Blake Bortles

Jags Notes: Bortles, Marrone, Albert, Draft

April 22nd, 2017 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars are undecided on Blake Bortles‘ fifth-year option, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports. But the Jacksonville-based writer notes that had the new-look Jags decision-making group planned to exercise it, word would have gotten out by now. The team has until May 3 to pick up the 2018 option, which could be worth as much as $18MM.

“We’re still discussing that,” Jags GM Dave Caldwell said. “There are a lot of things that go into it.”

Bortles has not shown himself to be what the Jags envisioned when they used the No. 3 overall pick on him, making Bortles the franchise’s second top-10 quarterback of the decade after Blaine Gabbert, and the current embattled starter’s play regressed last season. Caldwell said before the franchise established its new power structure that the next coach wouldn’t have to start Bortles this season, but he backtracked on that later in the winter, saying the fourth-year player was going to be the team’s quarterback. O’Halloran doesn’t expect the team to exercise the option, meaning the 25-year-old passer would be in a contract year.

Here’s the latest out of Jacksonville, courtesy of O’Halloran.

Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi believed the decision on Bortles has been made, telling O’Halloran the Jaguars are going to begin the potentially looming breakup in this draft. “[Tom] Coughlin’s going to draft a quarterback,” said Lombardi, who now works for The Ringer. “… Look, there are some times when we’re all better off saying, ‘We screwed that up. We really blew that. We have to admit we made a mistake.’ He has to be a guy they have to replace. This is the perfect draft to do it.” The Jags have Bortles, Chad Henne and Brandon Allen under contract, but the top two on the depth chart are only signed through 2017. Bortles represented the Jags admitting a mistake three years about Gabbert, and this draft would represent the same time span from when Bortles arrived. Of course, it would be somewhat of a surprise if the Jags went with a quarterback at No. 4 overall considering their recent history with such passers.
Doug Marrone has attempted to contact recent trade acquisition Branden Albert, but in a somewhat puzzling development the presumptive left tackle starter has not gotten back to him. “I have not had any communication with him [this week], which is a surprise,” Marrone said, via O’Halloran. “I don’t know what his thoughts are going forward. Obviously, it’s voluntary, but I was surprised that I didn’t receive a call back from him.” The 32-year-old Albert has not reported to his new team’s workouts yet. He’s holding out for a new contract, presumably one with more guaranteed money on it. Albert has two years remaining on his Dolphins-designed deal. That pact stands to pay the former Pro Bowler $8.9MM in 2017 and $9.6MM in ’18. The Jags have more than $51MM in cap space.
Coughlin provided some cryptic answers on his first draft since returning to north Florida, but the former Jags and Giants HC said the team is open to moving down from No. 4 overall. This could be relevant if the Jags want to stockpile picks, because the Browns are believed to be debating a move from their No. 12 pick back into the top 10 to take Mitch Trubisky. That is, if they don’t select him No. 1 overall, which is under consideration as well. This marks the sixth straight year Jacksonville has held a top-five pick.

AFC Notes: Jaguars, Bills, Dolphins

January 26th, 2017 at 3:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although quarterback Blake Bortles has been a disappointment since the Jaguars drafted him third overall in 2014, the organization remains bullish on the soon-to-be 25-year-old. “I’ve said this time and time again: ‘I think we can win a lot of games with Blake; I think we can win a Super Bowl with Blake,” general manager Dave Caldwell told John Oehser of the team’s website. “I think he needs to improve and I think we need to improve around him, too, in order for that to happen.” The Jags amassed just three wins this season with Bortles, who went backward after a promising 2015. Bortles’ interception total decreased from 18 to 16, but he threw 12 fewer touchdowns than his 35-score 2015 and averaged a paltry 6.2 yards per attempt after posting a 7.3 YPA the previous year.

More on Bortles-led Jacksonville and a couple of its conference rivals:

Whether pending free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore will return to the Bills in 2017 is “all up to them,” the five-year veteran told Conor Orr of NFL.com. “They seem like they’re going to turn it around out there but, like I said, I don’t know what’s going to happen. They got a decision to make,” said Gilmore, who has spoken on the phone with two prominent members of the Bills’ new staff in head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. Gilmore’s overall performance declined in 2016, as he fell from Pro Football Focus’ ninth-ranked corner in 2015 to No. 61, but he did intercept a career-high five passes across 15 starts. While this year’s free agent class could feature other No. 1-caliber corners like A.J. Bouye and Trumaine Johnson, Gilmore is happy to measure his résumé against theirs. “I know the other guys (cornerbacks on the market). But I did it for five years at a high level. I like myself,” he declared.
The Dolphins made a key trade with the Eagles last March to acquire two defenders – cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso – as well as the 13th pick in the draft (offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil) for No. 8. Now, Miami is once again aiming to go the trade route to bolster its roster, executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum informed Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We’re going to look at every avenue to improve the team. That could mean trades that start around the combine, and then we’ll get into free agency,” Tannenbaum said. “Our focus philosophically is we’re going to try to keep our own [free agents] as best we can. But [plan to] be opportunistic via free agency or trades, and draft as well as we can.”
Bills offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio suffered an injury to his hip thanks to a fall at home and had to undergo surgery Wednesday, the team announced. The expectation is that Kouandjio will be ready for training camp. The 2014 second-round pick from Alabama appeared in 12 games and started five in Year 3 of his pro career.
The Jaguars have hired Mark Collins as their new linebackers coach, tweets Sporting News’ Alex Marvez. Collins spent the previous two seasons coaching the Jets’ outside linebackers.

Jaguars Notes: Coughlin, Bortles, Flaherty

January 14th, 2017 at 2:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

While it could have been assumed newly hired Jaguars executive VP Tom Coughlin would have final say over the team’s 53-man roster, no more assumptions are required. The veteran coach and first-time exec will have the final say on the 2017 roster, stripping some power from GM Dave Caldwell, owner Shad Khan said. Caldwell had been in charge of the Jacksonville football operations since 2013.

Coughlin interviewed for the Jags’ HC position but said he prefers the VP job he acquired instead. The 70-year-old provided two of his top coaching choices to Khan, and Doug Marrone was one of those two. Khan added that the decision “wasn’t close” between Marrone and the other coaches the team interviewed during this hiring process.

In addition to Coughlin and Marrone, the Jags also met with Josh McDaniels, Kyle Shanahan, Mike Smith and Harold Goodwin. Marrone is 16-18 in two-plus years as a head coach.

Here’s the latest coming out of Jacksonville.

The Jaguars hired Pat Flaherty to become their offensive line coach, the team announced today. Flaherty worked under Coughlin in each of his 12 seasons as the Giants’ HC, instructing the Giants’ offensive linemen from 2004-15. The 60-year-old Flaherty spent this past season as the OL coach for the 49ers.
During the Jags’ time without a full-time head coach, the word coming down from the front office was one of hesitancy regarding Blake Bortles, with Caldwell saying the next coach would not have to commit to the former No. 3 overall pick. But Coughlin shut down notions the team will attempt to replace Bortles this offseason. “Blake Bortles is our quarterback,” Coughlin said, via Lindsay Jones of USA Today. Marrone’s belief in Bortles impacted the hiring decision. Bortles’ quarterback rating plummeted from 88.2 to 78.8 this season, but it’s safe to assume after this declaration the Jags are planning to pick up his fifth-year option.
The Jaguars will have extensive sideline continuity despite finishing the season 3-13, retaining both coordinators in Nethanial Hackett (offense) and Todd Wash (defense).
Jacksonville brought over Denver special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis to work in the same capacity.

Reactions to Jaguars’ Hirings

January 9th, 2017 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars have officially announced the hiring of head coach Doug Marrone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin. The organization also announced the two-year extension for general manager Dave Caldwell. Owner Shad Khan released a statement regarding the moves (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter):

“I have confidence that one day soon we’ll look back on today’s news as the moment that inspired and ultimately established the Jacksonville Jaguars as a football team that wins, week to week and season to season.

“I am honored to welcome Tom Coughlin back to Jacksonville, where winning was customary under his leadership. I know he expects the same in his return to head our football operations, and that’s good news for us and Jaguars fans everywhere. The extension of Dave Caldwell’s contract speaks to his excellent work thus far and the continued importance of complementing our talented and promising roster.

“I am particularly enthused to introduce Doug Marrone as our new head coach. Doug is a strong football man in every respect and offers us qualities that will serve us well in all facets of the team, from the meeting rooms to game day and much more. The results will speak for themselves in time, but with Tom coming in to join Dave and Doug, there is no question the Jacksonville Jaguars are a stronger football team today.”

Let’s take a look at some reactions out of Jacksonville following the organization’s busy day…

Caldwell will report to Coughlin, reports ESPN.com’s Mike DiRocco. The writer assumes that Coughlin “will have final say over personnel issues as well as the draft,” although the organization hasn’t confirmed whether this will be the case. A source told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter) that Coughlin presumably “has the final say on everything.”
Marrone believes Blake Bortles can be a franchise quarterback, and this mindset played a significant role in the hiring, reports Rapoport (via NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal). The organization clearly valued continuity, but Rosenthal notes that there will be “pressure on Marrone and Caldwell to turn Jacksonville’s fortunes around quickly.”
Bortles certainly sounded optimistic about the hiring. “I think Doug has earned the respect of the offensive players and I’m excited for him to get this opportunity and the direction of this team,” Bortles told DiRocco.
Rosenthal notes that offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett will presumably keep his role. Hackett worked under Marrone with Syracuse and the Bills.
Meanwhile, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets that the Jaguars’ defensive coaches were told they’d be retained if Marrone got the job. Alex Marvez of The Sporting News provides even more clarity (on Twitter), noting that the team will at least be keeping defensive coordinator Todd Wash and linebackers coach Robert Saleh.
Mike Smith was thought to be a close second for the Jaguars job, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. The former Falcons head coach served as the Buccaneers defensive coordinator this past season. In seven seasons in Atlanta, Smith led his squad to a 66-46 record and four playoff births. Roy Cummings of FloridaFootballInsiders.com writes that Smith is still in the running for the Chargers‘ head coaching gig.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

Extra Points: Marshall, Bortles, Payton

January 2nd, 2017 at 9:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL as we wrap up the night…

Despite a down season, Jets wideout Brandon Marshall said that he’s still planning on playing for another five years, writes ESPN.com’s Colin Stephenson. In fact, the 33-year-old suggested that he’d be willing to take a pay cut to stay in New York. “Like I said, it’s not about the money anymore; it’s all about winning,’’ he said. “But I know what I’m worth. I think this team knows what I’m worth, as far as the organization. But it’s not about the money. I’m good. I’m good with the money. I just want to win. That’s all I want to do is win. So I don’t care about anything but winning. That’s it.’’ Marshall is due $7.5MM next season, although the money isn’t guaranteed.
Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said he will bring in competition for kicker Roberto Aguayo, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com writes. “We’ve got to have competition at every position,” Koetter said Monday. “Nothing’s given and if they’re not the best player, then I can be pretty certain in saying that they won’t be out there.” The Bucs traded back into the second round in 2016 to select the Florida State product, making him the highest-drafted kicker since Mike Nugent. Many criticized the pick but GM Jason Licht later said he assigned Aguayo a first-round grade. The rookie ultimately connected on 71-percent of his field goals this season, the lowest mark in the league.
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles says he played this season with two shoulder separations and wrist tendonitis (Twitter link via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com). The injuries likely contributed to the 24-year-old’s subpar stats this season. After a breakout campaign in 2015, Bortles threw for 3,905 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions this season.
Impending Colts free agent defensive back Darius Butler told Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter) he’s ready to transition full time to safety. Butler finished the season with 27 tackles, three interceptions, and one forced fumble.
Despite rumors that may say the contrary, Saints head coach Sean Payton said that he plans on coaching the team in 2017, tweets Larry Holder of NOLA.com. Previous reports indicated that the organization would be willing to trade their long-time coach, and the Rams have been noted as a potential destination.
Could Cowboys DE Randy Gregory really be back for the playoffs? According to Jon Machota of the Dallas News (via Twitter), the embattled defender will have an appeal hearing in the next week or so to determine whether he’ll be eligible for the postseason. Gregory recently appealed his year-long ban.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Jags GM: HC Won’t Have To Start Blake Bortles

December 19th, 2016 at 7:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Addressing the media today following the firing of head coach Gus Bradley, Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell indicated that the club’s next coach won’t be forced to start quarterback Blake Bortles.

“There won’t be any mandates for anybody who comes in,” Caldwell said. “There are no untouchables for anybody in this organization, including myself. Regardless of how people got here, they have to live up to their abilities. I do still believe in Blake very much, but the head coach will have a lot of input as to who the quarterback will be.

“I want the right perspective,” Caldwell added. “We hold him [Bortles] in high regard of what we think his capabilities are. I still believe he has a very high ceiling, but I want to be realistic about it, too. I think a new head coach can bring a different perspective as to what he believes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s somewhere in the middle.”

Bortles, 24, has regressed in his third NFL season, as he’s completed less than 58% of his passes for 3,279 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. The 2014 first-round pick ranks 30th in yards per attempt, 29th in passer rating, 21st in DYAR, and 24th in DVOA, while Pro Football Focus has graded Bortles as just the No. 28 quarterback this year. Jacksonville’s entire offense has stagnated thanks to Bortles’ play, and offensive coordinator Greg Olson was handed his walking papers earlier this season.

Whether or not Bortles can be the Jaguars’ franchise quarterback is an open question, but the team has a critical financial question — Bortles’ 2018 fifth-year option — on the horizon. Jacksonville will need to decide whether to exercise Bortles’ option, which should be worth around $12MM, by May 2017. The option is guaranteed for injury only, so the Jags could pick up the option and later release Bortles (provided he hasn’t suffered a catastrophic injury) following the 2017 campaign.

Extra Points: Gase, 49ers, Cards, Bortles

November 23rd, 2016 at 9:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Miami set to face San Francisco on Sunday, first-year Dolphins head coach Adam Gase revisited the 49ers’ past pursuit of him on Wednesday (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). After the 49ers and head coach Jim Harbaugh parted ways at the conclusion of the 2014 season, the club replaced him with Jim Tomsula. But it also interviewed a slew of other candidates – Gase included. It turns out Tomsula tried to hire Gase as his offensive coordinator, the latter revealed Wednesday. Gase instead took the same role with the Bears, with whom he fared well, and is now atop a 6-4 Dolphins team. Since passing on Gase, the 49ers have gone 6-20 under the since-fired Tomsula and his replacement, Chip Kelly.

Although they went in a different direction in 2015, Gase harbors no ill will toward the 49ers. “Spending all the time with (general manager) Trent (Baalke) was a really valuable experience for me and it was extremely helpful for me when I went through that next round of interviews,” Gase said. “The dos and don’ts of what to do. Just kind of the expectations. I owe those guys a lot just for the fact that they did give me that second interview … Nobody else gave me that second interview.”

In other NFL news…

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was frank in explaining why first-round defensive end Robert Nkemdiche was inactive for the club’s previous two games, telling Darren Urban of the team’s website, “Talent, not an issue. Maturity is. It’s just maturing.” Arians also took a shot at Nkemdiche’s work ethic (or lack thereof), saying that 2015 first-rounder D.J. Humphries – who was inactive his entire rookie season – put in more of an effort last year. Nkemdiche was a highly regarded talent at Ole Miss, but character concerns helped him fall to 29th in the draft, and several scouts opined beforehand that he’d bust in the pros. It’s early, but with just three appearances and one tackle thus far, Nkdemiche certainly hasn’t made those scouts eat their words.
A disappointing season from Blake Bortles has led to speculation that the Jaguars will decline his fifth-year option for 2018 in the offseason, but team management still believes he’ll be a franchise quarterback, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Bortles is tied for the league lead in interceptions (13), though that isn’t a new problem – he tossed 17 picks in 14 games as a rookie and 18 in 16 contests in 2015. The third overall pick of the 2014 draft otherwise showed promise last year with 37 touchdowns (35 passing, two rushing) and over 4,700 total yards. While Bortles is on pace to throw for a fairly prolific 29 scores this year, his completion percentage (a career-high 60.2), yards per attempt (6.32 – down from 7.31 last season) and passer rating (80.0) rank toward the bottom of the league. Worse, of course, is that the Jags have stumbled to a 2-8 mark after entering the season with playoff aspirations.
Ravens tight end Nick Boyle practiced Wednesday for the first time since the preseason, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Boyle, whose 10-game suspension ended this week, has now served two bans since he entered the league as a fifth-round pick in 2015. He earned a four-game suspension last year for performance-enhancing drugs, which prematurely ended an 18-catch rookie campaign.
The Chargers tried to sign wide receiver Paul Turner before the Eagles promoted him to their 53-man roster this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

South Notes: Bortles, Morgan, Bucs

July 3rd, 2016 at 12:53pm CST by Rory Parks

Now that Andrew Luck‘s record-setting contract has been wrapped up, beat writers and national reporters alike are already speculating as to when the next big-money quarterback deal will be consummated. Members of the 2014 draft class are eligible to sign extensions after the 2016 season is over, and Hays Carlyon of The Florida Times-Union writes that the Jaguars will extend quarterback Blake Bortles, the third overall selection of the 2014 draft, as soon as the collective bargaining agreement allows them to do so.

Of course, as a first-round selection, Jacksonville could keep Bortles under club control through 2018 by exercising his fifth-year option, but Carlyon believes the Jags will move to sign Bortles to a long-term deal early so that they can front-load his contract and take advantage of the considerable salary cap space they currently have, thereby giving them more flexibility down the road.

Now for more notes from the league’s south divisions:

Jarrod Wilson, an undrafted free agent safety from Michigan, made a couple of splash plays towards the end of the Jaguars‘ offseason program, and those flashes have put him on defensive coordinator Todd Wash‘s radar. He still has a long way to go to crack the team’s 53-man roster, but Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union can envision at least one scenario in which Wilson would make the club.
Titans OLB Derrick Morgan has joined free agent offensive tackle Eugene Monroe as a vocal supporter of increased cannabis research, as Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (citing USA Today) writes. Morgan did multiple interviews last week calling for the NFL to support cannabis research to determine if cannabidiol or any other compounds can help treat or prevent chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Morgan is entering the second year of a four-year, $27MM he inked with Tennessee last March.
Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter recently indicated that his club may target a few veteran free agents to round out the roster when cuts start being made this summer, and Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter) indicated that obvious positions in need of an upgrade are fourth defensive tackle, third running back, and fifth linebacker.
Rookie quarterback Josh Woodrum, who was signed by the Giants as a UDFA before being released just three days later, was ultimately claimed off waivers by the Colts, and he believes he has made great strides during Indianapolis’ offseason program, as Andrew Walker of Colts.com writes. Currently the fourth QB on the Colts roster behind Andrew Luck, Scott Tolzien, and Stephen Morris, Woodrum is encouraged by his progress in adapting to the traditional pro-style offense that the Colts run, which is a stark contrast from what he became accustomed to while setting records at FCS program Liberty University. Needless to say, Woodrum is unlikely to make the team in 2016, but he is hoping to develop his game enough to make a good impression on all of the league’s 32 clubs if and when he gets a chance in the preseason.

QB Notes: Cousins, Taylor, Bortles

July 2nd, 2016 at 10:10am CST by Ben Levine

We’ve had several days to recover from Andrew Luck‘s record-breaking contract extension with the Colts. Of course, plenty of pundits are now analyzing how that deal might impact the league’s other quarterbacks.

Let’s take a look at some quarterback-centric notes, and we may get some clarity on who will get paid next…

Luck’s new contract will have little influence over Kirk Cousins‘ potential next contract with the Redskins, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Rather, the quarterback will likely be operating under the franchise value, which ends up being around $78.36MM over three seasons.
Meanwhile, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News believes Luck’s new deal “only mean[s] good fortune” for Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The writer is convinced that the organization will spend on a franchise QB, although he’s uncertain how much they’ll actually be willing to pay Taylor.
While Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles surely won’t make Andrew Luck-money, Gene Frenette of Jacksonville.com believes the signal-caller could be in line for a contract exceeding $100MM.
Barring some unforeseen circumstances, no quarterback from the 2013 draft will be in line to command a huge payday. However, Florio notes that a handful of 2014 draft picks are in line to get paid, including Bortles, Derek Carr, and Teddy Bridgewater.
Former NFL agent Joel Corry (writing for CBSSports.com) surveys several other quarterbacks who could be impacted by the Luck deal, including Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Matthew Stafford.

NFL Mailbags: Titans, Panthers, Lions

November 7th, 2015 at 10:47am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s check out some of the more interesting notes, with a cameo from Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com…

Wyatt wonders if Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt may have lost the lockerroom after having gone 3-20 over the past season-plus. The writer also believes the team may have felt more pressure playing under their former coach, and he wouldn’t be shocked to see a more relaxed squad this weekend.
If the Panthers could only afford to keep one dynamic defender, David Newton would pick defensive tackle Kawann Short over cornerback Josh Norman. However, the writer is confident that the organization will be able to retain both players.
The pair may be naturally connected, but Mike DiRocco believes Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles is already better than 49ers signal-caller (and former Jaguars QB) Blaine Gabbert. The biggest difference for the writer is Bortles’ poise in the pocket.
If Brian Xanders was going to be considered as a candidate to be the next Lions general manager, Michael Rothstein writes that the Senior Personnel Executive would have been given the interim role.

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