Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer: 'I love' Gardner Minshew

Just about everybody with eyes believes Jacksonville Jaguars rookie and first-overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence will start over Gardner Minshew even though head coach Urban Meyer has suggested he's hosting a legitimate quarterback competition this summer. 

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Meyer had high praise for Minshew when speaking with reporters Thursday. 

"I didn’t know Minshew," Meyer explained. "I knew his [Washington State] coach very well, Mike Leach. I don’t say we got off to a bad start, but I just didn’t see very much of him. But he’s earned my respect. I love that guy. He’s a warrior competitor, he’s a fighter. I told him that. I just have great respect for Minshew. He brings it every day now, every day." 

Florio adds that Meyer may simply be attempting to bolster Minshew's trade value and draw attention from a quarterback-needy team such as the Indianapolis Colts, which are currently without starter Carson Wentz as he recovers from foot surgery. Then again, sitting a rookie signal-caller for even a handful of games isn't the worst thing to help that first-year pro further develop before he faces live defenses in meaningful action. 

Whatever the reasoning behind Meyer's words, Minshew will have an opportunity to impress onlookers when Jacksonville opens the preseason versus the Cleveland Browns on Saturday evening.