Jaguars eye bigger offensive role for Hunter

It looks similar Travis Hunter is going to person a bigger relation connected discourtesy for the Jacksonville Jaguars starting Sunday astatine London's Wembley Stadium.

Head manager Liam Coen said Wednesday that they're making it a precedence to plan and telephone much plays successful which Hunter is the No. 1 enactment to instrumentality vantage of his velocity and athleticism.

"Scheming him unfastened is portion of it, No. 1," Coen said from The Grove resort, which is wherever the squad is staying and practicing this week successful London. "Our occupation arsenic an violative unit [is] to marque definite we're putting him successful the progression and putting him successful the presumption to beryllium No. 1 [option] a small spot much often successful immoderate ways.

"And past erstwhile helium is the superior [option], we've got to propulsion and catch. We've got to marque definite that we place it, find him, beryllium capable to beryllium astatine the close spot astatine the close time. So, I deliberation it's a operation of a batch of those things that yet tin each beryllium controlled."

Hunter had 4 catches for 15 yards, including a 14-yard catch-and-run, connected 7 targets successful Sunday's nonaccomplishment to Seattle. That's his lowest yardage full of the play (previous debased was 21 yards receiving successful Week 3 against Houston).

The request to marque Hunter much of a precedence successful the walk crippled is related to receiver Brian Thomas Jr.'s struggles. He is the team's starring receiver (24 catches for 334 yards) but had a third-down driblet and different walk successful which it appeared helium hesitated successful the mediate of the tract against the Seahawks. Thomas had 3 drops successful the Jaguars' Week 2 nonaccomplishment to Cincinnati, which included 1 connected 4th down that would person fixed the Jaguars a first-and-goal wrong the Bengals' 10-yard enactment precocious successful the 4th quarter.

The Jaguars besides are without choky extremity Brenton Strange (20 catches for 204 yards), who was placed connected injured reserve aft injuring his hep during the Week 5 crippled against Kansas City. He was the team's starring receiver astatine the clip of his injury.

"It is precise important for maine to beryllium patient," said Hunter, who has 20 catches for 197 yards. "Just got to fto the crippled travel to me. Coach is trying to dial up a mates things for me, and I've conscionable got to proceed to conscionable enactment and conscionable having the guys spot maine due to the fact that I'm doing my occupation each time."

Coen said that portion getting Hunter much progressive offensively -- helium hasn't had much than six catches successful a game, which helium did successful Week 1 -- doesn't mean forcing the shot to him.

"We can't ever accidental the ball's going to get thrown to 1 idiosyncratic based connected immoderate play," Coen said. "Down the field, there's elements to that, particularly erstwhile you're not getting a batch of one-on-one antheral coverage. ... That's got to beryllium a small spot predicated connected what we're seeing but besides making definite we're doing our jobs arsenic coaches. And he's doing his occupation to beryllium successful the close spot astatine the close clip and Trevor [Lawrence] is capable to present it due to the fact that it's large protection. It takes each 11."