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Jaguars triplet of Bortles, Robinson, Hurns is 9th best in the NFL according to Bill Barnwell

By Daniel Lago

Dec 27, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) celebrates with wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) after a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Jaguars 38-27. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) celebrates with wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) after a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Jaguars 38-27. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Jaguars have a terrific young core on offense with Blake Bortles and the Allens, but where do they stack up compared to the rest of the league?

When the Jacksonville Jaguars signed former undrafted free agent Allen Hurns to a 4-year contract extension, it signaled the beginning of their moves to lock up the core of what could become one of the most potent offenses in the league over the next few years. Hurns, along with Blake Bortles and Allen Robinson, took a huge step forward in 2015 and provide hope for a team that hasn’t had a winning record since 2007.

While most praised the Jaguars for locking Hurns up and paying him as soon as he was due for an extension, not everyone loved the move. Bill Barnwell, a noted advanced metrics proponent over at ESPN, is usually one of the first to criticize a move by the Jaguars.

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Barnwell already shared his thoughts on the Hurns extension

(predictably he wasn’t a big fan), but he still acknowledged the young trio on the Jaguars is a formidable group in a recent piece.

"… I started thinking about Jacksonville’s trio and where it stands in the league. It probably isn’t the best set of triplets in football, but is it far off?"

Barnwell then goes on to rank all 32 teams in regards to their three best offensive weapons. Surprisingly enough, he put the Jaguars up at number 9.

"9. Jacksonville JaguarsQB Blake Bortles, WR Allen Robinson, WR Allen HurnsThe Jags’ passing trio winds up here, although it has plenty of time to continue growing, given that none of the three are older than 24. Robinson, the youngest of the group at 22, might have been the best red zone receiver in football last year; while Reed led all targets in receiving yards, the thing you want in the red zone is touchdowns, and Robinson beat out Reed and Tyler Eifert with a league-high 12. If anything, with the Jaguars expected to improve in 2016, the triplets’ numbers might be a victim of their team’s own success. Some of those throws to Robinson will become Ivory runs, and the Jags will likely throw less frequently if their record improves. Bortles threw 193 passes in the fourth quarter last year, just behind Tannehill’s league-leading 196."

I think Barnwell is spot-on with his ranking here considering the teams he has ahead of the Jaguars. Although he doesn’t explicitly say it, Barnwell almost certainly thinks the weak link in the trio is Bortles. Like all the other advanced metrics folks, Barnwell isn’t a big fan of Bortles’ high-variance play style and thinks his numbers are a tad inflated. While partially true, Bortles is going to be the key piece on the Jacksonville offense moving forward.

Barnwell is right on another front – the offensive numbers will likely go down. With presumably a better rushing attack and a better defense, the Jaguars shouldn’t be playing catch-up so early in games in 2016.

Even if their numbers go down slightly, the sky’s the limit for this trio moving forward.

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