Jags' Pederson nixes minicamp, says vets 'earned' early exit

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Doug Pederson spent his first four months in Jacksonville trying to build trust with players. He was open and honest, working to help the Jaguars “heal” from one of the most toxic coaching tenures in NFL history.

Pederson’s latest move should help him curry even more favor.

The head coach canceled next week’s three-day, mandatory minicamp — at least for most of the team. No practices. No meetings. Not even a weightlifting session. Pederson essentially gave veterans an extra week of vacation before training camp next month.

He also nixed the last of 10 organized team activities, instead loading players and assistants onto buses and taking them to a nearby Topgolf…