It’s looking up for the Jacksonville Jaguars down low in the defensive trenches.
A day after the team added depth to the defensive interior by trading center Luke Fortner to New Orleans for veteran tackle Khalen Saunders, linemen Maason Smith and Arik Armstead participated in their first team periods of camp on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Miller Electric Center.
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Smith started camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list and Armstead had been slowly brought along with a back injury.
The sight of the two big bodies (Smith is 6-feet-5 and 306 pounds, Armstead 6-7 and 290) and adding Saunders is a huge lift late in camp for the Jags, at a position where they need more push.
“Great to see Arik out there, and Maason,” said Jaguars coach Liam Coen. “Both guys have done everything they can in order to get on the grass, so to see them out there is a great sign. I’m really happy, obviously, to see them out there and both guys did nothing but work their tails off to get back.”
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Jaguars training camp reportNo. 17, Aug. 19
Duration:Â One hour, 30 minutes, helmets and shorts.
Conditions:Â Temperature was 82 degrees, heat index 87 degrees and humidity 81 percent at the start. The temperature was 85 degrees, heat index 89 degrees and humidity 74 percent at the end.
Injuries: Travis Hunter was held out of team periods for a second practice in a row but he did participate with the defense for individual drills. … Cornerback Tyson Campbell and wide receiver Eli Pancol worked out on the side but Campbell appeared in drills and the team’s alignment and assignment period. … Offensive guard Wyatt Milum (lower body) was injured in the Saints preseason game and did not practice. … Offensive tackle Anton Harrison (lower body) and wide receiver Dyami Brown, who missed the Saints preseason game because of “tightness,” according to Coen, both returned to practice. … Remaining out were defensive tackle (back), linebacker Jalen McLeod (lower body), defensive back Caleb Ransaw (lower body), cornerback Montaric Brown (lower body) and offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen (shoulder).
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Jaguars offense notes
The offense had a relatively clean day, with one false start penalty and drops by running back LeQuint Allen Jr., and tight end Quintin Morris. Coach Liam Coen put the team through another extended period of “alignment and assignment,” in which the play was called, the ball was snapped and the play was immediately blown dead.
During team periods, quarterback Trevor Lawrence was 8 of 11 in 11-on-11 and 5 of 8 in 7-on-7. Nick Mullens was 4 of 6 in 11-on-11 and made the play of the practice with perhaps his best deep throw of camp, to Austin Trammell on a flag pattern for a touchdown.
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Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead (91) runs after an NFL training camp session on Aug. 14 at the Miller Electric Center. Armstead participated in a team 11=on-11 period for the first time in camp on Aug. 19.
Jaguars defense notes
Linebacker Dennis Gardeck and defensive end Dawuane Smoot would have had back-to-back sacks under live conditions on two of the final three plays of the day.
Maason Smith seemed to move well and applied some inside pressure.
Jaguars special teams notes
Stop the presses: Cam Little missed a field-goal attempt. The second-year kicker had made 26 attempts in a row in a combination of live team periods, two scrimmages and two preseason games but missed his first attempt in this practice, wide right from 47 yards out. However, he connected from 47, 48 and 51 after that. Little is 32 of 35 in camp, scrimmages and preseason games (91.4 percent).
The Jaguars fiddled with their holder-kicker combinations in practice. Mullens held for Little’s missed attempt and then for a 47-yarder by normal holder Logan Cooke, who made it. Cooke then made another field goal of 47 yards, with Little holding. The final three attempts by Little were with Cooke holding as usual.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars camp report: Maason Smith, Arik Armstead featured