Two-way athlete Travis Hunter has the talent to become a difference-maker in the NFL. Of course, he'll need to get help to reach his potential, and a former All-Pro cornerback doesn't think the Jacksonville Jaguars will provide that, at least not when it comes to the quarterback position.
Asante Samuel said on his Say What Needs To Be Said podcast that he has enough evidence to think Hunter will successfully play cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL. However, he's not nearly as high on Trevor Lawrence, pointing out that he left much to be desired on the first day of Jaguars OTAs.
"All heard me say that, right? Y'all heard me say, I'm probably the first person to say that now, as a receiver, he doesn't control his own destiny. Even if he is a legit prospect at receiver, he still can't throw the ball and catch it himself," Samuel said. "Now, Travis, I mean, Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville, Jaguar, quarterback, yeah, back to back, 4000 seasons, not this past season, but a couple seasons ago, right? So he showed what he can do by throwing for 4000 yards. But last season was a bust."
Samuel continued, "Last season was, it was a bust for everybody in Jacksonville, pretty much. But I can say Trevor Lawrence kind of get the job done. As far as Brian Thomas Jr is concerned, the No. 1 receiver right now, Brian Thomas Jr had 1300 y'all. So you can say you kind of get this job done a little bit, you know what I mean? But one thing I learned, one thing, or one of the things I learned from Bill Belichick about being a professional is make sure we execute our practice plays just how we expect to execute on game day.
You could make the case that it's only practice, but Samuel took that into account and explained why it matters.
"Now, out of five seasons playing with Tom Brady, I played five seasons in New England with Brady, right? I only can remember one or two situations in practice. And I'm just, I'm just going to say two, just to give Trevor Lawrence a little credit. It's really only one. You know, I'm giving the benefit of doubt, but one or two times I've seen Tom Brady miss a pass, miss a throw to a receiver in practice without a defense on the football field," Samuel said.
"I really only seen it one time, but I'm going to give it, I'm going to say two, just to give Trevor Lawrence the benefit of the doubt. And that one time, I do remember Bill Belichick made a big, big, big deal about it."
To prove his point, Samuel goes on to share a couple of throws where Lawrence is off target. For context, though, he's recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered last season. Then again, No. 16 wasn't particularly great, and his mechanics were sluggish before he got hurt, so the former Pro Bowl nod may be onto something.
Trevor Lawrence must help the Jaguars win games to prove Asante Samuel wrong
Asante Samuel acknowledges that Trevor Lawrence has previously played at a high level, but in the NFL, it's all about what you have done recently, and the former Clemson Tiger hasn't come through the past two seasons.
Granted, the circumstances around Lawrence haven't been great. Moreover, quarterbacks often get more praise or blame than they deserve because they play the position that has the biggest impact on the outcome of the game. But that comes with the territory. It hasn't helped that he's failed to stay healthy the past two years.
Working in Lawrence favor, is that what you done lately is what matters in the NFL also applies when you perform well, and if he can help the Jaguars win games, he'll once again be discussed as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL
And that's the thing, the fifth-year quarterback is certainly off to a rough start to the offseason but should improve significantly as he makes strides in his recovery. Add the fact that he'll have much better protection, and he should have no trouble taking advantage of his improved arsenal of weapons.
The bottom line is that Trevor Lawrence is entering a pivotal year, but he'll be in a great position to silence his critics and prove his supporters right.
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