I'm firmly in the camp that thinks Blake still has a shot at being a franchise QB.  I don't believe he will ever be Brady/Rodgers/Brees.  That just doesn't seem to be his style or skill set.

 

Like many on this board, I think Blakes ceiling is as a gunslinger who improvises like Big Ben.  In order for him to become that, there are two things that need to happen.

 

1.) He needs to fix his mechanics and have that fix last an entire season.  Last year he completely stunk up the place and I believe mechanics were the main culprit.  Even when he made the correct decisions in 2016, his poor accuracy, the main reason appearing to be very poor mechanics, caused interceptions and incompletions.  If he can tighten that up and improve the percentage of passes that are accurate it can be enough to win games.  NFL history seems to indicate that this is extremely difficult and maybe impossible but we are along for the ride at this point and we will either see a history making turn around or he will flame out as a starter.

 

2.) The team needs to play better around him.  

For all of his accuracy woes in 2016, he had some hero like plays that would have won games but receivers were unable to pull down what should have been easy catches.  The dropped TDs to Robinson and Hurns stand out for me here.  I understand he was wildly inaccurate way too often but when he drops one right on the numbers his receivers need to make the most of that situation.  Additionally the running game needs to keep defenses honest. I've seen all sorts of comments from the talking heads after the draft saying that our new running game will limit the number of passing attempts which will limit the chances Blake can hurt us.  While I don't think that is completely untrue, I don't think that is really the point.  The problem last year is that no team was afraid of the running game.  They didn't have to commit extra defenders to stopping it.

 

2a.) While we thought our defense was pretty good last year I argue we weren't as good as everyone seems to think.  When an opposing team had to get a score, we never seemed to be able to hold on.  It might just be the paranoia I've grown watching the Jags lose so often but it seems that when an opposing OC really needed to score, they had an answer for our defense.  This is where I really point to our previous coaching staff's failure.  I really feel that it was scheme or lack of creativity.  That tinhorns article from the end of 2015 comes to mind.  They knew how to beat our defense when it mattered.  They exploited it in a way that didn't tip their hand but when they really needed to beat us it was extremely easy.  I do believe in players not plays but I also think that if your scheme is just complete crap, good players can look bad.

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For the record, I've long been convinced that Blake is flat a better qb than Eli despite Eli's two rings.

Manning has shown the ability to improve Bortles hasn't but could. Now I would agree Bortles has looked better then Eli over his first 3 years.

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That doesn't answer the question.


Saying "Blake played better in this 6 game stretch than Eli did at a different 6 game stretch" doesn't justify saying he's the better QB.


I like Bortles and hope he realizes his potential to be as good or better than Eli Manning. But he hasn't shown that yet.

His decision making, ability to go through his progressions, and his ability to read opposing defenses is lacking pretty sorely when compared to Eli Manning.


Despite Manning's accuracy issues in recent stretches he does in fact have 5 seasons recorded in which he threw for a completion rate of over 62%.

Bortles has never crossed 59%. This is the most glaring difference to me.


Eli is smarter and more accurate. I have hope for Blake though.

I agree Bortles isn't as good as Eli if you factor in Eli's whole career. But if you look at there first 3 years Eli and Bortles are very similar.


Both never finished over 60% completions, TD to INT ratio was similar, and if you pull up articles on Eli from 2007 which was after his 3rd season the concerns were his weird throwing mechanics an whether or not he had the "IT" factor and ability to lead the team.


The only difference is the coaching staff and team around him was better then what Bortles has had which helped them win in spite of Eli.

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That doesn't answer the question. 

 

Saying "Blake played better in this 6 game stretch than Eli did at a different 6 game stretch" doesn't justify saying he's the better QB. 

 

I like Bortles and hope he realizes his potential to be as good or better than Eli Manning.  But he hasn't shown that yet.  

His decision making, ability to go through his progressions, and his ability to read opposing defenses is lacking pretty sorely when compared to Eli Manning. 

 

Despite Manning's accuracy issues in recent stretches he does in fact have 5 seasons recorded in which he threw for a completion rate of over 62%.

Bortles has never crossed 59%.  This is the most glaring difference to me. 

 

Eli is smarter and more accurate. I have hope for Blake though. 

 

 

When Blake was lighting it up in 2015, he was throwing deep. You're going to have a lower completion percentage when throwing deep. I'm wondering if we could check out their completion percentages if you could only focus on their respective deep passes. I won't be shocked if Blake's is even higher, although in recent seasons he has had one of the best WRs in the game to throw to.

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'02

But...but...Westbrook is his replacement.

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But...but...Westbrook is his replacement.

If Dede Westbrook is replacing anyone it's Rashad Greene. 

 

If one of our young vet receivers loses snaps to Westbrook this year it will be Hurns  -  and if they want to replace Robinson - it won't be a guy like Westbrook.  It'll be a guy like Jester Weah  or  DJ Chark in next year's draft. 

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I'll remember this thread in the fall when Blake is winding up his catapult arm and wobbling pick 6s every week.

Dude, nobody in this thread cares that you want Bortles to fail just so you can say, "See, I was right!"

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If Dede Westbrook is replacing anyone it's Rashad Greene. 

 

If one of our young vet receivers loses snaps to Westbrook this year it will be Hurns  -  and if they want to replace Robinson - it won't be a guy like Westbrook.  It'll be a guy like Jester Weah  or  DJ Chark in next year's draft. 

Yeah. As a Nole fan, it pains me to say, Rashad is probably gone.

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I don't have a twitter, clown.

I'm the clown but you think Garrard is great chump.

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I'm the clown but you think Garrard is great chump.

When did I say he was great? He was an average QB that was sometimes above average. He won games. He wasn't a franchise QB but he was the closest thing to it we've had in 10+ years. Way better than Bortles.

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Make the Jags Great Again
Blake Bortles......YOU'RE FIRED!
Dave Caldwell.....YOU'RE FIRED!

Dude, nobody in this thread cares that you want Bortles to fail just so you can say, "See, I was right!"

Wrong. I'd love for him to succeed and lead this franchise out of the gutter. I'd gladly eat a big steaming plate of crow if he did so. As for saying "I told you so" when he fails, I wouldn't do that because I'm hardly the only one in this fanbase that sees the truth. Bortles is trash.

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Make the Jags Great Again
Blake Bortles......YOU'RE FIRED!
Dave Caldwell.....YOU'RE FIRED!

Anybody remember the pitcher from the Dodgers...Nomo?

Vaguely. After this season, we won't hear about him or Bortles Nomo.

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When did I say he was great? He was an average QB that was sometimes above average. He won games. He wasn't a franchise QB but he was the closest thing to it we've had in 10+ years. Way better than Bortles.

 

If Garrard was average then Bortles is currently above average.

 

On stacked teams that asked very little of him, Garrard always came up short of even the lowest bar for success, which would be winning the AFCS.

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Garrard couldn't see downfield very well. He could see the guys on the sideline or if somebody was streaking wide open, but he had no ability to diagnose deep plays opening up. Bortles is already a better downfield passer than Garrard ever was.

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'02

For the record, I've long been convinced that Blake is flat a better qb than Eli despite Eli's two rings.

Jags 02 that makes zero sense.  To even compare a qb who has never reached 500 or won the division to super bowl rings.  Says you know zero about qbs.

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Bleeding Teal since 1995. The Icon Teal Time Radio aka ctjags

  #Gojags

If Garrard was average then Bortles is currently above average.

 

On stacked teams that asked very little of him, Garrard always came up short of even the lowest bar for success, which would be winning the AFCS.

 

Pretty much.

 

Bortles right now is reminding me a lot of Jake Plummer.  Garrard will forever be more of a Derek Anderson.

 

When Bortles does put things together, which are too few and too far between, his performance (and potential) is much higher than David was ever capable of.

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"You do your own thing in your own time. You should be proud."

Manning has shown the ability to improve Bortles hasn't

 

 

Wasn't going from 11 TD passes thrown to 35 TDs one of the best turnarounds in NFL history?! Please. 

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When did I say he was great? He was an average QB 

 

 

Garrard wasn't an average QB. He had a TOP 5 scoring defense. An average NFL QB would have won a Super Bowl with that D. Garrard was among the worst starters in the NFL at that time. Like Teddy Bridgewater with AP and the Vikings, Garrard held MJD and the Jags BACK. 

 

Garrard could not make a big play to save his life. He could throw 2 passes: a slant and a screen pass. 

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Wrong. I'd love for him to succeed and lead this franchise out of the gutter. I'd gladly eat a big steaming plate of crow if he did so. As for saying "I told you so" when he fails, I wouldn't do that because I'm hardly the only one in this fanbase that sees the truth. Bortles is trash.

Don't sit up here and try to pass your opinion off as fact. What you think of Bortles is just another opinion, nothing more, nothing less. If you can't accept that, then your opinion is what it is: TRASH.

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Don't sit up here and try to pass your opinion off as fact. What you think of Bortles is just another opinion, nothing more, nothing less. If you can't accept that, then your opinion is what it is: TRASH.

His opinion is pure trash

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