Trevor Lawrence inks rookie deal with Jags

Just weeks away from the opening of preseason camp, No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence has signed a four-year, $36.8 million contract that includes $24.1 million in guaranteed money and the standard fifth-year option according to a report from Adam Schefter.

The signing deal was finalized Sunday and Lawrence will be present from Day 1 of the Jacksonville Jaguars preseason camp. The deal includes no offset language and his signing bonus will be paid within 15 business days. Offset language relates to what happens to a player's salary if he's cut during the first four years of his career, while he's still playing on his rookie contract. The majority of his compensation is aligned for 2022, 2023, and 2024 in a roster bonus. Those funds are earned if Lawrence is on the 90-man roster on the third day after each mandatory camp reporting date. He also earns the roster bonus even if on the active non-football injury or illness list.

The 21-year-old quarterback had a brilliant career at Clemson where he threw for 10,098 yards with 108 total touchdowns and just 17 interceptions. Most NFL experts point to him as a generational quarterback prospect. Therefore, there’s no reason to think he would not fulfill his entire rookie contract. The 6-6 signal caller is a winner. He has won championships at both the high school and college levels and has only four total losses during that span. He won two state titles, three ACC titles, and a national championship.

But business is business and new Jaguars’ GM Trent Baalke and new head coach Urban Meyer obviously took every precaution in their negotiations.

Lawrence will seek to become the third quarterback taken No. 1 overall since 1970 to lead his team to the playoffs in his first season. John Elway, who was taken first overall in 1983 by the Baltimore Colts somewhat accomplished the feat, although he didn’t play for the team that drafted him nor was he a full-time starter. Elway was traded to the Denver Broncos following the draft after threatening publicly to play baseball if Baltimore drafted him. Baltimore was one of the league’s worst teams at the time. Elway, who had been drafted by the New York Yankees, was traded for offensive lineman Chris Hinton, backup QB Mark Herrmann, and a first-round pick in the 1984 draft.

Denver head coach Dan Reeves opened the season with Elway as the starter, but switched to veteran Steve DeBerg early in the season. A shoulder injury to DeBerg forced Elway back into the starting role toward the end of the season and the team finished 9-7. DeBerg again was chosen to start the Broncos wild card playoff loss in Seattle with Elway relieving him in the fourth quarter.

Andrew Luck of the Indianpolis Colts is the only quarterback taken first overall since 1970 to have full responsibility at QB and lead his team to a winning record and the playoffs as a rookie. Luck started all 17 games as the Colts finished 11-5 in the regular season and lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild card round of the playoffs.

Expectations remain extremely high for Lawrence, but guarded based on history.

According to ESPN Stats & Information. there have been 14 quarterbacks taken first overall in the NFL draft wince 2000. Those QBs have averaged only 3.8 wins, 13 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions, and had a 56% completion rate as starters in their rookie seasons .

Luck holds the rookie record for passing yards with 4,374 and only four other rookies have thrown for more than 4,000 yards. Those marks seem highly attainable for the Jags’ new QB. With a 17th regular-season game added this year and current NFL rules favoring the passing game, a healthy Lawrence will have every opportunity to threaten many NFL rookie marks in Meyer’s offensive scheme.

"I want to just master the offense," Lawrence told ESPN’s Michael DiRocco last week. "I want to have complete control and know everything and be comfortable. You can't really play free and play really well if you don't know what you're doing. Obviously, I have to be ready and I'm going to do everything I can to ensure that that is the case. I'm excited to get started."