ESPN.com writer believes Gardner Minshew was a winner this offseason

Will a solid review from ESPN.com mean Gardner Minshew will take the next step as the quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars?

It might be what the Jacksonville Jaguars need to have a successful season in 2020. In his recent story on ESPN.com, Bill Barnwell listed quarterback Gardner Minshew one of his winners of this offseason.

What? Did I read that right? Was he serious?

Barnwell is not known for throwing accolades the way of the black and teal, but he has thrown his support behind the team’s second-year quarterback.

"“Likewise, (as with Jarrett Stidham of the Patriots) the Jaguars cleared out a path for their 2019 sixth-round pick, as they traded away free-agent addition Nick Foles after paying him more than $30 million for four starts,” he wrote. “Jacksonville then sat out the various free-agent quarterback options and didn’t use either of its first-round picks on a signal-caller.”"

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The second-year pro goes into training camp with his top wide receiver, DJ Chark, poised for another big season and the offensive line that the front office and coaching staff believe will be much better the upcoming year.

There are other reasons to think Minshew could have a more productive season in 2020 given more changes that were made to help the offense.

"“The Jags even added Tyler Eifert at tight end and used a second-round pick on wideout Laviska Shenault Jr., though their desperate attempts to get anybody to take running back Leonard Fournette off their hands found no takers,” Barnwell adds.”"

Fournette will come into this season knowing it more than likely will be his last in a Jaguars uniform. Hopefully, that is enough motivation to help him have his best season in the NFL. The 1,152 yards he rushed for in 2019 and the 76 passes he caught weren’t too shabby in 15 games.

Also, the Jaguars brought in Mike Glennon to serve as the backup signal-caller. He does not pose a threat to Minshew, but he does provide some competition in the quarterback room.

So far, it’s been a magical ride the 23-year-old has been on since the team drafted him last season.

"“Again, even having a chance to take meaningful reps as a sixth-round pick is rare. The last sixth-rounder to throw at least 400 passes over his first two seasons was Tom Brady, who threw three as a rookie in 2000 and 413 while leading the Pats to a Super Bowl in 2001,” Barnwell added.“Minshew is already way ahead of the game in terms of opportunity… Minshew should get a full season to prove he’s an NFL quarterback.”"

The Jaguars also have an easier schedule to start the season, which should give Gardner Minshew the chance to establish himself as a better than dependable starter from the start. The second half of the year is where he will be tested against tougher and stronger opponents.

It could be a matter of getting out early and piling up wins so when he is faced with more adversity, Minshew is in a better position to handle losses and issues that result from a struggling offense if the situation should arise.

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