Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles ready to lead
You’re the third pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and the future franchise quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Blake Bortles. What do you do?
Do you sit and sulk because your head coach Gus Bradley doesn’t intend on playing you one down this season?
In an interview with NFL Access in May, Bradley said this about Bortles not playing:
"“We do feel good about where Blake’s at, but we feel like this time that he has under Chad, a year to develop, will be really good in the end result.”"
Ok, so how do you react?
Especially when the man you are competing against (Chad Henne) has a record of 5-14 with the Jaguars and an 18-32 record as a starter (how Henne is in the NFL and Vince Young and Tim Tebow are not is beyond ludicrous).
Why not consider going full Manziel and living the party life at night, making a money phone in the big city of Jacksonville (because there is so much to do there).
Perhaps you go and see Guardians of the Galaxy for the fifth time in two weeks.
Maybe you sing a song and dance for Coach Bradley that might sway his opinion. “Put me in coach, I’m ready to play. Today, look at me (it is Little League WS time).”
Or how about showing a little sympathy since the Blaine Gabbert experiment didn’t work in Jacksonville.
The least you could do is be more understanding. Thinking in your mind as if the Jaguars organization was a person who got their trust betrayed by a someone who they thought would be the one and turned out as another scrub. That’s a pretty fair assessment of Gabbert and the Jaguars relationship.
Seriously, how do you react when you are the better man for the job and you don’t have the opportunity to play yet?
The answer is, you show out and give the Jaguars every reason to believe in you.
So far in the 2014 NFL preseason, one of the most impressive quarterbacks has been Blake Bortles. The developmental project that most people thought Bortles was, is not true. He has rapidly progressed as a player and is showing signs of growth quickly.
With 277 yards passing, Bortles finds himself fourth in passing yards in the NFL preseason. He has wowed with his razor sharp throws like ninjas with shuriken’s.
From a statistics stand point Bortles has a 64 percent completion to his name in two preseason games. People have began to notice the difference between Bortles and Henne as they play. Bortles can simply make the throws that Henne cannot.
A misfire is a common occurrence when Henne is throwing the football because of his lack of arm strength. Where as the rocket armed rookie Bortles has fascinated us with his ability to throw across the middle, hit deep routes, and throw deep slants.
It has been two games and we can see a shift happening within the quarterback situation. Bortles has played so well that the Jaguars are giving him first team reps.
Currently the job is Henne’s to lose and so far he has played decently this preseason. In an interview with the Florida Times Union Henne had this to say:
"“I’ve been through a lot of quarterback competitions in my career,” Henne said. “I think there’s only been one year where I haven’t had to compete and battle for that starting job. I’m up for it. You set your ego aside and compete against yourself rather than the person next to you.”"
The illusion of Henne and Bortles being in a quarterback competition is laughable.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were never good with Henne. There was never hope or a future of success with him under center.
There is no competition. The starting job belongs to Bortles and the coaching staff needs to acknowledge it and prepare for a bright future with a quarterback who carries a cannon on his arm like Rocket Raccoon.
Maybe then he can save the
galaxy
Jacksonville Jaguars.