Jaxson De Ville
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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USA TODAY Sports
New Jaguars coach Urban Meyer has said that he’d hire an “elite” coaching staff. He recently was asked to expand/expound (actually either works) on his interpretation of the term.
“You’re going to hear the word ‘elite’ all over the place around here,” Meyer said, via Jaguars.com. “Elite is hard. I take a little bit of offense when I hear people use that word loosely. I’ve been fortunate to be around elite. You see some of the high draft picks, some of the great players we’ve been around. Those are elite players. I’ve also had elite coaches. I take that word very seriously.
“There’s a term we’re going to use. ‘The edge’ is where average stops and elite begins. The greatest way to visualize that is practices. The first five practices in training camp your body’s fine, your mind’s fine . . . everything is good. But what about after practice five? What about after practice 15? That’s when your body starts shutting down on you a little bit and fatigue starts to take over. What does the average player, the average coach, do at that time? They step backwards. What do elite people do? They push right through that edge. I like to say the edge is where average stops and elite begins. That’s what I looked for in my coaching staff. In free agency and then draft, that’s what we’ll look for in players.”
As to free agency, where skilled college recruiters can employ their skills of persuasion to professionals, Meyer already has been working on his spiel/shpiel (actually either works).
“We’re having a serious conversation about a facility here, a brand-new facility,” Meyer said. “I’ve put together a sports performance team that I expect to be the best in the NFL. You’re talking about Jacksonville, Florida . . . no state tax and all of the above . . . weather. I want this to be the destination place in the National Football League. Obviously, money plays a huge role, but if those start to get close. We want to go to Jacksonville. Why? Great place to raise a family, great place to live, great weather, great tax situation – and oh by the way: We have the best facility and the best support staff and best sports performance team in the NFL. That’s the vision. That’s the dream I have.”
Meyer’s dream could help turn around what has been, in most recent years, a nightmare for the Jaguars and their fans. With plenty of cap space to burn, the Jaguars could try to make a big splash in March before adding quarterback Trevor Lawrence in April.