First-round wide receiver Makai Lemon is telling everyone he’s “100 percent” for camp, which is exactly what we needed to hear after he sat out a chunk of the offseason program. The man himself said Friday he’s “feeling great” and will be “100%” ready to go when practice kicks off on July 29.
Lemon’s Return Sparks Camp Hopes
Remember rookie minicamp in May? Lemon was out there, even hit the first OTA practice open to media. But then, bam, he was sidelined for the second OTA and the entire two-day mandatory minicamp in June. Teammate Quinyon Mitchell spilled the beans: it was a hamstring injury. But Lemon isn’t worried. He’s been all about “working on my craft, just trying to get the playbook down.” He wants it to be “lights out” when he steps on that field on July 28 for camp. You gotta love that focus, right?
The Kicking Question Looming Large
But let’s be real, there’s a huge elephant in the room that no one’s really screaming about yet: our kicking game. Jake Elliott, remember that Wild Card Round against the 49ers? He missed a PAT after our first touchdown. Think about it: if he’d hit that, we would’ve only needed three points to tie on the final drive, not a whole touchdown to win. That was a rough two-month stretch. And what happened this offseason? They restructured his contract, dropping his base pay from $6 million to $5 million, but guaranteed all of it for 2026. Honestly, a lot of us thought we should’ve just brought in a new kicker. Are we letting past glory cloud what he’s doing *now*? They’re gonna be charting his kicks hard in camp, and if he doesn’t deliver, don’t be shocked if they bring in some competition like former Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson. This is huge for clutch moments, folks!
O-Line Stability and Jacksonville’s Questionable Success
Looking ahead, the offensive line situation is interesting. Guys like Mailata, Jurgens, and Steen could lock down starting spots for the next 3 to 5 years, assuming they stay healthy and the money works out. We know Dickerson’s likely retiring in the next year or two, and Johnson probably isn’t far behind. The team is really banking on Markell Bell being our future right tackle. And for left guard, Drew Kendall or Micah Morris are in the mix, but neither one is a sure thing right now, especially compared to a Top 40 pick like Dickerson. These mid-round guys need to step up big time.
And let’s talk about opponents for a second, specifically the Jaguars. Their new head coach Liam Coen had a “huge success” last year by their standards, bagging 13 wins, second best in Jaguars history, and a division title. They went 9-1 after their bye, only losing to the Bills on a last-minute Josh Allen TD. No shame there, right? But the article makes a really good point: how many times have we seen a new coach come in, have a great first year on a “soft schedule,” the team gets complacent, and then year two is a total dud? The Jaguars did “next to nothing” to improve their roster this spring, even “downgrading at RB.” It makes you wonder if they’re gonna fall into that same trap.
So, with Lemon back and ready to go, there’s definite excitement building for camp. But that kicker situation? It needs to be squared away ASAP. Camp starts July 29, so get ready. We’ve got a lot to look forward to, but also a few big questions that need answers before the season kicks off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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