(08-23-2018, 11:17 AM)NYC4jags Wrote: This Marrone / Hackett offense doesn't require a #1 receiver.  They have plenty of options to get Bortles his 3800-4000 yards in a run first offense. Lee, Moncrief, Westbrook Cole, Chark , ASJ , Three RBs that all catch well.  There's only so many ways to spread that out, and a 1200 yard receiver is not required.

(Dez will never be anything resembling a #1 receiver again)

I'm of a mixed view of this (and this goes back to the WR debate I was having with malabarjag and deacon I never got back to-UGH)

On the one hand, football being a game of matchups, it stands to reason that the most effective players are the ones that cause matchup difficulties for the opponent and advantages for your own team.  The reason our defense is so good is that we have so many playmakers on it that cause matchup problems-Ngakoue, Campbell, Dareus, Jackson, T. Smith, Jack, Ramsey, Bouye, opposing coordinators have to pick their poison and often times their choices-in terms of blocking schemes, route combinations, personnel groupings, etc. are limited.  Similarly, if we had a guy like Julio Jones who could create matchup problems for defenses, that would create benefits for Bortles, other receivers, and Hackett.

Having said that, the Super Bowl champs who have managed to have success without having the stud WR ('85 Bears, Parcells era Giants, Seattle, Baltimore) were, for the most part, defense first, run the ball teams built similarly to the Jaguars.  New England I would put in a different category.  Early in the Belichick-Brady era, I would say they were a defense heavy team that had a decent running attack but not an overpowering one, and they had the GOAT QB.  Once they had a better understanding of just how great Brady was, they became a predominately passing offense what had very few stud WRs, with the notable exception of Randy Moss.

If Jacksonville is going to win a Super Bowl, they are following an established precedent with the Parcells era Giants, Baltimore, and Seattle) with their current group of receivers.  I still think their chances of doing so would improve with the acquisition/development of a stud WR.

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