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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Ameer Abdullah is the vet in the room. Entering his 12th season, Abdullah has lived a long NFL life.
When Abdullah entered the league, the veterans on his roster were Aquan Boldin (who retired in 2017) and first-ballot Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson (who retired in 2016).
The average age of the five other players in the Jaguars running back room (24.4) is nearly 10 years younger than Abdullah (33). But he isn’t using the age gap to treat his teammates as if they are kids.
He’s here to compete, push them to be better, and hopefully, pass on useful info that he has obtained as a pro.
“A lot of us come from various different backgrounds, but once we get between these white lines we’re all the same,” Abdullah told the Times-Union before the Jaguars dismissed for the summer. “We all want the same thing, we all had the same dream since we were little kids.”
With a room that’s largely inexperienced — both in service years and time on Jacksonville’s roster — Abdullah’s presence is welcomed.
He can act as an echo chamber for running backs coach Chad Morton, who can lean on Abdullah's experience as an example.
“He’s the old head in the group and guys can learn and soak up knowledge from him,” Morton said. “He’s well spoken, calm, competitive, a hard worker. It’s imperative that these guys get as much as they can from him.”
The top two returning rushers in Jacksonville, Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, are both entering their second seasons. Chris Rodriguez, the free agent signee, missed all of minicamp with a lower body injury. DeeJay Dallas was brought in last season for support on special teams. J’Mari Taylor is an undrafted free agent and a longshot to make the main roster but might be able to snag a practice squad spot.
And then there’s Abdullah, who has the experience to be relied on in Jacksonville’s offense and is a special teams standout. He’s a welcomed addition to Heath Farwell’s kicking team group.
“Ameer’s been a guy that I've watched across the league for a bunch of years. I've always admired the way he plays,” Farwell said. “He's a fantastic kick returner, can punt return as well. He can play all phases. It’s a battle with that running back room that's so talented. I’d love him to be here because he's a very good special teamer as well as a running back.”
Abdullah would make sense as a returner as Tuten and Allen step into larger roles with the offense. He would take pressure off them, and he could replace Parker Washington as the team’s punt returner as Washington takes on more responsibilities as a pass catcher.
“It’s a compete atmosphere here,” Abdullah said of potentially earning a role with the special teams unit. “We have a lot of drills where it’s mano a mano or we’re trying to see who can be the quickest and fastest. I appreciate that because it’s honest and true.”
While special teams might be the best path to making the roster for Abdullah, he is here to compete in all phases. He wants to push his teammates and show he still has gas in the tank out of the backfield.
“I approach everything the same,” Abdullah said. “No matter if it’s young guys or veterans on the team that I’m competing with. Just giving my best effort every single day.”
Abdullah has recorded 3,621 total yards from scrimmage in his career. His versatility as a pass catcher has made successful with nearly every team he’s been a member of. That’s something head coach Liam Coen noted as well when talking about the veteran running back.
“I think he's a natural slash runner. He can stick his foot in the ground,” Coen said. “He’s got some wiggle inside and then in the pass game, I really like him in the pass game. He can run routes, he can double you up. He can come to balance and work edges on people. So, I've been very happy to have Ameer.”
As Jacksonville’s offense continues to grow, pass catching out of the backfield will continue to be an emphasis for the team. Being able to create mismatches and have safety valves is a key for the success the Jaguars want to have offensively.
Having Abdullah's experience should help that department, too.
“My entire life I’ve had to prove it. I’ve always been undersized,” Abdullah said. “I’ve always been someone that’s counted out. Here I am, year 12 doing this thing. Expect a guy that’s going to bring energy. A guy that's going to make plays when his number is called.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Ameer Abdullah not just trying to be a vet. He's out for a roster spot
Continue reading...
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Ameer Abdullah is the vet in the room. Entering his 12th season, Abdullah has lived a long NFL life.
When Abdullah entered the league, the veterans on his roster were Aquan Boldin (who retired in 2017) and first-ballot Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson (who retired in 2016).
The average age of the five other players in the Jaguars running back room (24.4) is nearly 10 years younger than Abdullah (33). But he isn’t using the age gap to treat his teammates as if they are kids.
He’s here to compete, push them to be better, and hopefully, pass on useful info that he has obtained as a pro.
“A lot of us come from various different backgrounds, but once we get between these white lines we’re all the same,” Abdullah told the Times-Union before the Jaguars dismissed for the summer. “We all want the same thing, we all had the same dream since we were little kids.”
Ameer Abdullah earns praise from Jacksonville Jaguars’ coaching staff
With a room that’s largely inexperienced — both in service years and time on Jacksonville’s roster — Abdullah’s presence is welcomed.
He can act as an echo chamber for running backs coach Chad Morton, who can lean on Abdullah's experience as an example.
You must be registered for see images
“He’s the old head in the group and guys can learn and soak up knowledge from him,” Morton said. “He’s well spoken, calm, competitive, a hard worker. It’s imperative that these guys get as much as they can from him.”
The top two returning rushers in Jacksonville, Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, are both entering their second seasons. Chris Rodriguez, the free agent signee, missed all of minicamp with a lower body injury. DeeJay Dallas was brought in last season for support on special teams. J’Mari Taylor is an undrafted free agent and a longshot to make the main roster but might be able to snag a practice squad spot.
And then there’s Abdullah, who has the experience to be relied on in Jacksonville’s offense and is a special teams standout. He’s a welcomed addition to Heath Farwell’s kicking team group.
“Ameer’s been a guy that I've watched across the league for a bunch of years. I've always admired the way he plays,” Farwell said. “He's a fantastic kick returner, can punt return as well. He can play all phases. It’s a battle with that running back room that's so talented. I’d love him to be here because he's a very good special teamer as well as a running back.”
Abdullah would make sense as a returner as Tuten and Allen step into larger roles with the offense. He would take pressure off them, and he could replace Parker Washington as the team’s punt returner as Washington takes on more responsibilities as a pass catcher.
“It’s a compete atmosphere here,” Abdullah said of potentially earning a role with the special teams unit. “We have a lot of drills where it’s mano a mano or we’re trying to see who can be the quickest and fastest. I appreciate that because it’s honest and true.”
Ameer Abdullah is ready to compete for a spot in Jaguars’ training camp
You must be registered for see images
While special teams might be the best path to making the roster for Abdullah, he is here to compete in all phases. He wants to push his teammates and show he still has gas in the tank out of the backfield.
“I approach everything the same,” Abdullah said. “No matter if it’s young guys or veterans on the team that I’m competing with. Just giving my best effort every single day.”
Abdullah has recorded 3,621 total yards from scrimmage in his career. His versatility as a pass catcher has made successful with nearly every team he’s been a member of. That’s something head coach Liam Coen noted as well when talking about the veteran running back.
“I think he's a natural slash runner. He can stick his foot in the ground,” Coen said. “He’s got some wiggle inside and then in the pass game, I really like him in the pass game. He can run routes, he can double you up. He can come to balance and work edges on people. So, I've been very happy to have Ameer.”
As Jacksonville’s offense continues to grow, pass catching out of the backfield will continue to be an emphasis for the team. Being able to create mismatches and have safety valves is a key for the success the Jaguars want to have offensively.
Having Abdullah's experience should help that department, too.
“My entire life I’ve had to prove it. I’ve always been undersized,” Abdullah said. “I’ve always been someone that’s counted out. Here I am, year 12 doing this thing. Expect a guy that’s going to bring energy. A guy that's going to make plays when his number is called.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Ameer Abdullah not just trying to be a vet. He's out for a roster spot
Continue reading...
