Urban Meyer has been steadfast in his claims that the Jacksonville Jaguars won't be overhauling their offensive line. Now, two of his first official moves as Jaguars head coach have solidified that belief.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are re-signing impending free agent guard Tyler Shatley to a one-year contract, keeping the team's most experienced and valuable backup offensive lineman in Jacksonville.
This comes just days after Meyer and the Jaguars placed the franchise tag on veteran left tackle Cam Robinson. Now, the Jaguars appear set to enter the 2021 offseason prepared to attack nearly every position group but the offensive line.
"Offensive line, especially the interior line, I feel really good about them, [OL Andrew] Norwell, [OL Brandon] Linder, and [OL] A.J. [Cann]. Those guys are good and our right tackle, I feel like his future’s ahead of him too," Meyer said on Tuesday. "So, the offensive line, they should be better than a year [ago]. The expectation is that the offensive line will be much better next year.”
While Shatley is unlikely to push any of the starters in training camp, he is an immensely valuable player to have on the roster. He has played both guard spots and center for the Jaguars since signing with the squad as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
Most importantly, however, Shatley has played well when called upon. Most NFL teams go into disarray when injuries mount up on the offensive line, but Shatley has given the Jaguars a reliable option to fill in for any of the three interior spots.
Shatley has appeared in 94 games for the Jaguars since 2014, starting 25. He started a career-high 10 games last season and started 15 games from 2016-2018, including four starts during the Jaguars' 10-win season in 2017. Shatley also played a career-high in snaps last season, being on the field for 643 of Jacksonville's offensive plays (62%).
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