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          NFL Nation

          Pads go on and tempers flare

          • Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff WriterJul 27, 2014, 03:40 PM ET
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              Michael DiRocco is an NFL reporter at ESPN. DiRocco covers the Jacksonville Jaguars. He previously covered the University of Florida for over a decade for ESPN.com and Florida Times-Union. DiRocco graduated from Jacksonville University and is a multiple APSE award winner. You can follow DiRocco on Twitter at @ESPNdirocco.
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          JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Things got a little chippy during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first practice in pads on Sunday.

          There were three separate scuffles, including one involving a pair of newly-acquired players, during the two-plus hour practice, which coach Gus Bradley said was a good indication of the team’s intensity level just three days into training camp.

          "When you love each other, there are going to be some battles, right?" Bradley joked. "I guess that’s the way to look at it. But that’s good. There’s intensity. You see Zane Beadles got a little fired up and Red [Bryant] got a little fired up. We’ve got intensity and those guys bring even more to it so that’s good.

          "We don’t want to get anybody getting hurt. Control it and keep our poise. It’s a physical game, and there are going to be times where those things will occur."

          The scuffle between Beadles and Bryant, both of whom signed as free agents in March, was the second of the day. It came during one-on-one pass block/pass rush drills and ended with Bryant’s helmet ripped off and the two on the ground.

          "Ain’t no big deal about that," defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks said. "They know you don’t piss big Red off. You make big Red mad, that’s what happens. That’s exactly what happened out there today. They made him mad."

          Tight end Clay Harbor got his helmet ripped off by defensive end Tyson Alualu during a scuffle in 11-on-11. It started after Harbor caught a short pass from Blake Bortles. There is no tackling, but defensive players try to rip the ball out at the end of each play and Harbor took exception to the way Alualu tried to do that. The two were eventually separated by Bradley and tight ends coach Ron Middleton.

          "Just part of football when you go out there and compete," Alualu said. "Everything stays on the field. It’s no big deal. Nothing personal."

          The third altercation was nothing more than a pushing match between defensive tackle DeAndre Coleman and center Patrick Lewis.

          Alualu and Marks said the scuffles were a byproduct of the players being in shoulder pads for the first time since camp began on Friday. The players won’t be in full pads until Wednesday.

          "That’s definitely part of it," Alualu said. "Excited to put the pads on [and get] back to playing physical football. When you’re doing that type of thing sometimes those things [scuffles] happen."