This morning, I heard an interview on the radio with Sal Palantonio and Blake Bortles.

 

I will paraphrase as best I can here.

 

Bortles, addressing how it feels to be the first drafted QB,  indicated what he had said before about it being an honor to have been drafted, and that as a competitor you want to be the best at everything and he wanted to be the first QB drafted, but he would have been happy being drafted anywhere because it was an honor.  He said he couldn't be in a better place than Jacksonville.

 

He talked about some of the adjustments he had to make, and a profound experience for him was seeing someone get cut for the first time.

 

Bortles stated that Gus Bradley has established a great atmosphere and that all of the vets are great guys.

 

Palantonio asked him about the comparisons to Roethlisberger, and Bortles indicated he thought the comparisons came from their size and ability to extend plays.  He said it was good to be compared to a guy who won two super bowls, and it was good to get to work with him this past spring.

 

Responding to questions about the large playbook, Bortles aid the playbook is definitely large, and that he already has a favorite play.  I did not understand or remember all of the verbage, but he described the different reads on the play, and the Y running a "ball" route.

 

Palantonio really pressed him on the subject of playing early vs. sitting.  IMO, Bortles handled it well.  Bortles indicated that in his opinion the only way to learn to do something is to get in there and do it and the competitor in him wants to get in there and learn from mistakes.  He also said that history has shown that when QBs sit for a year or two, the early part of their careers tend to go better.  He said that smetimes a team can ruin a QB's confidence if he is thrown out there too soon.  Palantonio asked him if he had the confidence, and he responded with a firm "Yes."  Ultimately, he said he's willing to do whatever the coaches ask of him. 

 

I am looking for a link to the interview and will post when/if I find it.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Nice, thanks.

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http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11028622

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Thanks a million, Leopold.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

On a tangential note, Brunell discusses the pros and cons to a young QB sitting vs. playing immediately.

 

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11028622

 

D'oh!

 

That's the same link Leopold provided.

 

But after that video, there will be links to other videos, including Brunell.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Thanks a million, Leopold.

No problem, i was bored. lol. 

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It sounds like Bortles has a more unshakable psyche than his predecessor.  I guess it's easy for him to say that sitting poolside with Sal.  But, I just get the impression that he wouldn't come away as damaged as Gabbert was by starting so early in his career. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Im happy with Bortles' comments. He does seem atleast a tad annoyed by sitting. It is a good thing. Shows his competitive nature. Its a simple case of "sacrificing the present to secure the future" . Of which he also seems to understand.

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Bortles has been saying all the right things so far, thats for sure. 

 

One difference between Gabbert and Bortles that I perceive is that Bortles really genuinely is happy to be drafted by Jacksonville and be HERE. I think Blaine was merely happy to be drafted anywhere, not saying Blaine disliked Jacksonville or anything, but I just notice that difference. I could be wrong too...

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To me, a distinction I see between Gabbert and Bortles in interviews is I saw Gabbert get flustered in an interview.

 

In the game changers with Steve Mariucci (perhaps it was the one with Gruden), he had Gabbert and Ponder on together, and asked him a question that showed Gabbert appearing to get flustered.

 

Granted, I didn't see Bortles in any of the Game Changers/Gruden shows, but I haven't seen him flustered in any interview yet.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Bortles just seems way more confident then Gabbert.

 

And I still hope the best for Blaine, great guy.

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Bortles just seems way more confident then Gabbert.

 

And I still hope the best for Blaine, great guy.

I agree with your first sentence and totally disagree with the second one. I hope Blaine gets out of the NFL after this year.

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To me, a distinction I see between Gabbert and Bortles in interviews is I saw Gabbert get flustered in an interview.

 

In the game changers with Steve Mariucci (perhaps it was the one with Gruden), he had Gabbert and Ponder on together, and asked him a question that showed Gabbert appearing to get flustered.

 

Granted, I didn't see Bortles in any of the Game Changers/Gruden shows, but I haven't seen him flustered in any interview yet.

watch mariucci sit down with TB... that was one of the best that i have seen mariucci do... he was askin him the questions everyone wanted to here and puttin him in really awkward spots, but it was something that was good to see.. tb handled it ok, but i came away second guessing the kids mentality and confidence...mariucci was puttin him on the spot with questions about how he thought he was the best qb in the draft but he was askin him to explain why infront of two other qb's in the draft lol.... i saw the gabby/ponder episode with john gruden... gruden was high on gabbert and i actually came away from that one thinkin gabbert could be better than newton lol... last time i took grudens word on qb's too

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I agree with your first sentence and totally disagree with the second one. I hope Blaine gets out of the NFL after this year.

 

Not me, I hope he spends a few years as the titans starter.

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I agree with your first sentence and totally disagree with the second one. I hope Blaine gets out of the NFL after this year.

 

No, I hope Blaine finds a way to make a career, even if it is a backup/journeyman career.

 

Simply because I like the guy and I'm not the kind of person who wishes hell on people who don't deserve it.

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Not me, I hope he spends a few years as the titans starter.

Dude, you were Gabbert's agent there for a hot minute. [BLEEP] are you talking about

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No, I hope Blaine finds a way to make a career, even if it is a backup/journeyman career.

 

Simply because I like the guy and I'm not the kind of person who wishes hell on people who don't deserve it.

 

Yeah, no reason to hate on Blaine and wish him continued failure. It wasn't his fault he was overrated as a QB prospect as well as developed poorly in his early stages. 

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I want Gabbert to do well-at least this season.

 

IIRC, part of the trade with the 49ers involved a conditional pick next year.

 

In order for that pick to be maximized, I want him to do well.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I want Gabbert to do well-at least this season.

 

IIRC, part of the trade with the 49ers involved a conditional pick next year.

 

In order for that pick to be maximized, I want him to do well.

 

almost forgot about that. 

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I want Gabbert to do well-at least this season.

 

IIRC, part of the trade with the 49ers involved a conditional pick next year.

 

In order for that pick to be maximized, I want him to do well.

 

He will do well, in practice.

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