I haven't been on the boards for the draft season, but I thought I'd share a collection of thoughts about Blake Bortles and hope you guys read. Maybe nothing you haven't heard, but I thought this through.


 

 

I think the most underrated part of his development is going from Coach George O'Leary to Gus Bradley. You may know O'Leary better than I do, but he just seems a bit distant from the times and seems hard at his age of 68 to be relatable to his student-athletes. Back in February, O'Leary tells a Houston radio station, "I think a franchise Quarterback comes out once every 10 years, and Andrew Luck was that guy last year," obviously meaning two years ago. Albeit, maybe a fairer assessment than it sounds, it's not something you want your coach saying before the biggest interview process of his life. Gus Bradley comes with fire and positive energy. A guy you'd run through a wall for as many Jacksonvillians would say. Brady and his coaching staff will give Bortles the time, coaching, and opportunity to be special in this league and I think the competitor in Bortles will be up for the challenge. For a guy who's never had a Quarterback Coach other than Jordan Palmer months before the draft, he has natural quarterbacking skills and intangibles such as pocket presence, high IQ, and leadership.

 

And Bortles is not without accolades, Beef O'Brady's Fiesta Bowl MVP and AAC Offensive Player of the Year over Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater. And speaking of Louisville, he's clutch. Bortles led UCF in a two-minute drill to a comeback victory over Bridgewater's Cardinals in Louisville on homecoming. After three years, he's elevated the UCF Football program, 22-5 as a starter with wins over Penn State, Louisville, and a BCS victory over Baylor. What gives me confidence about Bortles, he's been Caldwell's guy since October, when picking a QB seemed like one of the better options for an 0-8 team. And UNANIMOUS amongst our scouts. What seemed like a meteoric rise, should be looked at as an overlooked observation. And it seems like Caldwell did his due diligence on a player he was confident about midway through the season. This is evident by the congratulatory calls from GMs on draft night. Caldwell even mentions that he thought that when he was evaluating for this and next year's draft, he thought Bortles had a chance to be the number 1 overall pick in a class that could potential include Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, and Bryce Petty. 

 

Bruce Arians even called Bortles the only franchise QB in the draft. Although Big Ben comparisons are everywhere, I see an unpolished version of Andrew Luck. From the 6'5" frame, 240 frame to the mobility in his size. to the aforementioned intangibles. The biggest separation, Luck had Harbaugh in a pro-style, Bortles had George O'Leary in a spread offense. Not saying that the success or pedigree is the same as Luck, but the similarities are there. 

 

For people who put stock in the 26-27-60 rule, Bortles was the only QB of the "Big 4" to satisfy the conditions (Manziel with 26 starts, though). While I don't think this matters much as Sam Bradford and Blaine Gabbert also met these conditions while Favre and Dan Marino didn't , some do believe that NFL quarterbacking success can be predicted by the 26-27-60 rule.

 

Things that can't be taught are there, but he is still very raw. He'll have to transition to the pro-style offense, get his footwork right, and adjust to the NFL speed. I think coming out and practicing with NFL athletes, Gus Bradley, and a quarterback coach benefits him more than another year in college since the patience for his success is there. I don't follow UCF closely, but I have to think that he's a better scheme fit here. He has weapons with Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, Cecil Shorts, and Marcedes Lewis and a growing offensive line. 


 

I think Bortles can take this franchise to new heights. I'm not calling him MVP or a 40 TD/per season guy, but I think he could be a gamer that can develop into a annual contender, but I won't dare say more (people tend to freak out against optimism).

 

What do you see in Bortles' future?

 

 

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Personal opinion: I read that Cleveland spent about $100,000 on a study on "what makes a quarterback successful" or something like that and I believe Blake was their guy. When they traded down, I think it was very telling of what they thought of Bortles. 

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I define a franchise QB as a guy who steps in and has solid success as a starter to the point where there's not even the slightest question about whether he's your guy or not each year.  A guy who is able to maintain a top 10 ranking among NFL QBs consistently through the years. 

 

I think everyone has their own definition of a franchise QB, but in the end, you know it when you see it.  Hopefully the front office has found their franchise guy.  They sure feel like they have. 

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

6'5"+, 230+lbs

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Thanks OP, I wasn't familiar w/ 26-27-60

 

FYI (Wonderlick, Starts, Comp %)   http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/sports/newe...-qb-class/ (got the wonderlicks from wiki)

 

Bortles.......... 28-27-65.7 

Manziel......... 32-25-68.9

Bridgewater...20-34-68 

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Kaishakunin for hire.

* (disclaimer) If you think I'm serious, hit yourself in the face w/ a hammer.

 

His girlfriend will leave him if he is not successful.

 

 

I think he will be successful. 

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To me franchise QB means the other team fears the ball in his hands at the end of a close game.

 

If he's great at racking up meaningless stats like  a Romo then he's not a franchise QB, he's a step under that. If he's a guy that is cool under pressure and makes the other team scared they're forgetting something in their coverages and assignments in the crucial moments then he's a franchise QB.

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Never saw a bust with a highly googled gf....he's got the motivation

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One thing I've noticed watching his tape is that he doesn't fear the big moment, he seems very calm under pressure. 

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Personal opinion: I read that Cleveland spent about $100,000 on a study on "what makes a quarterback successful" or something like that and I believe Blake was their guy. When they traded down, I think it was very telling of what they thought of Bortles. 

 

Their study led them to Bridgewater for what it's worth. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/201...ziel-pick/ Obviously that wasn't the answer that the Owner wanted to hear though

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LEONARD FOURNETTE FAN CLUB PRESIDENT. I WAS BEHIND HIM WHEN YOU ALL SAID HE WAS BRANDON JACOBS. QUIT HATING ON THE JAGUARS. GUS IS GONE. COUGHLIN HAS RESTORED ORDER. FOURNETTE IS FRED TAYLOR. DONT BELIEVE ME JUST WATCH.

One thing I've noticed watching his tape is that he doesn't fear the big moment, he seems very calm under pressure. 

 

I don't know.  Big movements can be pretty scary at times.

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

Their study led them to Bridgewater for what it's worth. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/201...ziel-pick/ Obviously that wasn't the answer that the Owner wanted to hear though

 

 

Yeah, so they went with the opinion of a homeless guy...named Gene Smith possibly?

 

That really does sound like a Gene move.  All the intel says one guy, so he goes the other way.

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

One thing I've noticed watching his tape is that he doesn't fear the big moment, he seems very calm under pressure. 

 

If he were .3 faster in the 40 he'd be a slightly less polished Andrew Luck.

 

I recall a couple of months ago I said I'd be good with the Jaguars taking him.

 

http://jungle.jaguars.com/index.php?/top.../?p=143201

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Personal opinion: I read that Cleveland spent about $100,000 on a study on "what makes a quarterback successful" or something like that and I believe Blake was their guy. When they traded down, I think it was very telling of what they thought of Bortles.

Really was just a giant smokescreen by Caldwell

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Basically, I think Bortles was the only franchise QB to come out of this draft. I think a lot of guys may do ok, but Bortles was definitely the class. I still hear many people saying he went too early, but my thoughts are he wouldn't be there in the 2nd round and if we had traded down and he went off the board, I would be furious that we missed out on him. I saw some people thought their were better options in next years draft in Winston, Mariota, Hundley and Petty. The issues are Winston(Character), Hundley(Only saw him once, not impressed in that start), Mariota(Has a crap ton of weapons. Hard not to succeed in an offense he is in), Petty(Kind of like Mariota. Plays in a system where it is hard not to put up stats and be successful. Seems comparable to Bortles, but Bortles succeeded on a less loaded team). 

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Yeah, so they went with the opinion of a homeless guy...named Gene Smith possibly?

 

That really does sound like a Gene move.  All the intel says one guy, so he goes the other way.

 

I'm almost positive that this was an ownership pick, so I won't scold the GM too hard.

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LEONARD FOURNETTE FAN CLUB PRESIDENT. I WAS BEHIND HIM WHEN YOU ALL SAID HE WAS BRANDON JACOBS. QUIT HATING ON THE JAGUARS. GUS IS GONE. COUGHLIN HAS RESTORED ORDER. FOURNETTE IS FRED TAYLOR. DONT BELIEVE ME JUST WATCH.

In my opinion he was reached at #3. Franchise QBs prospects -- Stafford, Newton, RG3 and Luck -- are normally those who were raved about by the national media. The problem with this class was that the opinions were all varied; there was no consensus top QB.


Before their pro day, it was TB. After the pro day, Manziel was the #1 guy according to the many pundits at NFL.com. The people at Sports illustrated still rank TB #1, Manziel #2, and Bortles #3. The ESPN guys (Kiper and McShay) had Manziel their #1 guy. Pretty much it was all a toss up. What they all agreed on was that no QB was ranked in their top 10 or 15 overall ranking.


While we all assumed that Bortles would be drafted in the top 10 if we did not take him, we just don't know for sure if that was the case. And when Manziel and TB fell to the late first round, then I was concerned that we might have overreached Bortles.


Regardless what will happen from until the end of next season, Bortles intern/redshirt his rookie year, depending on how Henne perform. We will know the answer two years from now if he's truly the guy for us.

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Franchise guys don't have to go #1. They don't even have to be surrounded by pre draft hype. Ask Seattle.

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

Franchise guys don't have to go #1. They don't even have to be surrounded by pre draft hype. Ask Seattle.

 

You can ask more then just Seattle. Ask the Saints, Ask the Patriots.

 

How many Franchise guys really go #1 anyway?? I can only think of 3 QB's that were selected 1st overall and inducted into the football HOF. Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman and John Elway (and he was picked by tthe Colts but refused to play for them).

 

Of course P. Manning will be added to this list at the earliest date when he finally retires, but are there anymore that I missed??

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I survived the Gus Bradley Error.

In my opinion he was reached at #3. Franchise QBs prospects -- Stafford, Newton, RG3 and Luck -- are normally those who were raved about by the national media. The problem with this class was that the opinions were all varied; there was no consensus top QB.


Before their pro day, it was TB. After the pro day, Manziel was the #1 guy according to the many pundits at NFL.com. The people at Sports illustrated still rank TB #1, Manziel #2, and Bortles #3. The ESPN guys (Kiper and McShay) had Manziel their #1 guy. Pretty much it was all a toss up. What they all agreed on was that no QB was ranked in their top 10 or 15 overall ranking.


While we all assumed that Bortles would be drafted in the top 10 if we did not take him, we just don't know for sure if that was the case. And when Manziel and TB fell to the late first round, then I was concerned that we might have overreached Bortles.


Regardless what will happen from until the end of next season, Bortles intern/redshirt his rookie year, depending on how Henne perform. We will know the answer two years from now if he's truly the guy for us.

tell that too Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Kap, Wilson, Warner, Dalton, Flacco.. Shall I go on?

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