Quote:For the purposes of this discussion, I do not comment on the long term viability of Blake Bortles.  My answer focuses solely on the short term.

 

If you bring in competition at QB, I have no problem with that.  My concern is what are the reasonable expectations for whomever you bring in?  Given the careers of the guys likely to be available as free agents to date, we shouldn't expect a Brees type resurgence at the position.  In fact, most of the guys likely to be available as free agents are mediocre.  Tyrod Taylor is probably the best of the group, but most Bills fans I've seen are less than enthused about him.  The Bills apparently aren't that crazy about him, either.  Cutler has been a coach killer everywhere he's been.  Unless someone like Cousins unexpectedly becomes available on the open market, we aren't likely to sign anyone that would be a satisfactory long or short term upgrade over Bortles.

 

The same holds true for the rookie class.  I am not opposed to drafting a QB this year in the mid rounds.  But even if we spent the #4 overall on a QB, chances are he will be far from a polished, finished NFL product on draft day.  Chances are, he will need work, time to learn the offense, time to learn NFL defenses and adjust to the game.  While rookie years like Big Ben, Ryan, Flacco, and Prescott are more common than they once were, they still represent the exception, not the rule.  The QB we draft may develop into a good pro in time, it's still folly to expect a rookie QB to come in and be the savior.

 

Fair enough, the discussion of BB should be left for another thread.

 

So first off, I personally don't think we should use our first round pick on a QB.  However, I have way more confidence in Coughlin figuring out who the BAP and best fit for this roster is.  Even more so than Caldwell.  So I'm not going to rule out us getting a QB in the 1st round.  Though it's clearly unlikely.

 

As for the free agent class, yeah, it's slim pickings.  But there are a few QBs that I think will be available that can compete with Bortles for the starting job.  That includes the Raider's QB, I forget his name...  But he was said to be a free agent during the telecast of the wildcard game.  Tyrod Taylor, as your example, is one I continued to use, NOT because I think he's a viable QB.  But because I think that based on what we saw from BB this year, Tyrod is of a similar caliber.  Which, if you think about it, is an indictment on how bad BB was last this past season.

 

The concern is this:  If we are keeping the coaching staff as is, then you're basically giving a tacit vote of confidence to BB.  You're basically saying that he will be the man this year in his contract year.  This to me is dangerous.  Not having a contingency for his potential (what I think is highly likely) failure is foley.

 

Do I think any QB that we acquire, either in Free Agency or the Draft, will be the answer as a "Franchise" QB?  Honestly--No.  But that doesn't mean we should not begin the process of looking and trying out players.  

 

As the great Michael Scott once quoted from something Wayne Gretzky heard Michael Jordan say, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take".

 

It's time to take shots.  Draft, develop, repeat.  That's gotta start right now.  And I think that bringing in a new HC, someone not within the Gus Bradley weed (instead of tree, get it?) would have made that a stronger possibility.

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