quarterback Blake Bortles, it’s all about two things – starting faster and having more consistency.

“I think last year we did some things and we’re kind of able to put up some numbers but I don’t think we did it consistently,” Bortles said. “Another thing that we’ve talked about as a group that we’ve sat down with [Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson] is we want to start a game the way we start the second half. We seem to be a team that kind of plays two total different halves so to find a way to start whether you have to think about it as being down the fourth quarter or whatever mindset you have to take we need to start the game faster than we did last year.”

To help facilitate those improvements Bortles spent time this offseason, once again, going out to California to work with renowned throwing coach Tom House. He has also reached out, again, to proven veterans like Aaron Rodgers and Carson Palmer fro advice. Thirdly, he has spent a lot of time in Jacksonville working with his supporting cast, most of which stayed in town during the team’s time off between the end of minicamp and the start of training camp this week.

“It was kind of neat to be able to hangout and workout with those guys and throw with them here all offseason,” Borltes said. “To be able to have that continuity, there’s not a whole lot of turnover. We’ve been able to work with the same guys and I think there’s a lot to be said for that whether it’s a certain level of comfort or kind of just being on the same page and having that chemistry.”

Continuity, comfort, and chemistry – This offseason is really the first that Bortles has been able to use those phrases since entering the league. His rookie offseason he, like most rookies, was just trying to keep his head above water. Last offseason, Bortles had to learn a completely new offense after the firing and hiring off offensive coordinators Jedd Fisch and Greg Olson respectively.

Now, after a 2015 season that saw a big jump in production from the offense, Bortles has had a whole offseason to look at the same offensive scheme to see what worked and what didn’t work and to try and get a full grasp of the system.

“It definitely feels good,” Bortles said. “I think having a bit of a foundation, physically and mentally, helps definitely for me. I think it allows me to feel more comfortable about things… I’ve said it before, I want to know the offense better than anybody in the building, including [Olson] and it’s just going to take time and take reps. Last year we were able to do a lot and felt good with it. This year we’d only like to be better at it.”

While Bortles is focused on continuing to grow the offense, Jaguars’ management, like most front offices around the NFL, is more focused on getting to the regular season with a healthy roster.

According to General Manager David Caldwell, the Jaguars should be close to 100 percent as they enter training camp. He said that most of the players that were dealing with injuries during OTAs and minicamp, they expect to be able to participate in some capacity come Thursday.

Rookies Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack are expected to be full goes. Defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks is also expected to be ready as well as free agent left tackle Kelvin Beachum, who was brought in to compete with Luke Joeckel, but was sidelined throughout OTAs with a knee injury.

“I think for us it’s just to stay healthy,” Caldwell said. “If we can stay healthy and if we can go into the season with a full squad I think we’re going to have a chance at this.”

The balancing act of getting in the necessary work while trying to keep your players healthy is always a tough one to manage but Caldwell said he feels his team has made the steps needed to allow that to happen.

Quarterbacks and rookies will be in meetings Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday veterans report and Thursday the team hits the field for the first practice of 2016 training camp.

Follow Tim Bee on Twitter @timbeesports

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