Bill Belichick delivers his verdict on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
Bill Belichick's success against rookie quarterbacks is otherworldly. He's 24-6 and will have a chance to increase his win total after he faces Trevor Lawrence in Week 17. Given how poorly the Jacksonville Jaguars have played, Belichick has a good chance at being 25-6.
But just because the Jaguars are struggling this year doesn't mean they will forever. Bill Belichick has already seen growth from Lawrence throughout the season. He offered his take on the number one overall pick Saturday and rewarded Lawrence with some praise.
Bill Belichick: I think Trevor Lawrence will be a solid NFL player, maybe great. wp.me/pbBqYq-c9Vn
Bill Belichick believes Trevor Lawrence will be a "solid NFL player, maybe great"
Bill Belichick said that Lawrence is doing well in specific dimensions of the Jaguars offense. Lawrence is coming off one of his best games of the season, where he completed 66 percent of his passes for 280 yards. That granted him praise from one of the most accomplished coaches in NFL history. Belichick said,
“I think he’s gotten more comfortable as the season’s gone on and gotten comfortable with the offense. I’d say the offense has probably gotten comfortable with the things he does best. Definitely, a good level of execution there..."
Belichick went on to comment on how Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense were more dynamic against the Jets as they demonstrated diverse playcalling.
"They did a good job last week against the Jets, mixing in different varieties of passes, quick throws, moving pocket throws, deep balls, third down conversions, red area plays. He’s pretty good at all of them and continues to get better..."
Belichick finished by giving his final appraisal of Trevor Lawrence's year and that he reckons the young quarterback will develop into a "solid NFL player"
"So I think he’s had a good year and I think he’ll be a solid NFL player. Maybe great, I don’t know, but he’s certainly made a lot of progress this year.”
The Patriots head coach rarely speaks too highly of players, so for Lawrence to get Belichick's modest stamp of approval is noteworthy. Belichick is also known for calling it how he sees it. Which is probably why he wasn't heaping unwarranted praise on Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence has had one of the worst rookie seasons a quarterback could have. Through 15 games, he has just nine touchdowns while throwing 14 interceptions. He also spent the majority of this season stuck in a toxic environment under former Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer.
Trevor Lawrence over his past 8 games (half a season) would be on a 17 game pace of 2 TDs. Total. In a full season.
The Jaguars quarterback does deserve some slack, however, as his receivers have dropped 32 passes so far this year, by far the most in the NFL. But nothing changes the fact that Lawrence was touted as a generational prospect, and thus far we are yet to see any real glimpses of that as his rookie campaign draws to a close.
Looking ahead, however, Lawrence is likely to develop and grow into a far better player than he is now. He's simply too talented not to.
His next assignment will be to go up against one of the most elite strategists in NFL history, as the Jacksonville Jaguars take on Bill Belichick and his New England Patriots.