I for one do think it's justifiable to call Bortles a very possible, even likely 'Gabbert 2.0', and no I don't call every QB I don't like that. For example, I may have my reservations with Teddy, but I would never say he's a Gabbert-clone. So why Bortles then?

 

Because he's been given an extra push up the draft board because of his supposed NFL-standard size/build/strength/etc(just like Gabbert did undeservedly so). For looking back now in hindsight, and judging Gabbert solely on what he did on the field at Missouri, it's clear that he was NOT a top-10 pick/franchise guy. But his supposed 'perfect size' pushed him higher than he should have been. And if we're honest with ourselves, Bortles is benefiting from the same thing.

 

In other words, if you had never actually 'seen' the QBs, and were blindly told the statistics of Manziel and Bortles, and the teams they played against, no one in their right mind would ever choose Bortles. But like Gabbert, he's pushing up the draft board because of his supposed 'NFL size'. 

 

And so no, it's not that he plays like Gabbert, or is destined to fail like Gabbert did. Only that he's getting the same push that Gabbert did, more for his size than his actual play. Buyers beware.

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