2017 NFL Draft: The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Quarterback Question
By Luke Sims
Blake Bortles may not be Tom Coughlin’s answer at quarterback as the Jacksonville Jaguars get closer to the 2017 NFL Draft.
Taking a struggling quarterback into the 2017 NFL season without a solid backup option may not be wise for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Chad Henne is serviceable, but he is far from the future for a team that hasn’t had a true franchise passer since Mark Brunnell.
To that end, the idea that the Jaguars may draft a quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft is perfectly logical. If nobody on the roster (which includes starter Blake Bortles, Henne, and third-stringer Brandon Allen) is the clear future, then another quarterback makes sense, even at the expense of undermining the credibility of the starter.
That is the logic surrounding executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin’s conundrum as he eyes the draft. Should a quarterback makes sense at one of the Jags’ picks, pulling the trigger is easily defensible. To that end, Coughlin wouldn’t rule out drafting a quarterback this year when interviewed by NFL Network.
This should not shock anyone. Without Bortles coming close to replicating 2015’s breakout sophomore effort in the last season, the game’s most important position must be analyzed closely. There are no entitled roles on any NFL team, especially quarterback. Bortles knows this, Coughlin knows this, fans know this.
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But that in no way should mean the Jaguars use a top pick on a quarterback. There are still other holes to fill on the roster and there is no clear-cut, definitive choice among this year’s passing prospects. Or, as suggested by ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, it could all be a smokescreen.
Finding value is what the NFL draft is all about and if Coughlin and general manager David Caldwell happen to find the right value at the right time, then a quarterback makes sense. There are a multitude of options that are getting plenty of attention because there is no one answer in this year’s draft.
All of this is to say, don’t be shocked to see the Jags draft a quarterback if it happens. That’s no guarantee Bortles is going to be out the window after training camp or mid-season and it’s no guarantee the player will even become a starter at some point. It will simply be about finding the right value at the right time.