Like the rest of you, I was stunned when we picked Blake Bortles last night.


But this morning I am waking up with a lot of pride in the Jaguars organisation.


And that's because I can sum up the selection of Bortles with one word... Brave.


It would have been very easy for Dave Caldwell to make the obvious pick, follow the consensus of the "experts" and take a safe option like Mack or Watkins - because those are the players everyone expected us to take. Both will be great players, but they weren't the players our front office wanted. And you have to admire Dave and Gus for doing what they believe is right (after doing a lot more scouting than any of us amateurs !)


It would have been very easy to think it was wrong to select Bortles with the number three pick. But he was the player they wanted and that was the pick we had. So not picking him would have been ridiculous.


It would have been very easy to avoid picking Bortles, because of the pressure to bring in a player who can start on day one. But they went for a player who might spend the whole season sat on the bench - what other organisation would have the balls to do that ?


If we had picked Mack or Watkins I think we would all have been satisfied. But their unexpected selection of Bortles has perversely given me a lot of confidence in DC and his team. They've clearly done their homework, looked for a player they feel will be good for us (rather than simply going for the BAP regardless of need - like the Texans) and they can feel happy that they have got the man they wanted.


I think you could say the selection of Bortles is very "Dave and Gus" - brave men who go with their convictions.

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