AFC Notes: Trevor Lawrence, Xavier Restrepo, Jaguars, Titans

Trevor Lawrence

Jaguars’ new HC Liam Coen said he’s been “very impressed” by Trevor Lawrence, praising his work ethic and mental approach so far this offseason. 

“Mentally, he has done a phenomenal job,” Coen said, via John Oehser of the team’s site. “This guy, in terms of his work ethic, what he’s put into this thing on his own time, while he’s here, the play calls, handling the load, all that stuff, I’ve been very impressed with.”

Jaguars OC Grant Udinski mentioned Lawrence has done a great job studying their offense.

“He’s done a heck of a job studying for practices and meetings,” Udinski said. “It’s a lot of work to learn the system and to get to the point where it’s second nature, where he is out there playing and not thinking, and he can process things at that speed he will play at. We have a way to go, and we have time to build that. He has done a great job putting in the effort, putting in the time to get to where he is right now.”

Lawrence said he’s been putting a lot of focus on refining his footwork for Coen’s scheme. 

“I feel really good,” Lawrence said. “I was able to work on the footwork. It was foreign to me a little bit, but now it feels more comfortable. Then having a ton of banked reps through all of the weeks in Phase 1, Phase 2 and now onto OTA practices. I am feeling more and more comfortable. I think it is really going to help me. I feel more confident with my feet aligned where I want to go – my progressions and tying my feet to my progressions, being balanced and being able to get across the field quickly. I think it has been really good, and I just have to keep working at it. It doesn’t come overnight. It doesn’t come in four months, either. It is going to take a while, so just keep working at it this whole offseason.”

Jaguars

Following the release of TE Evan Engram, Jaguars TE Brenton Strange is primed to step into a more significant role in 2025. Strange spoke on his readiness for the increased snaps because of his belief in himself. 

“I’m definitely ready for it,” Strange said, via John Oehser of the team’s website. “I have a lot of confidence in myself and I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself. I feel like I’m always one of the best players on the field. I feel like that’s the mentality I bring.”

Titans

Former Miami WR Xavier Restrepo joined the Titans, with HC Brian Callahan acknowledging the team got extra chances to look at Restrepo and saw his chemistry with first overall QB Cam Ward.

“I mean, we watched a lot of tape on Cam, and you see all the plays that Xavier made over his career, particularly this past year,” Callahan said, per the team website. “All the players on that offense, we had a little bit more familiarity with just because of the nature of how much film you watch when you’re evaluating a quarterback. And then you got a chance to be exposed to him at the pro day, and (Xavier) was there for the private as well.”

“I was really excited when (the Titans) signed X,” Ward replied when asked about Restrepo’s signing. “He’s somebody who was deserving of it. He’s worked hard every day. He is one of the most underrated players that was in the draft this year. I think every time he steps on the field, he remembers everything, and he is going to continue to prove it. He was one of the best route runners in college football last year, he is first team All-conference, he is All-American, and he never lost in man coverage. He is a back-to-back 1,000-yard receiver, so why wouldn’t you push for him?”

“Xavier’s been a really productive college player. I mean, you look at all the names of receivers that have played at the University of Miami, and he’s at the top, which is impressive,” Callahan concluded. “He might not necessarily be the biggest or the fastest player that’s probably ever come out of Miami, but he’s been incredibly productive and he has found ways to play football the right way. So he’ll start out as a slot player for us, and he’ll have every chance to compete just like everybody else will. I’m excited to see what he can do.”