As Urban Meyer prepares to make his first slew of NFL roster cuts, the first-year Jaguars coach is employing an outside-the-box strategy to help him decide which players to keep.
In what he calls “Winners and Losers” drills, Meyer is pairing players to participate in a series of one-on-one competitions, like blocking drills, throughout practice, ESPN.com reported. A member of the Jaguars coaching staff then proceeds to broadcast the winner’s name over the loudspeaker, while a running tally of each player’s record is recorded.
“A big roster’s going to go to a smaller roster, and I think to be fair to players — we all have so much respect (and) this is a way guys make a living — I don’t believe in subjectivity,” Meyer said. “I believe in, what’s your record? Every man’s got a record. What is it? You are what your record (is). If you lose a lot but you have a lot of potential, that’s not real good.
While it’s the first time Meyer is implementing the tactic to dictate actual transactions, it has long been a staple of his coaching scheme. He started “Winners and Losers” during his second season at Florida in 2006, and later brought it with him to Ohio State, using the results to determine playing time.
Urban Meyer at Jaguars training camp. Getty Images“It’s not fair to players to say, ‘Well, I’m starting (you) because I like you, or because you’re from Ohio’,” Meyer said. “It’s just: Here’s the stats. They say statistics are for losers, and my comment is usually losers say statistics are for losers.
“So you’ve got a record. What’s your record? How’s it going? I just think that’s a complete mentality.”
Though Wednesday was the first day of “Winners and Losers,” the system is already receiving positive reviews. Speaking to reporters after practice, defensive end Dawuane Smoot attributed the team’s “competitive spirit” to Meyer’s drill.
ESPN also reported that quarterback-turned-tight end Tim Tebow lost a matchup to fellow TE Chris Manhertz.
