There is an interesting article in Pro Football Weekly about the Colts efforts to protect Andrew Luck.

 

Of particular interest to me was this passage.

 

Quote: 

Yet despite Luck's overall durability, the Colts cannot escape the 115 times Luck has been sacked since arriving in the league. That's why they spent their first-round pick, No. 18 overall, on Alabama center Ryan Kelly and their third-round pick on Texas Tech offensive tackle Le'Raven Clark. In total, Indianapolis spent four of its eight draft selections on offensive linemen.

"I think it was obviously a position of need for us," Colts guard Jack Mewhort told reporters last week. "I think going into the draft, we only had seven guys in the room, so obviously, we needed to add numbers. On top of that, competition brings the best out of everybody."

Luck will also have his third offensive coordinator in five years, so when quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer and offensive line coach Joe Philbin are brought on board, it might bode well for the Colts offense when Chudzinski and Schottenheimer are "close" philisophically, especially considering Luck has thrown 55 interceptions to date.

(Emphasis added)

 

Luck has had some success since he is been in the league.  But I know many Jaguars fans don't fear him the way we feared Manning.  Sacks and INTs are a reason why. 

 

Meanwhile, Jaguars fans are stoked over Bortles development from year 1 to year two, and for good reason.  Throwing 35 TDs and over 4000 yards  in his second year is more than Jaguars fans could have realistically hoped or imagined.  Confidence in Bortles and the offense is high.

 

But if Luck taking 115 sacks since 2012 was problematic enough for the Colts to spend four draft picks on offensive linemen this year, what, then, are we to make of the 106 sacks Bortles has taken in half the time?  To put this in additional, more frightening perspective, David Carr actually took fewer sacks his first two seasons (91) than Bortles did, and Carr had a rookie year where he suffered 76 sacks!

 

It's not as if the Jaguars don't have receivers that can separate.  If anything, the Jaguars are more loaded at the position than Indy. Why, then, is Bortles taking all of the abuse?  I think part of it is attributable to Bortles himself.  A favorite comparison analysts used to evaluate Bortles was Ben Roethlisberger.  Roethlisberger has taken a lot of sacks because he often holds on to the ball for a long time to scramble and make plays.  Bortles is the same way.  I think some of that is due to inexperience, not only generally speaking, but in the scheme.  Now that he is in his 3rd year, and his second within the same scheme, I expect him to make quicker and smarter decisions and reduce some of the hits he takes.

 

But it's certainly not all on Bortles, either.  Part of the problem has been the running game.  While Yeldon looked promising last year, the fact is, due to some poor performances from the OL, and game circumstances that forced the team to abandon the running game in many cases, it put an inordinate burden on Bortles to throw the ball and the OL to protect him.  If the team hopes to reduce the number of hits and sacks Bortles takes, they have to provide a more rugged, consistent and persistent running attack.  I think the addition of Ivory and the return of Linder will help with that, but Olsen has to be committed to the running game, too.

 

But I think ultimately, talent dictates performance, or lack thereof.  Unfortunately, I don't think the OL escapes blame here, either.  If we hit on Joeckel, the issues would not have been so bad and we would not have brought in Beachum to compete with him.  But his performance in the season ending loss to the Texans, where he singularly gave up 5 sacks, should have rung alarm bells.  But LT isn't the only problem.  Right now, LG is a huge question mark.  There is some thought that the loser of the Beachum-Joeckel battle at LT will simply slide inside to LG, but I don't think it's that simple.  Joeckel has had problems with power outside.  Sliding him inside will pit him against far more powerful players than he faced outside.  I think as a short term fix, the Jaguars should make another short term, risk free Woerner type signing of a vet to plug inside.  Slauson might have been a good fit, but he went to SD.  I might advocate Louis Vasquez, most recently with Denver.  He had a good career in a power running attack in San Diego.  He signed with Denver under Mike Fox, who had another power running attack, but became a fish out of water in the Kubiak version of the WCO.  I think an experienced, power guy like him will help the running game that will take some of the pressure off Bortles, and provide a good pocket when Bortles has to drop back to throw.  But I think next year, offensive line has to be a primary focus of the draft if we want him to remain upright in the future.

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