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How did the Jaguars screw this up so badly? It’s rare that a team has complete leverage over a quarterback during contract negotiations but Jacksonville clearly did while working out an extension for Blake Bortles. Somehow, the end result was the front office giving him a three-year, $54 million deal that no other team would have even thought about matching.
Eight months later, the Jaguars benched Bortles during a 20-7 home loss to the Texans. Doug Marrone has yet to commit to a starter for next week’s game in London but did confirm the competition between Bortles and backup Cody Kessler is officially open.
Not too long ago, the Jaguars were more than happy to give Bortles that money and locking themselves into the quarterback they draft third-overall in 2014. It’s not like they were alone. Fans in Jacksonville celebrated the deal, as well. Various media outlets painted it as a team-friendly deal. The going rate for franchise quarterbacks is typically much higher. That would have made a lot more sense if Bortles hadn’t spent the previous four seasons showing the NFL world that he is not a franchise quarterback.
What made the deal so bizarre at the time was that there were cheaper and possibly better options freely available. Let’s take a look at the quarterbacks the Jaguars had a shot at bringing in over the last year…
1. Colin Kaepernick (free agency)
Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Question: Is there anything Bortles does better than Kaepernick at this point in his career? The argument from those who believe Kaepernick hasn’t been signed for “football reasons” is that a team would be forced to run a pared down offense to play to his strengths. But that’s exactly what the Jaguars have done for Bortles over the last two seasons.
Kaepernick is essentially what delusional Jaguars fans think Bortles is. He’s athletic with a strong arm, only the former 49ers quarterback has never said anything like this…
Neither is particularly good at reading defenses, but Kaepernick is not easily fooled. He’s thrown interceptions at a lower rate than just about every quarterback in NFL history, while no quarterback has turned the ball over more than Bortles since he was drafted.
That the Jaguars were happy to pay Bortles but refused to give Kaepernick a look is quite strange, but don’t expect an explanation from Tom Coughlin.
2. Teddy Bridgewater (free agency/trade)
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The Jaguars essentially had two opportunities to kick the tires on Bridgewater this offseason but passed both times. The first came in free agency, about a month after the front office decided to give Bortles $36 million in guaranteed money. Bridgewater ended up signing with the Jets on a one-year, $6 million deal. The could have easily fit both under the cap and let them compete for the starting gig in training camp.
After starring in the preseason, the Jets shopped Bridgewater knowing Sam Darnold would be their starter. The Saints got the deal done, shipping a third-round pick over to New York in exchange for Bridgewater and a sixth-round pick.
4. Jimmy Garoppolo (trade)
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A second-round pick. That’s all it required for the Patriots to part ways with a promising quarterback who had yet to reach his prime. We don’t know if the Jaguars made a call to Bill Belichick before the Pats dealt Jimmy G, but either way, it looks bad for the organization. Either the Jaguars did not think they needed an upgrade at the QB position or they didn’t think Garropolo was worth a second-round pick.
5. Alex Smith (trade)
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The Chiefs were not hiding the fact that Smith was on the trade block last offseason. The Redskins ended up landing the quarterback who led the NFL in passer rating in 2017 for a third-round pick and slot CB Kendall Fuller — a package the Jaguars could have matched.
Smith would have been a perfect fit for this Jaguars team. He doesn’t turn the ball over, he’s accurate and his mobility gives the run game a boost, which is really the only positive Bortles offers at this point. If you want to win with a strong defense and running game, Smith is a good guy to have behind center.
Sure, the Jaguars would have been forced to pay a steep price for his services — Smith ended up inking a $94 million extension with Washington — but those are chances Super Bowl contenders have to take. Otherwise, they end up 3-4 and seriously considering Cody Kessler a viable option.
6. Lamar Jackson (draft)
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The Jaguars had their chance to land a quarterback of the future without sacrificing any assets. Jackson was on the board when the team drafted Taven Bryan instead of the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
Even after extending Bortles, drafting Jackson would have made sense. They could have kept the rookie on the bench while Bortles played out the next two years of his contract. Or maybe Jackson ends up beating Bortles out and the Jaguars no longer have a quarterback problem. A win-win.
Now, it looks like the Jaguars will need to move on from Bortles in the offseason and there’s no guarantee they’ll be in the position to take a passer as gifted as Jackson without trading up.
7. Tyrod Taylor (trade)
(AP Photo/Bill Feig)
Out of all the quarterbacks on this list, Taylor is the one the Jaguars could still realistically pursue. Cleveland’s asking price can’t be that high. The Browns acquired him for a third-round pick, and his value has only dropped since being benched for Baker Mayfield.
Like Smith, Taylor would have been a good fit for the Jaguars. He doesn’t throw games away and would provide the running game the same boost Bortles does.
As far as passing goes, Taylor isn’t a clear upgrade over Bortles but he’s not a downgrade, either.
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Like we said, the Jaguars had plenty of options and may have ended up choosing the worst one. And we’re not even going back to the 2017 draft when Jacksonville took Leonard Fournette over Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. The Jaguars refused to acknowledge they had a quarterback problem and even scoffed at the notion that they might have one, as if they hadn’t just spent the last four seasons watching Bortles throw games away.
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