Blake Bortles: 5 possible replacements in Jacksonville

3. Jay Cutler

With no guaranteed money left on his contract, and facing a significant rebuild, the Cutler era with the Chicago Bears is over. A torn labrum in his right shoulder ended his 2016 season early, but Cutler should be recovered in time to be released onto the open market fully healthy in March.

Bortles and Cutler can be considered similarly erratic on the field in some ways, to say nothing of the bad perception of Cutler’s demeanor and personality. But the Jaguars can and should leave no stone unturned in an effort to upgrade their quarterback depth chart, and in a weak AFC South Cutler would at least offer a viable, experienced option that can win games.

Coughlin’s seemingly tepid commitment to Bortles would be turned on its head, perhaps dramatically, if the Jaguars add Cutler this offseason. There’s also a risk-reward element to signing Cutler, with his ups and downs on the field if he had to play, but that can be mitigated with a reasonable contract that better reflects his actual value.