Will Blake Bortles hold the Jacksonville Jaguars back from winning?
By Max Baker
The thick of the 2017 NFL offseason has just came to a close after the NFL draft, and the Jaguars have yet again improved heavily.
Just as they did in 2016, the Jaguars dished out $488,413,000 in total contract worth and $183,570,000 in guaranteed money. An already above- average defense added pro-bowl pass rusher Calais Campbell, long time Cowboys safety, Barry Church, and up-and-coming cornerback A.J. Bouye. This defense will at least keep them in games. But you need to score points to win.
In the 2017 NFL draft, the Jaguars used their first two picks to draft the best running back in the draft, Leonard Fournette, and arguably the best tackle, Cam Robinson. This offense has enough talent to compete as well – except for one position.
The quarterback position is what is really going to hold back the Jacksonville Jaguars this year.
After finishing seventh in passing yards (4428) and second to Tom Brady in passing touchdowns, 35 in 2015, many had huge expectations for quarterback Blake Bortles entering his third year in the league. Before the season started, Bleacher Report went on to call the Jags a dark horse playoff team behind Bortles. Then the season started, and these expectations were quickly shut down. Bortles regressed and failed to take a step forward in any meaningful way. He threw for over 500 less yards, 12 less touchdowns, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team that was poised to make a run in the AFC South, won three games.
A whole year has gone by and Blake Bortles is still the quarterback of this NFL franchise. I feel like this above average team will be let down by their quarterback and not win as many games as most fans are hoping for. I honestly think that the Jaguars, QB aside, have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. If you replaced any mid-tier QB such as Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, or Eli Manning with Blake Bortles, the Jacksonville Jaguars are a playoff team. This is why I believe the Jaguars need to get ready and find their franchise QB in next year’s draft because Blake and the Jags will disappoint many fans this year.