Quote:I'm a strong advocate for let them learn through experience.  If he can play, he'll stand out from the crowd.  If he can't play at the NFL level, then no amount of sitting on the bench and "learn" will help him be successful in the long term.

 

Bortles' flaws are mostly mechanical, though ... things he needs to learn off the field before applying them to in-game situations. There was no amount of experience that could have alleviated Gabbert's inability to stand tall against an NFL pass rush, but I'm completely with Caldwell on this one.

 

Now, it's a totally different debate when discussing how smart it is to waste the first year of a first-round quarterback's rookie deal -- the most valuable contract in sports at the moment -- on a guy who has to spend at least a season on the bench.

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