(01-27-2018, 12:59 AM)Rooster Wrote:

(01-27-2018, 12:37 AM)Jaguarmeister Wrote: Why would Blake sign that deal?  He either gets $19 million guaranteed this year combined with either a mega multi year deal next year, the tag or a bite at free agency or he gets a bite at free agency this year.

Put yourself in his shoes.  Are you going to take your employer’s word for what your value is and accept their lowball offer or are you going to let the QB needy of the 31 other teams bid and set your value?

What options is he going to have? Is someone else going to give him $19M a year? I doubt it.  The Jags are in a position to get him on the cheap because he wants to play here.  Cousins wants a mega long term deal.  He's been playing on 1 year deals for 3 years.

He’s not taking a below market deal without testing free agency though.  Like I said, why would he?  If he tests free agency there’s no guarantee someone else doesn’t offer him a better deal.  If the plan is to roll with Bortles, the only way to ensure you have him is to keep him on the option or offer him a multi year deal that averages something close to $19 mil per year and guarantees significantly more. 

Could you cut him and he signs here for less anyway?  Sure, that might happen.  However, that’s awfully risky to potentially have your starting QB walk if the plan all along was to roll with him but we just wanted to get a deal.  Any potential upgrade that might be available would have already signed elsewhere by the time Bortles’ hypothetical free agency gets settled.  That’s too risky on a lot of fronts.  Just having him play on the option next year is a lot less risky from a business stand point.

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