I'm interested in hearing some of your thoughts on this. Coming out of UCF, I didn't dislike Bortles but I didn't see him as anything special. I thought he'd be an average QB at best in the NFL and only after a couple years. After we drafted him and i started reading up more about him and why we drafted him so high, I began to see that he had potential to be elite but didn't think he'd get there anytime soon. But 3 games into his rookie season, Bortles looks like one of the most promising QBs in recent memory. From how he carries himself to the production he's putting up with virtually no offensive line and running game behind him, and only 1 or 2 receivers who can even be considered half way decent right now. Was the UCF offense just holding him back or is it something that clicked in the past 6 months? Either way, he looks special. His pocket presence and instinctive feel for the position, his arm strength, and his athletic ability are all top notch.
If some of you go back and look at my created topic I have a thread or two on Bortles potential and how at the height of his ceiling he could be something like Aaron Rodgers mixed with Big Ben and rather than Rothlisberger, the QB(s) Bortles reminded me most of in the NFL is actually Brett Favre and Dan Marino. I didn't think he'd show that potential this quickly, but he has.
If that erection lasts for more than 4 hours, you might wanna consult a physician.....
Sorry, I couldn't stop my fingers...
It hit me during the UCF @ Louisville game that Bortles was better than Bridgewater. While Bridgewater was hitting 5 yard slant patterns, Bortles was going down field and was clutch in the key drives. Both played a good game.
Bortles also came on strong in a sub-zero degree game vs SMU when his team trailed at halftime.
Finally, Bortles lit up Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl.
In summary, I think he progressively got better during his Sr. Year but went under the radar due to the Teddy watch and the potential that Mariotta would come out. Personally, I think Mariotta is Kaepernick version 2.0
All that said, I must admit I wasn't completely sold on Bortles at #3 but given the other available options (Watkins & K Mack) I was glad we selected him at that time.
He hasn't "gotten so good".
He was good this whole time.
Think about it, who the hell did he have at UCF?? Bortles carried that team to the success that it did attain during his time there. Bortles had the quality you want in a QB (and head coach for that matter) - he does more with less.
Then you look at his physical ability....he's already right there with any NFL QB in that realm...
Bortles was somewhat overlooked in the draft for whatever reason - by many people, including myself.
Good for us.
I think that the UCF offense was just a very conservative style. They did not play like a typical college football team that was about scoring early and often. UCF would try to run a lot and hold the time of possession lead, similar to how the NFL is run typically. Bortles was never needed to do anything eye popping which is why many people thought he was bad. But if you watched enough of the UCF games you knew he was going to be good. He could make any throw and if he needed to score in a game late he would drive down the field everytime and score.
There are some rough, and I mean rough, patches ahead. But a day will come when Bortles and the Jags will be tearing defenses apart. I mean 2-minute drill, quick-strike offense
I think he has the potential to outshine even Mark Brunell...
Quote:I think he has the potential to outshine even Mark Brunell...
Brunell really wasn't that good post knee injury. I mean - he was "good", just nothing exceptional. I'd hope Brunell would be the "floor" of what we are about to get from Bortles (career wise)>
Just gotta make sure the ebola won't wipe us out before that happens lol
Quote:He hasn't "gotten so good".
He was good this whole time.
Think about it, who the hell did he have at UCF?? Bortles carried that team to the success that it did attain during his time there. Bortles had the quality you want in a QB (and head coach for that matter) - he does more with less.
Then you look at his physical ability....he's already right there with any NFL QB in that realm...
Bortles was somewhat overlooked in the draft for whatever reason - by many people, including myself.
Good for us.
Bortles has gotten much better just ask him!
"It was like watching two different quarterbacks," Bortles said Wednesday.
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_...of-himself
Quote:Bortles has gotten much better just ask him!
"It was like watching two different quarterbacks," Bortles said Wednesday.
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_...of-himself
I've already heard that... ^^^^
But in the truth of the matter is, Bortles was indeed good last year. UCF wasn't that great of a team and Bortles time after time led a key drive when he had to. Bortles carried UCF.
BB has a good feel for it, this is very apparent when compared in your mind to Gabbert who had no feel whatsoever. BB is able to move in and out of the pocket with amazing ease, he just kind of gets it back there. I'm not sure how to describe it but it isn't in his physical tools, it's in his presence and in his command of the field. It's an intangible that probably can't even be taught,
Quote:BB has a good feel for it, this is very apparent when compared in your mind to Gabbert who had no feel whatsoever. BB is able to move in and out of the pocket with amazing ease, he just kind of gets it back there. I'm not sure how to describe it but it isn't in his physical tools, it's in his presence and in his command of the field. It's an intangible that probably can't even be taught,
Overall, yes I agree with you here.
I do think last Sunday there were several instances where he could have climbed the pocket but hesitated too long and got sacked because of that.
Quote:I've already heard that... ^^^^
But in the truth of the matter is, Bortles was indeed good last year. UCF wasn't that great of a team and Bortles time after time led a key drive when he had to. Bortles carried UCF.
He was always good but he has gotten much better and you can see it in his throws
The Marino comparison is silly, if anything Id compare his plsy style to Russel Wilson in the sense that hes a good runner and passer, hes not extremely fast, but hes fast
Quote:The Marino comparison is silly, if anything Id compare his plsy style to Russel Wilson in the sense that hes a good runner and passer, hes not extremely fast, but hes fast
Yeah, he's not Marino.
Of all the QB in the NFL, Roethlisberger really is the closest comparison, IMO. They may not be identical, but similar.
Bortles is more poise than Big Ben IMO, and if Bortles was on that same Pitt. team as Ben was his rookie year I think he could of took them to the playoffs and done the same think Ben did
Quote:Bortles is more poise than Big Ben IMO, and if Bortles was on that same Pitt. team as Ben was his rookie year I think he could of took them to the playoffs and done the same think Ben did
Ben won his first 13 starts. You realize that, right?
Quote:Ben won his first 13 starts. You realize that, right?
No, Pitt. did. The had a dominant and number 1 D. A all pro offensive line with Alan Faneca etc., Jerome Bettis, a prime Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress. Yeah I think Bortles could of done the same thing. That team was loaded