The Jacksonville Jaguars made the playoffs last season and are in a great spot to do it again. Two players who project to be key contributors, wide receiver Calvin Ridley and defensive end Dawuane Smoot, have been seen as guys who won’t jump right into the swing of training camp.

Ridley has not played an NFL game since October of 2021. Smoot suffered a torn Achilles near the end of last season. The Jaguars revealed their statuses early in training camp, though they are quite different from one another.

In what surely sounds like music to the ears of the Jaguars and their fans, head coach Doug Pederson said that Ridley will be “a full go” for training camp.

Ridley's playmaking gives the Jaguars the chance to take another step forward. Trevor Lawrence proved he could be a star with a solid receiving core of Christian Kirk, Evan Engram and Zay Jones. Ridley, who racked up over 1,300 receiving yards on a bad foot in his last full season, should be a strong addition that could very well become Lawrence's WR1.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars announced that Smoot has been placed on the PUP list. The six-year veteran tallied 21 combined tackles and 5.0 sacks in 15 games in 2022, providing depth on the defensive line headlines by Travon Walker and Josh Allen.

Ridley has looked very good so far in the Jaguars' offseason program, though he still may have some rust to shake off after not playing in a live game in roughly two years. Overall, there is a lot of hope in Jacksonville as the 2023 season approaches.