Blake Bortles: Without an ideal situation, will still succeed

Blake Bortles is not in an ideal situation with the Jacksonville Jaguars. We have all known that since he was drafted by the Jaguars third overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. It is tough to come in as a young, inexperienced quarterback and be expected to lead a group of young, inexperienced players on a team that is still recovering from years of mismanagement. It’s especially tough when you are thrust into that role because the veteran above you on the depth chart can’t get it done.

So it’s no surprise when former Jaguars quarterback, and one of the greatest the franchise has ever seen, Mark Brunell says that Blake Bortles isn’t in an ideal situation. Fortunately for Bortles, this isn’t an uncommon situation for many of the game’s quarterbacks. In an era of the NFL when quarterbacks are expected to come in and succeed right away, there are bound to be tough growing pains for some and less than ideal situations for many. Bortles just happens to be in a less ideal situation than most of his fellow year one starters.

With a new offensive coordinator in Greg Olson, Bortles will have to prove that he is an adaptable quarterback and can mold his game to a new system. It’s tough for a young quarterback to develop when he is changing offensive systems each year, but Bortles and the Jags offense may be a step ahead already. As noted by Brunell, “It’s not something you can’t overcome, but learning a new offense in the offseason can be tough mentally and it takes a lot of time. Every new offense that I experienced and had to learn, it took me a year to get comfortable in.” Hopefully Bortles will simply be more comfortable than he was under former OC Jedd Fisch, whose offenses continually sputtered in the NFL.

Blake Bortles has a chance to be something special with the Jaguars and I believe he can adapt to get through adversity like changing offensive systems. Olson is gifted at helping young quarterbacks get comfortable and progress and Bortles should be no different for the new offensive coordinator. Ideal situations have helped make some of the best quarterbacks, but it isn’t the only path to success. Some quarterbacks have thrived in different systems and made careers finding success with different coaches and approaches to the game. Hopefully Bortles won’t have to find success with a slew of different coaches, but based on the dedication we have seen so far this offseason, it seems likely he’ll be able to succeed despite having a less than ideal situation.

Next: Is the Jags offense a step ahead?

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