Quote:Much of the myriad "tanking" discussions centered around the Jaguars' desperate need for a franchise QB, the desire for Houston to not have a franchise QB, and the likelihood that Bridgewater would go number one overall and therefore be unavailable to the Jaguars, who may even pick outside of the top five by the time this season is done.

 

But are there scenarios where the Louisville signal caller could still be ours for the taking, even with this current winning streak continuing?

 

Absolutely.

 

Of course, a lot would have to go right for the Jaguars to land him with their original first round pick outside of the top 3 picks, but I figured it might be a decent idea to kick around the what-ifs.

 

  Houston might decide another veteran QB would be better for the team.  It is difficult to imagine, looking at the Texans' roster, that this is a 2 win team.  According to quotes attributed to Texans' owner Bob McNair, he does not believe the Texans have a true two win roster, either.  More likely, he believes a KC type turnaround is possible, if not likely, with a coaching change and the right QB.  The right QB would be a veteran QB.  There has been some speculation that guys like Roethlisberger, Rivers, or Cutler could become available this offseason.  If the Texans brass believes this team, from a talent perspective, is closer to a contender than a true rebuilding project in waiting, it would make sense for the Texans to go after a veteran QB.  If Lovie Smith ends up the new Texans coach, I could see him making a play for Cutler, and looking to the draft to fill the remaining holes on the roster like RT, S, CB, and quite possibly a DE if they went with Lovie Smith and switched to a 4-3.  They might still go for a developmental QB later.  This scenario obviously increases the likelihood of Bridgewater's availability beyond the first overall pick.  If course, in this scenario, Houston could deal the #1 overall pick (if they end up with it) and some QB hungry team could still snap him up.

 

  They may be more inclined to utilize this approach if somehow Bridgewater drops in the eyes of scouts.  Assuming he stays healthy between now and draft time, I can see this happening one way:  if the combine shows him to be less than prototype size.  His weight and build has been the subject of some message board speculation.  You better believe risk averse GMs will use his size (or lack thereof) as justification for passing on him.  If Bridgewater comes out of the combine weighing closer to 196 than the 218 some have reported, and actually measures 6-1 instead of 6-3, I could see Bridgewater dropping some.  As is often the case, stock rises and falls in the months leading up to the draft.  As Bridgewater drops, maybe Carr's stock rises.  The pre draft process has been extended by another month, which may give teams more time to nitpick.  Maybe McNair, who became familiar with the Carr family through Derek Carr's older brother David, would be willing to take another chance on a Carr, especially with the OL the team currently has.

 

  If these things happen, then it potentially opens things up for Jacksonville.

 

  Based upon other mock draft orders at this stage, Atlanta has a good chance of winding up with the number two overall pick.  They certainly do not need a QB.  However, they have need for a T and a DE.  The value for those players is anywhere from 2-10 or so.  If they decide they need more numbers, they may be open to a trade down, and this is where Caldwell's ties to Atlanta may work to the Jaguars' advantage, if they coveted him and wanted to guarantee his availability to them via trade.  They might need to jump Minnesota to obtain his services.  This would be the most likely trade up partner under this scenario.

 

   Minnesota and Cleveland are two other potential teams likely picking in the top ten looking for a QB.  Minnesota has the advantage of draft position over Cleveland, who has the advantage of two first round picks with which to move.  Arguably, Minnesota has more needs than Cleveland, as they look to jettison Jared Allen after this season, need to replace an aging Kevin Williams, and get someone to push the rookie DT from Florida. But both teams could also be less than enamored with rookies at QB, considering the Vikings just made the playoffs two seasons ago, and Cleveland has a very good young nucleus, may make a play for one of the veteran QBs.

 

Buffalo just picked E.J. Manuel this year, and he showed some signs of being a good signal caller before getting hurt.  He has good coaching and good tools around him.  They may look to improve OT. 

 

It doesn't seem likely now, but a lot can happen that could lead Bridgewater available to us despite our recent success.

 

While it is possible that the Texans don't go QB, I think the more likely choice is that they do go QB. Their core has gotten old. None of their QBs are the answer, so they need a QB regardless. They will have a new HC in place. I'm not sure what their salary situation is, but they let Mario go because of salary concerns. I'm not sure they can afford a big money contract to guys like Cutler, Rivers, or Ben. Enter Bridgewater...regardless of how you view him, the belief is that of the QBs this year, he's the guy who is most ready to play. He would be the perfect bridge, no pun intended, to start for a team that might be good enough to contend with a good QB while not sacrificing the future of the team with a high-priced veteran QB.

 

The Falcons have been looking for a DE since they decided to pass on Watt and Smith for Julio. With Clowney staring them in the face, and with a veteran cast, I don't think they trade quantity for quality. They take Clowney and don't look back.

 

That would leave teams like Minny, Browns, and Tampa Bay as potential teams ahead of us. Maybe Tennessee if we win out. With games against Buf, Tenn, and Colts...there is a fairly realistic chance we go 7-9 this season. While Bridgewater can slide if he measures small, I don't think he slides that far given the teams who need a QB at the top. If we win 7-9 games, you can forget about getting the top QBs in this draft barring a trade up scenario.

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