Jay Gruden's offense is still at the changing-table level in Jacksonville as the disrupted offseason due to COVID-19 has hindered the new Jaguars offense from fully being installed on the field.
"We're still in diapers right now," Gruden said Wednesday of his offense, via the team's official website.
With Gardner Minshew at the helm as the full-time starter entering the season, Gruden is confident the Jags can go from diapers to pull-ups to big-boy underwear in a hurry as training camp practices get underway. Being in diapers now isn't a negative in Gruden's eyes.
"We've got a long way to go, but I'm excited about the guys," he said. "You have guys who are willing to learn and willing to work. These guys are willing to learn and do things the way we want to do things now. Some things will be similar. Some things will be a little different.
"We have a long way to do, but I've been impressed with every one of them so far."
After getting fired in Washington, Gruden landed on his feet in Jacksonville under Doug Marrone, who enters his fourth full season as head coach with a 22-28 record.
Teams with new coaches and coordinators like Gruden are at a big disadvantage this season, with the offseason being wiped out and the preseason being canceled. Gruden, however, likes to look at the positives.
"I think we'll get it up to speed. The good thing about the start of training camp has been a phase two-type deal where we've had a lot of meetings; we've had a lot of walk-throughs before we actually practice full speed," Gruden said. "So these last five or six days, we have a few more days leading up to our first practice, have been good. We still have a lot of time without the preseason games. What that gives us is more time to have walk-throughs and get the looks we need to see getting ready for Indianapolis, Houston, and the teams that we play, as opposed to getting ready for a team you're going to play in the preseason that you'll never see again.
"I think we're going to have plenty of time to get what we need to get in. Understand that we have a lot of young guys. We have guys in this offense for the first time and we just have to be patient. We also have to demand a lot of these guys mentally. We can't just go out in five formations and run 12 plays. We have to challenge the defense. We have to challenge our guys and make sure we get the necessary looks and variety of offense that we need."
Gruden and Marrone must show management progress with Minshew and the young corps or we might be talking about the Jags offense being in diapers once again next offseason with a completely new staff parenting the changes.
