JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Jaguars had some extra eyes watching their afternoon practice on day two of mandatory mini-camp.
More than one thousand fans showed up for the practice at Florida Blue Field. This is the first time the public has been able to watch the 2012 Jaguars.
Rookie wide receiver, Justin Blackmon, had a sharp afternoon catching the football. Blaine Gabbert continued his progress in his first NFL offseason.
"It's just getting comfortable in the new system," said Gabbert. "The more you work, the easier it is. You learn how to pick things up quickly."
PLAYERS SUPPORT BLACKMON
The hot topic at mini-camp this week has been the absence of Maurice Jones-Drew. That sour subject overshadowed the return to the field for Justin Blackmon. The rookie wide receiver was arrested for aggravated DUI ten days ago.
"That's in the past," said Gabbert. "He's going to learn from that and we've moved on."
On Wednesday, Blackmon looked good in practice and that was not a surprise to his teammates.
"He's playing with a little chip on his shoulder," said fellow receiver Laurent Robinson. "He's a little mad by the whole situation."
Blackmon's teammates are willing to help and that comes in different forms.
"You can't be too negative," said lineman Eben Britton. "You have to let him know that he let him teammates down. He let everyone in the building down. He knows that. I have a lot of faith that he'll do right for the rest of his career."
FEAGLES HELPS ANGER
Former NFL punter, Jeff Feagles, was in town the last few days helping Jaguars third round draft pick Bryan Anger.
Feagles kicked for the Giants for 22 years and recently ran into Mike Mularkey at Tom Coughlin's Jay Fund golf tournament. Mularkey invited Feagles to minicamp to help Anger with the adjustment from college to the NFL.
Feagles is as impressed with Anger as everyone else.
"You can tell the sound when the guy is hitting the ball," said Feagles. "It's like an explosion. You don't forget that sound when you can't make that sound yourself."
Perhaps, Feagles best explanation of how good of a leg Anger has was when he compared the young punter to a baseball player.
"It's like a guy hitting a baseball 500 feet," said Feagles.
NO TALKS BETWEEN SCOBEE AND JAGS
Brandon Coutu is the Jags placekicker at the mandatory minicamp. That's because Josh Scobee is not here. Scobee is yet to sign his franchise tender and the two sides appear very far apart when it comes to a long term deal.
Scobee's agent, Ken Harris, told Action Sports today that the sides have not talked in months.
