The Jacksonville Jaguars

[Wacca Pilatka]

^ Wholeheartedly agree on all counts.

A QB who provides equal production to Blake isn't going to fall into our lap at a bargain price (other than through the draft, potentially).  $15-20 million is about the going rate for middle of the road performance.

Even assuming no progression, the Jags can also make a QB equal to 2017 Blake in aptitude look better with an upgrade at guard, and with a tight end* who's more of a receiving threat without being a complete zero as a blocker.

I'm inclined to think these are our top free agency and first round draft target areas.

Credit to Pat Flaherty for doing a fine job coaching this offensive line.  It held up better than I thought it would and had a few genuinely great games (Seattle and Pittsburgh in particular).  But in my estimation, we only have three good starters, Linder and the tackles.  I think Cann's an adequate starter and Omameh's a marginal one.  Agreed with the upthread comment that Blake's mobility and a few big plays made the line's overall production look better than it really was.

*Not that I want to jettison Marcedes, because he's right with Blake in the ranks of people I really, really want to see get a Super Bowl ring

[MusicMan]

Only one I would prefer to have now is Garappolo. I did not remember at all................

Blake played well down the stretch. Upgrade the coaching and keep the players we have.



Was just informed Jags had a new QB coach this year, so that may be why BB improved as the year went on.

[RattlerGator]

Phenomenal season for the Jaguars.

I am 100% in the Blake Bortles camp; he achieved against the odds this season, given the preseason criticism from *all* corners and media in this market openly talking trash about him (some players, too). Then you add the injuries to his WRs and what he accomplished is remarkable. That Pittsburgh game was the clincher; he saved our ass and people still don't want to admit that.

Finally, I don't think that 4th down pass was so much under-thrown as it was tossed where it had to be given the sideline crunch and the route Westbrook ran. The DB just made a great, great play. Ballgame. When Blake let it go, I thought that was going to win us the game. It just wasn't meant to be.

But what a thrilling playoff run.

[KenFSU]

[marcuscnelson]

Hope to see you all in Atlanta next year!

[TimmyB]

So, the guy that so many people love to criticize needed surgery on his throwing wrist the entire time?  Good grief, this makes his performances in the playoffs even more remarkable.

https://www.news4jax.com/sports/nfl/jaguars/report-blake-bortles-underwent-wrist-surgery

[KenFSU]

THE PEOPLE'S QUARTERBACK.

[JaxAvondale]

With Alex Smith to the Redskins, Blake should be back and the Jaguars should sign him to an extension.

[BridgeTroll]

With Alex Smith to the Redskins, Blake should be back and the Jaguars should sign him to an extension.

National media seems to think the Jags are a distinct possibility for Cousins...

[ben says]

With Alex Smith to the Redskins, Blake should be back and the Jaguars should sign him to an extension.

National media seems to think the Jags are a distinct possibility for Cousins...

As of now, quite the opposite I guess 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/despite-kirk-cousins-availability-jaguars-reportedly-sticking-with-blake-bortles/

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

re:  the wrist injury.

You can look at it how you want, but if it was injured in 2016 'per sources' and was playing through it and he just started taking injections (assumed cortizone) this year, and having another career year in metrics other than yards and TDs, maybe 2015 Bortles that set the franchise record in passing yards and TDs wasn't the anomaly. 

Maybe his abysmal 2016 was a combination of injury and bad coaching decisions both offseason - Remember that Olsen told him to not fly out to CA to work with his throwing coach in the offseason, and during the season.

[Wacca Pilatka]

^ The under-discussed element in 2016 is that Olsen insisted on a zone blocking scheme with a line full of guys whose skill set was ill-suited to that, and Gus brilliantly refused to employ a fullback (other than occasionally trotting Alualu out as one), and Julius Thomas showed a general lack of interest in run blocking.  The end result was a running game that consisted of Ivory and Yeldon plowing into piles of meat 25 times a game for 50 total yards, with Ivory occasionally contributing a bonus fumble.

I suspect this compounded the problems of possible injury and Olsen's refusal to let Blake work with the throwing coach, in that it put overwhelming pressure on Blake to win the game through the air.  Not to mention that defenses took away the deep shots to Robinson and Olsen had no adequate answer.  And that the entire sports media responded with an overbearing collective chorus of "LOL Blake's so bad" that still hasn't died down that much.

Blake's 2016 wasn't good by any measure, but it got better after Hackett replaced Olsen and instituted some better basic concepts, and appreciably better in the final two games after Gus was shown the door.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I'm just saying...

An uninjured Blake in 2015 was setting franchise records in every column except wins, but our defense was the 2nd worst unit in the league as far as scoring goes.

We had bad Blake in 2016, apparently battling through an injury among other things, but again, we were a bottom feeding defensive unit with regards to scoring.  And you're absolutely correct that his play turned around almost immediately when Marrone became the interim, even though Hackett had picked up OC duties earlier in the year.

2017 was still an injured Blake, but it was severe enough to require actual treatment in the form of cortizone injections.  So between some actual treatment (which hasn't been mentioned in the previous year) and better coaching, oh... and a defense that ranked 2nd in the NFL in score allowed, and we find ourselves in the AFC Championship game that we should have won.  (a different discussion for a different day)

Besides, as much huffing and puffing that people have done over his $19M option, that would put him 16th on the QB pay scale when you figure in Average Yearly salaries.  Not exactly breaking the bank for him as many like to suggest.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/average/quarterback/

[Wacca Pilatka]

^ Oh, I absolutely agree.  I'm on the Blake Train. 

Cousins or Smith are good quarterbacks, but I don't think they are a standard deviation better than Blake, and I'd rather spend mid-level pay for Blake and invest in a better offensive line than throw every available cent at a guy like Cousins.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

^ Oh, I absolutely agree.  I'm on the Blake Train. 

Cousins or Smith are good quarterbacks, but I don't think they are a standard deviation better than Blake, and I'd rather spend mid-level pay for Blake and invest in a better offensive line than throw every available cent at a guy like Cousins.

I know you are.  I am too.  Our dialogue is really for the benefit of the others. 

Besides, there was a really good question asked the other day:  How many losses are attributed DIRECTLY to Blake?  Over the course of the past season - 1.  You could argue both TN games, but the first one was mostly on his lack of execution.  The second one could be argued that we really weren't trying to win that one as much as we were trying to not get anyone injured before the playoffs.

So out of 19 games, we won 12 and of the 7 losses, only one of them was really the fault, or because of, the quarterback.

And I know the argument is made that we're winning in spite of him, but what was the Redskins record again?  How did Dak do when his running game disappeared?  Was there anyone else in the NFL winning games with up to 5 rookies on the offensive side of the ball at the same time?  3 of those being the only WRs on the field....