When the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Chuma Edoga in free agency, they expected him to provide depth on the offseason line. However, he's turned out to be more than the team bargained for. And just recently, head coach Liam Coen talked about how valuable the veteran hog molly has been.
Coen met with the local media following Day 11 of training camp and said that he's been pleased with Edoga.
"He's done a nice job being able to go in and out right, and with Patrick [Mekari] coming off the back, and being able to get those valuable reps," Coen said when asked what he's seen on Edoga (3:53 mark). "And look, it's still competition. That's the beautiful part of it is we don't play for a month, right? And so you have got now, the install is in. We have, we have done with the installs on both sides of the ball. So now, for the next three weeks, we can hone those fundamentals, techniques, concepts, and schemes.
And then also play with rotations, play with different guys in different spots a little bit. And then as obviously you want to get in about 10 days at least, maybe as close as you can, to be able to give them ops to compete, but also tighten it in so we know maybe who are our five, six are going to be. But yeah, he's, I've been happy with Chuma. He's a good pro."
A third-round pick by the New York Jets in 2019, Edoga joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2022 and spent the past two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. The former USC Trojan signed a two-year deal worth $7 million with Jacksonville in free agency. Early in the offseason, it looked like he was going to have trouble sticking around, but it's turned out to be a great investment.
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Chuma Egoga is hitting his stride with the Jaguars
All things considered, it's refreshing to see Chuma Edoga thrive with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although he's always shown versatility to line up inside or outside, he was inconsistent in his previous stops. Heck, there's a reason the Powder Springs, Georgia native is already on his fourth NFL team in five years.
On the other hand, players' readiness is always variable, and it looks like Edoga needed time to put it all together. It's also possible that the Jags have been his best fit. Back in mandatory minicamp, he split reps with Anton Harrison at right tackle.
Throughout training camp, Edoga filled in for prized free-agent acquisition Patrick Mekari. He won't be unseating him anytime soon, but he's proving that he can be dependable. The fact that the seventh-year veteran has the versatility to line up inside and outside will allow him to get on the football field if injuries strike.
Chuma Edoga may not get a featured role in 2025, but the Jaguars should feel comfortable that the offensive line won't miss a beat if he has to be thrust into action.
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