Blake Bortles took what he was given and didn’t force anything. He finished 6/7 for 105 yards in a 13-17 loss to the New York Jets. Receiver Allen Robinson caught three passes for 80 yards and Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon combined to rush for 52 rushing yards and one touchdown on 10 carries.
“We want to come out and be sharp with our operation in and out of the huddle, no mental errors, lining up correctly, shifts and motions, and all that,” quarterback Blake Bortles said. “And obviously take care of the ball. I thought for the most part it was good.”
After a dismal 5-11 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars knew that they need to make major changes in their squad and as the preseason opener approaches, it is looking more and more like the Jaguars were successful in implementing a plan to bring in veterans and select draft picks that made a difference.
Check.
In free agency, the Jaguars made key additions to key areas including upgrading the offensive line (signed OT Kelvin Beachum,) pass rushing (signed DE Malik Jackson) the secondary (signed CB Prince Amukamara and SS Tashaun Gipson) .
The draft was a pleasant surprise as the Jags selected who they thought would be the number one selection, Florida State DB Jalen Ramsey who fell to their 5th selection. In the second, their slotted 5th selection, LB Myles Jack, was still on the board so the Jaguars stuck with the pick and drafted him in the second round. The rest of the picks were selections that will make the team stronger in the long run including a quarterback, two defensive ends, two linebackers and a defensive tackle..
Second year quarterback Blake Bortles spent most of his off season learning new offensive coordinator Greg Olson’s offensive scheme. For Bortles, the difference between last and this year is simple.
“Last year, I’m pulling in trying to figure out where to park,” Bortles said with a laugh Monday shortly after he spoke with the media at EverBank Field. “This year, you come in and it’s different. You know the ropes and you know how everything goes. Now, you have to worry about taking care of your body and learning the offense.”
The team will look to him to be the leader that they envisioned when they drafted him.
“As a quarterback, it’s part of the job title and it comes with the position,” he said. “This off-season was big to develop a routine and a system on how to do certain things – how to take care of my body, how to continue to watching film, how to learn. The more time you spend with the guys, the more you can lead.”
