Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Mike Thomas didn't pin last season's fall in catches and yards on poor quarterback play.
Instead, Thomas said he thought all of the Jaguars' struggles at wide receiver might have stemmed from coaching.
Smith: Quarterback rankings
The QB hierarchy -- it's a topic of constant chatter. Jason Smith provides his own rankings, with a surprise at No. 1. **More ...**
"We might not have been pushed hard enough," Thomas said, according to the Florida Times-Union.
Former Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio hired Johnny Cox to be the team's receivers coach before last season. Cox had served as the team's offensive quality control coach for the previous two years and replaced Todd Monken, who became Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator.
"There was a difference," Thomas said of his season under Cox compared to his time with Monken. "I think everybody can see and feel that, so that's why we are here where we are today."
First-year Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey hired Jerry Sullivan, a 40-year coaching veteran who returned from retirement to join the team, as his receivers coach. Thomas said he looked forward to returning to a no-nonsense approach.
"I have heard enough about him to know what he's about," Thomas said of Sullivan. "I'm ready for it in a good sense. I'm open to it. I know he's going to be coaching me as hard as he can. It will be good. I need that because I have a lot of room to grow. Hopefully, it turns out for the better. I'm going into it with an open mind and expect him to push me and make me the great player that I want to be."
