Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Marrone excited by Josh Oliver
Josh Oliver has the skill set to be a reliable weapon for the Jacksonville Jaguars, with coach Doug Marrone excited to see more from the rookie tight end.
Nick Foles had plenty of weapons to throw to during his two deep playoff runs with the Philadelphia Eagles but does not possess the same luxury after signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jags’ talent at the receiver and tight end positions is scant, but head coach Doug Marrone has expressed great satisfaction with a rookie they added at the latter spot, third-round pick Josh Oliver.
“I’m really happy with where he is,” said Marrone, per 1010 XL Jacksonville, of the former San Jose State tight end.
“It’s going to be exciting to see where he’s at when we start training camp.”
James O’Shaughnessy and Geoff Swaim are Oliver’s primary competitors for snaps and, though he has a long way to go as a blocker, Oliver has the pass-catching skill set to continue to make a positive impression in training camp and win significant playing time.
Should he do so then Oliver would provide Foles with a safety net. The former Spartan is a reliable pass-catcher who boasts impressive body control and a large catch radius. He can adjust to balls thrown behind him and elevate to make leaping grabs while showing toughness to survive contact and hang on to the ball.
Oliver lacks elite athleticism, and his issues as a blocker may prevent him from being an every-down player immediately in his career.
Yet Jacksonville’s offense was abysmal in 2018 and an improvement rests just as much on the development of its young pass-catchers as it does on Foles’ ability to continue the heroics he displayed in Philadelphia.
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To that end it is crucial Oliver builds on the plays that have seen him earn high praise from Marrone.
Oliver may not have received as much hype as T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant or even Jace Sterberger but, if he wins the starting job, he will begin his rookie season arguably under more pressure to produce than anybody else in the tight end class.