Jacksonville Jaguars plan to 'set the dish' for Trevor Lawrence with free agency signees
When Trevor Lawrence lines up for the first time during workouts this spring, he will do so behind a reworked offensive line, something the Jacksonville Jaguars' brass said would be a priority on Day 1.
During his NFL Combine scrum with local reporters, general manager James Gladstone elaborated on what he meant by "setting the dish" for Lawrence, making sure the QB has a clean pocket to deliver passes from, particularly having the ability to step up into the pocket.
"I think through that lens, when a quarterback has the luxury of stepping into a throw and not feeling that internal pressure, you're going to feel a lot of success come off that," Gladstone said in February.
"So, that's what I mean by setting the dish and the interior, and really look forward to working with our staff to better understand their insights on what our current interior offensive line looks like and the options that we'll have available throughout pro free agency and the draft."
The Jaguars came out of those meetings with urgency, quickly signing two starters and two backups to supplement their offensive line.
That includes right guard Patrick Mekari, center Robert Hainsey, tackle Chuma Edoga and offensive lineman Fred Johnson. Mekari and Hainsey are expected to start at their respective positions, replacing Brandon Scherff, who is currently a free agent, and Mitch Morse, who retired just ahead of the new league year beginning.
“I do think that we answered some questions there with our decisions here in pro-free agency, addressing both center and guard, as well as the tackle position," Gladstone said after signing a nine-man free agency class.
"Clearly by signing three of those players, and that being the most at any one position over the course of the free agent window, we're setting the standard for what we're actually looking to do and that doesn't count offensive line out of the equation in the draft either. But at the same time, that's another position that does have attrition throughout the course of a season, so we'll never feel like we've got enough.”
Jacksonville's path to protecting Lawrence will continue through the NFL Draft, but what do the starters they've acquired bring to the table in Jacksonville?
Patrick Mekari brings versatility to Jaguars offensive line
The Jaguars moved to make Mekari a priority in free agency during the negotiation period a couple of days before the new league year, signing the lineman to a three-year, $37.5 million contract with $22.5 million guaranteed.
The contract dictates that Mekari starts this season, and he could have an opportunity to earn more once his guarantees run out after the 2026 season.
In six tears with the Ravens since signing with the franchise as an undrafted free agent out of Cal in 2019, Mekari has played at all five positions on the offensive line, seeing extension action at right guard in 2024 as a full-time starter.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mekari allowed just one sack last year and has graded out positively every season since 2019. He played a career-high 577 pass-block reps in 2024.
Still, even with his versatility and prowess for protecting the passer, Mekari didn't grab at an opportunity to brag on himself when asked if he takes pride in his versatility.
"A lot of pride, I don't know. I take pride in understanding the game and understanding the technique, but when I go out there, I'm just a football player and I'm an offensive lineman, center, guard or tackle," Mekari said when introduced nearly two weeks ago.
Gladstone wasn't as humble as one of the young general manager's first signees. Gladstone beamed when asked about Mekari's versatility and Jacksonville landing him.
“That was insanely rare. I don’t know that that’s something that typically comes up on the market at a cost point that’s affordable enough to pursue. Really, we were very disciplined in our approach and how we spent this offseason. Patrick is somebody who—he wasn’t offered the opportunity or the backdrop of being a draft pick coming out. He’s earned everything he's gotten, and he earned this opportunity," Gladstone shared.
"His versatility, obviously, there’s always attrition on the offensive line throughout the course of the season and obviously, he’ll allow us a lot of flexibility on the offensive side of the ball to feel like we’re never in a bind because we can move him around if necessary. But at the same time, he’s going to be slotted in as a starter on the interior of our OL at this point.”
How Robert Hainsey will help smooth transition for Trevor Lawrence
Gladstone's urgency to protect Lawrence didn't stop at Mekari, though. The team went out and signed Hainsey, who started 35 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being unseated by a rookie last year.
Hainsey's experience wasn't the only factor when signed, though. He spent all of last season with Jaguars head coach Liam Coen when Coen was Tampa's offensive coordinator. His familiarity with Coen and his system, in addition to his experience as an NFL starting center, could pay dividends for Lawrence moving forward.
Hainsey is looking forward to the opportunity.
"I really enjoyed working with Liam [Coen] last year. I'm really looking forward to working with him again this year. The way he kind of uses his offense to his player's strengths is something that IU think he's going to do a great job here with the group that we have and the group we're building," Hainsey said shortly after signing his contract in Jacksonville.
When Coen first got to Tampa last year, the team was expected to run primarily a zone-blocking scheme rather than a gap scheme. But, after working with the players, Coen altered his plan to fit with what they can bring to the table.
"We came out and we're running it really well, so we leaned on that, and we kept running, and we kept running it well, and that became one of our calling cards," Hainsey recalled.
"Even though, when he got there around this time last year, that probably wasn't his original plan, but you can see how he adapted to it, used those strengths that we showed on film as a team and made it our whole strength, made it our identity."
Understanding Coen's approach will help make the transition for Hainsey easier, but will also help the veteran center bring Lawrence along, too.
"I think for both of us because I've been in the system a year, I think that'll be helpful to him. He's got a ton of knowledge, and he's a great player. So that'll be helpful for me.
Gladstone called signing Hainsey a "massive priority," but not just because he was in Coen's system last year.
“It was a massive priority, right? That's some weight off the shoulders of [QB] Trevor [Lawrence] at the line of scrimmage, that now because of the familiarity from Robert, he doesn't have to bear as a quarterback. At the same time, Robert got one op [opportunity] to start this past season versus the New Orleans Saints, and I'd encourage anybody and everybody to watch that game and understand why it was a player of interest," said Gladstone.
"Think about the intangible elements in the back of your mind as it relates to a performance on the field, and you'll see that clear as day in that game. Robert was not going to allow that opportunity — he didn't know how many he was going to get last season — to make it so that by the time that pro-free agency kicked off, that bell rang on Monday, that he was going to be given an op because somebody saw exactly what we did in him and that's a player that does not quit. The whistle blows and he's playing through it, and that's something that we really, really value.”
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence gets protection boost by Jaguars through free agency
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