New Jaguars Safety Gives Scouting Report on Lawrence

Before he signed with Jacksonville this week as an unrestricted free agent, Eric Murray shared something in common with the Jaguars. Both Murray and his newest team had dealt Justin Herbert and the Chargers a disappointing playoff loss.

Two years after the Jaguars roared back to steal a 31-30 win over the Chargers in the 2022 postseason, Murray dealt Herbert another blow in a 2024 AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. With the Chargers driving to tie in a 13-6 game, Murray picked off Herbert and returned the interception 38 yards for a crushing touchdown just before halftime. The Chargers never regained momentum and Houston advanced, 32-12.

There’s a quarterback more important to Murray now, his new teammate Trevor Lawrence. The veteran safety said Thursday that preparing to play Lawrence and the Jaguars as an AFC South opponent is a unique challenge.

“Real precise quarterback,” said Murray, who spent the past five seasons (2020-24) in Houston. “He goes through his processes, and he's got a big arm, live arm. He can get the ball down the field and stuff like that. So, really intelligent guy, from scouting him on the other side.”

Murray must’ve scouted the Jaguars well throughout his time in Houston because his Texans teams were a combined 8-2 in Jaguars games. Last season, Murray’s only 2024 sack came against Lawrence and the Jaguars on Sept. 29 in Houston.

They’re a complementary force now, thanks to the Jaguars’ new regime. And according to new general manager James Gladstone, the team entered the first week of free agency targeting nine players. They got all nine.

Gladstone said the Jaguars wanted to fill holes on their roster and were prepared to lose some of their targets to other teams but were pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

“Seeing that plan come to life, being executed in the way that it was, certainly something that at this point in time, I'm proud of,” Gladstone said.

Murray, who enters his 10th NFL season, was an important part of that plan. And combined with cornerback Jourdan Lewis, the Jaguars landed the experience they coveted for their young defensive secondary. Murray said he’s ready to lead those younger DBs, just as he did in Houston.

“it's definitely important,” said Murray. “In the previous DB backfield I was in, I had a lot of young guys there, too. And hopefully we can gel together and just work together and they can lean on me whenever they can.”

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