Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach Doug Marrone has a big task ahead of him coaching the team back to contention. It has been a long time since the Jaguars were viewed as a serious playoff contender, but they feel that they have a chance to make a move back into the playoff picture in the next couple years.
Blake Bortles was at one point viewed as a franchise quarterback, but over the past couple of seasons he has failed to show the improvement that the team was hoping to see from him.
Marrone talked about Bortles and made it clear that he has seen improvement from Bortles this offseason.
“He’s improved — there’s no doubt about it. There are certain things, as far as his elbow and his arm, that are much improved. I think there are still other things we’re still working on as well as everyone else at this stage.”
Last season with the Jaguars, Bortles completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 3,905 yards and 23 touchdowns. He did throw 16 interceptions, which is part of the issue that the young quarterback must fix in order to reach full potential. Bortles has a big arm, but figuring out the mental side of the quarterback position is much more important at this point in time for him.
At 25-years-old, there is no question that Bortles has time to turn things around. Jacksonville is obviously confident enough to stick with him for another season, and he must make the most of it. They are hoping to take pressure off of Bortles’ shoulders with rookie running back Leonard Fournette, who they drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the 2017 season has in store for Bortles. Jacksonville’s offense will still include a lot of passing attempts for Bortles and if he has improved as it sounds like he has, his numbers should take a step forward.
Do you think Blake Bortles can take a step forward this season with the Jacksonville Jaguars? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
