(05-21-2018, 09:55 AM)Bullseye Wrote:

(05-21-2018, 09:38 AM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote: If we're gonna take the next step in the evolution of this team and Bortles is gonna be our starting QB, the coaches have to trust him more and allow him to take more risks in the passing game. That means when we have 3rd and long, they have to have the confidence in Bortles to make a deep throw every once in a while. I saw way too many instances last year where they didn't seem to trust him in certain 3rd and long situations and they either ran the ball or came up with a conservative, short pass. If this team is gonna take the next step, we gotta make the correct calls and that means trusting Bortles enough to make those plays. Whether he succeeds or not, is anyone's guess, but he's all we have and we gotta make it work. It time to take the reigns off the QB.

I do not necessarily disagree with you here.

But is it possible the lack of confidence wasn't so much with Bortles as it was the receivers, especially after Robinson went down?

The team played with two rookies and a street free agent in Mickens for much of the second half of the season (and actually that seems to represent Bortles most productive time).

The team spent a second round pick on a receiver-Chark. 

It spent a 6th rounder on a QB.  They had chances to draft a QB in the first (Jackson) or 2nd (Rudolph) and they didn't. 

They had chances to go after several veteran QBs in free agency.  They let Cousins go to Minnesota.  They let Keenum go to Denver.  They let Bradford go to Arizona.

I think the receivers have a year under their belts.  They added a premier deep threat in Chark, whom you and I both liked as I recall.  Finally, they added a TE who should be more of a threat in the passing game than Marcedes Lewis.  Everything seems to point to a more aggressive approach this year.  I think that may have as much to do with more faith in the group of receivers as it is more faith in Bortles.