WEBVTT - Publix Tailgate Show: Tight ends coach Ron Middleton

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<v Speaker 1>What a fun offense to be a part of. So

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<v Speaker 1>far twenty eight and a half points a game. That

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<v Speaker 1>sounds pretty good to me week to week, no question.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll tell you it's something you can really really get

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<v Speaker 1>used to. I hope we can keep it going. But

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<v Speaker 1>you know, it's a new day every every week. But

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<v Speaker 1>it would be nice to keep to keep to keep rolling,

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<v Speaker 1>for sure, no doubt. And the tight ends obviously a

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<v Speaker 1>big part of the offense, and they certainly were last week.

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<v Speaker 1>Seven catches for tight ends in the game last week,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's a big piece of Jay Gruden's offensive attack,

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<v Speaker 1>at least in the past, and it's starting to show

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<v Speaker 1>that tendency again. That's good news for your room, no question.

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<v Speaker 1>It's I'll tell you to to be involved. Um. The

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<v Speaker 1>guys take a lot of pride in it. They they

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<v Speaker 1>understand their importance to the offense for sure in the

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<v Speaker 1>run game, but now that they're getting a few crumbs

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<v Speaker 1>in the passing game, that puts big smiles on their

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<v Speaker 1>face also. So yeah, last week was good man. We

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<v Speaker 1>got a few got a few targets. Um, guys made

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<v Speaker 1>some plays. You know. It's like I said, hopefully we

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<v Speaker 1>can keep it going. For sure. I mentioned the catches

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<v Speaker 1>you've brought up the run blocking of this group here

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<v Speaker 1>that a lot of folks who are just watching the

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<v Speaker 1>game might not really look at that two end depth.

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<v Speaker 1>But it's certainly key for the tight end position to

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<v Speaker 1>take us through the run blocking of those guys effort

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<v Speaker 1>and it was Shaughnessy especially, and how that has helped

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<v Speaker 1>a guy like James Robinson come through and run the

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<v Speaker 1>ball effectively. They're not bruising blockers either, one of them.

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<v Speaker 1>Um that they got a lot of effort, and they'll

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<v Speaker 1>fight and they'll fight you, and they put a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of strain into their blocks. Good thing about it also

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<v Speaker 1>is they are too smart players understanding defenses and what

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<v Speaker 1>the role of the backers and defensive ends. Uh, if

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<v Speaker 1>they have contained, well, if they widen, they landmark a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit, that will get more movement. Um, get them

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<v Speaker 1>to widen a little bit more. Um, those craftedness I'd say,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, the pleasant I'm more pleasantly rides with efforts

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<v Speaker 1>um blocking, then I expect I'm getting a whole lot

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<v Speaker 1>more from him than I expected. And not that he

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't do it or whatnot, but um, I'll tell you

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<v Speaker 1>he hasn't backed away, not one bit. Sure. I don't

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<v Speaker 1>get me wrong. I know what his bread and buddy is.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, hopefully we keep getting him the rock

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<v Speaker 1>or giving him those targets out there. But it's real

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<v Speaker 1>nice to um to be able to put him in

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<v Speaker 1>the game and defense is thinking that it's gonna be

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<v Speaker 1>a pass and James Robinson run up enough for ten

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<v Speaker 1>fifteen yards. That's a good thing, you know. So they

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<v Speaker 1>take a lot of pride and being complete football players

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<v Speaker 1>and that really helps Ron Middleton with a Jaguars tight

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<v Speaker 1>ends coach. Let's continue our conversation on effort here. He

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<v Speaker 1>had his twenty fifth career touchdown last week and he's

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<v Speaker 1>in his eighth year so on this Procester he is

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<v Speaker 1>an elder statesman on this football team. He's been banged

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<v Speaker 1>up a lot throughout his career, and we heard from

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<v Speaker 1>the in the off season from him about the mindset

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<v Speaker 1>of a lot of times being injured and missing a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of football games. He was finally on the field

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<v Speaker 1>last year and he seems like he has that confidence

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<v Speaker 1>back about him that he's gonna be able to go

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<v Speaker 1>out there and and not worry about anything that's happened

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<v Speaker 1>in the past. But only experience can help a guy

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<v Speaker 1>like that, No doubt he I think he's come to

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<v Speaker 1>the realization that some things are just out of your control.

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<v Speaker 1>You can't dwell on it, you can't be scared of it.

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<v Speaker 1>You just have to go out and and let the

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<v Speaker 1>chips far where they may. He prepares himself to have

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<v Speaker 1>to play fifty six snaps a game. We definitely don't

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<v Speaker 1>want him to play that many snaps. We're gonna We're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna try to get the most out of his talents.

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<v Speaker 1>But no, you can't worry about the injuries. Injuries are

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<v Speaker 1>part of the game, and in his case, Uh, it's

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<v Speaker 1>just been unlucky and unfair to a certain degree with

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<v Speaker 1>with the injuries that he's had. Um, But no, we

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<v Speaker 1>don't dwell on it. We we just go out and

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<v Speaker 1>we work. I say, it's like death, you know, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it's it's it's possible. But we're not. We're not gonna

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<v Speaker 1>sit and dwell on it every day. You know, it's

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<v Speaker 1>just just deal with it. Ron Middleton with us taking

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<v Speaker 1>an interesting turn in this conversation. The Jaguars tight ends coach.

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<v Speaker 1>He's the first founder for a reason. I think we'll

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<v Speaker 1>find that out. He has that ability. It's just a

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<v Speaker 1>matter of keeping him out there. Now. Another guy coming

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<v Speaker 1>off entry coaches James O'Shaughnessy. Of course, had the knee

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<v Speaker 1>injury last year. He's in his sixth year and it's

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<v Speaker 1>not like he hasn't had a lot of starting time

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<v Speaker 1>over his entire playing career, but he has a huge

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<v Speaker 1>role in this offense. How has he come back from

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<v Speaker 1>the knee so far, and it seems like he's getting

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<v Speaker 1>more involved now to last year. Let me start by

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<v Speaker 1>saying last year when he got hurt, I thought I

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<v Speaker 1>thought James was about to turn the corner into being

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<v Speaker 1>that that productive tight end in this league. Um. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>that game, that the Carolina game where he where he

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<v Speaker 1>did get hurt. You know, he had I think a

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<v Speaker 1>hundred yards receiving, had a couple of big catches and

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<v Speaker 1>like I said, he was he was about to turn

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<v Speaker 1>that corner and damn bam, he gets hurt. Well, that

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<v Speaker 1>was the big question coming in this year's how is

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<v Speaker 1>he gonna come back after the injury. Anybody in the

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<v Speaker 1>in the training room will tell you that that he

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<v Speaker 1>busted his butt in the offseason. He busted his butt

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<v Speaker 1>to get back to get back out there. He did

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<v Speaker 1>everything they asked him to do and more. Um, just

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<v Speaker 1>a a star star rehab her in their words, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's paying off for him, you know. Um, hopefully

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<v Speaker 1>he can get to that point where he was last

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<v Speaker 1>year when the injury came and and hopefully he can

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<v Speaker 1>go farther and turn that corner to be the player

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<v Speaker 1>that I think he's capable of being. Yeah, Ron Middleton

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<v Speaker 1>with his final thoughts here with the coach. He got

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of puppies in your room too. And Tyler

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<v Speaker 1>Davis who hasn't had a lot of practice time yet

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<v Speaker 1>at least in the regular season with a knee issue,

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<v Speaker 1>has been on the injury report, has not been up

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<v Speaker 1>yet this season. And then Ben Ellison is on your

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<v Speaker 1>practice squad. He has been up coming off the practice

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<v Speaker 1>squad late in weeks. What have you seen out of

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<v Speaker 1>those guys and how can you expect those guys to

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<v Speaker 1>contribute as a move along? Yeah, it's all. It's all

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<v Speaker 1>been positive with those guys. I have nothing but positive thoughts,

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<v Speaker 1>positive reports, um on those two my youngsters as I

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<v Speaker 1>call him, Um. I think Ben is a little more

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<v Speaker 1>polished than Tyler right now. I think Tyler is still

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<v Speaker 1>learning the offense, excuse me, learning the position. Being is

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<v Speaker 1>a tough, tough um guy with some tough player, with

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<v Speaker 1>some technique. Um that this isn't his, This isn't the

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<v Speaker 1>first time he's blocked anybody. Um. I think his route,

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<v Speaker 1>his route running, he has some some it to his

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<v Speaker 1>route running. Um. He's not the fastest in the world,

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<v Speaker 1>but I think he's I think he's got something that

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<v Speaker 1>he can get open, and he has good hands. Tyler

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<v Speaker 1>is a little bigger, a little faster, probably a little stronger,

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<v Speaker 1>but not as polished as Being. You know, he's um,

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<v Speaker 1>he hasn't played the position as long as as Being his.

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<v Speaker 1>But the arrow is up on these guys now. The

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<v Speaker 1>error is definitely up. We think a hell of a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of both of them. You know, I think we're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna see Tyler pretty soon. Yeah, touch great stuff. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>get some tight ends in the end zone. This let

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<v Speaker 1>her boy, Let's go, Yes, yes, yes, no doubt