(06-25-2017, 07:09 PM)Caldrac Wrote: They have to try. That's the point. I am saying they can't use the lack of space as an excuse. They could have tried something, anything to make the position better and competitive. They simply haven't.
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(06-23-2017, 06:50 AM)Caldrac Wrote: It's been frustrating as a fan. I know exactly where you're coming from Dakota. What really jumps out at you too is the fact that a team like New England. Even with Brady front and center. They've still invested quality selections at the QB position.
Mallet was a 3RD round selection in 2011.
Garoppolo was a 2ND round selection in 2014.
Shanahan did the same thing in 2012. They jumped up for RGIII and still went with Cousins in RD4 as an insurance policy. Fast forward to 2017 and you've got one guy going down the path as a career back up and another guy on the verge of being paid a big fat contract for actually, you know, winning games.
You should see the same philosophy being applied at the QB position. This team has had plenty of cap space to add legitimate competition behind Bortles over the past three years between free agency and the draft. They've opted not to address it. It's baffling. And if he fails this year. Caldwell's head needs to roll.
The Pats might have taken QBs, but what does that prove? The only thing it shows to me is that they're good at working the system. They draft a back up QB and let him "develop" behind Brady in that system. Everybody just assumes that said QB is going to be great because he came from that system, even though they've literally never touched the field during their time there. Cassel's situation was a little different because of the freak Brady knee injury.
The Pats then ship off said QB for a draft pick in return. Whether it was for a profit (see Matt Cassel), or simply just to get something back for a wasted pick (see Mallet). None of those QBs ever turn out to be any good. Mallet is awful and while Garoppolo could be good, he's nothing more than a big question mark at this point in time.
Shanahan played it safe by double dipping in that draft. He got lucky and hit on Cousins. That kind of situation happening is not the norm and you seen what kind of issues it caused during the entire time both QBs were there. It was a constant back and forth of, this guy should play, no this guy etc.
I believe they have all intentions on pushing Bortles, but with who? You can say that they should of brought somebody in, but there literally wasn't anybody worth a lick out there. The QB class was very weak and so was the FA class.
Did you want to bring in Cutler? Somebody who makes all kinds of poor decisions with the football. Or did you want to trade for an old and broken down Tony Romo?
The ship floats, or sinks with Bortles this season and it was pretty obvious that it would. Best case, we win with him (which is what everybody should want). Worst case, we suck again and we're drafting high in what will be a far greater QB class than this past year's.
Again. They have to try something, anything. And they didn't. Whether it was through the draft or free agency. Teams improved after us that were in the same boat as us.
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Well they drafted Bortles in 2014.
In 2015 he was going into his 2nd year and there wasn't really a need to draft a QB high, or go after a high profile FA when Bortles was only going into his 2nd year. That would have been an awful situation and do nothing but cause distractions. I could just see the headlines.. "Wow the Jags drafted X QB, or signed X QB. They obviously must not have a lot of faith in Bortles, who's only going into his 2nd season."
Going into his 3rd year in 2016, he was coming off of what looked like a very promising year. All the talk was about us finally having our Franchise QB and it looked like we did. The QB position looked to be set for the foreseeable future. Would have been stupid to go after a QB after how promising Bortles looked in 2015.
This off season is the season they could have really went after another QB. The problem is, you don't just go after somebody because you think you need to. There was literally nothing out there that would be an upgrade from Bortles. Nobody wants Henne on the field, but Henne is better than anybody who was in this past draft and anybody who was a FA. Bortles is obviously better than Henne.
It's easy to say that they have to try anything, just do something. That's far easier said then done though. Are you talking about teams being in the same situation as us this off season and improving? If so, every team improves on paper, in the off season. It doesn't really mean anything at this point in time. We wont know which teams improved and which teams got worse until the bullets really start flying.
