Quote:This is why you need to have a veteran receiver out there.  Rookies have a huge learning curve to overcome.  Missing Shorts hurts more than some would admit here. 

 

As far as keeping Bortles out holding this team back, that's debatable.  We don't know how much better this team would perform with him out there, or how that would translate into more wins over the long haul.  As distrustful as some here are now about Caldwell's ability to evaluate talent and bring it here, how can anyone (especially those who are hammering Caldwell in other threads) think that Bortles will magically come in and instantly turn things around and we'll suddenly be a playoff contender? 

 

Last time I checked, he's still a rookie who hasn't really faced anything beyond the vanilla scheme of a fourth preseason game, and backups the rest of the preseason.  If he comes in and he's able to be slightly more effective than Henne, that amounts to what?  5 wins instead of 4 this year?  Yip yip yahoo!

 

I'm not opposed to getting Bortles in this year, but when I look at the train wreck of a line, the complete lack of a running game, and receivers who don't know up from down, I have to wonder how he's going to be the magic pill that makes this team a contender?

We're not looking for a contender Tim...

 

We're looking to be, at the very least, competitive.

 

I am pretty sure that no one expected a playoff run this year. As far as starting Bortles goes...?

 

We want to prepare him for the future (a la, next year) by giving him the most game experience he can get... You know, to make his rookie mistakes this year, as opposed to next year, where we are "supposed" to contend right?

 

Wasn't this year basically a lost cause or "rebuilding" year? If so, then plug the rookie in and let him go through his growing pains - like the entire team...

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