NFL Off-Season: Top QB Competitions
Jun 17, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne (7) talks to quarterback Blake Bortles (5) as quarterback Ricky Stanzi, right, listens during the first day of minicamp at Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
Jacksonville Jaguars
Chad Henne vs. Blake Bortles
What Has Been Said:
Chad Henne
“I feel good with how I’m throwing the football. Obviously there are points out there when I could throw the ball better. The timing’s been good with the guys that have been out there. I still take the approach where I’m competing out there. I’m just out there to compete and be the best I can be. [Blake] is a great kid. He’s very humble, wants to come in here and work and I think that’s what makes it so easy is that we’re here to do a job and we’re here to help this organization win games. I’m trying to help him get better and he’s helping me get better.”
Blake Bortles
“I’m working on a lot of things, working on a lot of footwork stuff. You’ve got to be able to have that quarterback amnesia and move past things. I don’t know if Chad’s comfortable and he’s been in the NFL for a while so I think that you’re always working, always learning all the time.”
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Prediction:
Whether you like him or you hate him, you can not deny the abilities of UCF QB Blake Bortles. In his Junior/Senior seasons Bortles was exceptional throwing the football, completing 65.3% of his passes, 3,320 yards and 25 passing touchdowns to go along with 278.5 yards and 7 touchdowns rushing. Wouldn’t say he is completely “dual-threat” however I believe he does have pretty solid running ability and pretty great passing ability, too. Although Bortles stats may not be as beefed up as Johnny Football’s or Derek Carr’s, he makes up for in his pure talent and potential. What Bortles has that Manziel nor Teddy Bridgewater have is the prototypical NFL Quarterback body. Bortles has one of the smoothest arm motions and releases in all of college football. He may not have the speed that Johnny Manziel possesses, however when his number is called to escape pressure, Bortles can take that opportunity and turn it into decent yardage (272 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 2013).
He is a very durable QB who has better ability to stay inside the pocket through throws than other QBs. While Bortles’ mechanics may sometimes be lacking, he is a great leader with a mind as sharp as a thumb tack and has the confidence of a high school football player at Prom. Trust this QB under pressure and he will pull through for you in the clutch. The UCF QB knows when to deliver the ball accurately and quickly and I believe that will be the difference. Scouting report on this guy says that he has no trouble releasing the ball quickly and getting the ball to open receivers with lots of time to spare, can evade pressure and at 6’4″, 230 lbs, he has the frame of a true NFL QB. Reason why I have Bortles before any of the other QBs is not because I suddenly love Bortles, but it is because I believe he fits better into a pro-style system better than say Johnny Football. Not only do they get a quarterback who isn’t afraid to launch the ball deep, but they also get a Florida-grown QB who will be playing just a few hours from home. While I’ll agree there is still some polishing that needs to be done with Bortles, I believe that with training camp and off-season workouts, Bortles will end up developing as a QB and become something truly special in Jacksonville.
The other QB, Chad Henne, has had a very interesting career thus far. After being drafted in the second round by the Dolphins, Henne ended up playing sub-par football, throwing 33 interceptions in his first two seasons as starter. During his playing days from 2009-2011 with the Dolphins, Henne averaged just 213.5 yards per game. Henne was then traded to the Jaguars and was forced to compete with draft bust Blaine Gabbert. In two seasons with the Jaguars Henne has thrown for 213 yards per game, 57.25% completion and 25 total interceptions. Not particularly spectacular numbers. There’s no need to blame Henne though. Jacksonville ranked second worst last season at protecting Henne, giving up a monstrous 50 sacks. As well, Henne only had WR Cecil Shorts and Ace Sanders to throw to last season (Justin Blackmon did go off, however drug related off-the-field issues forced him out of the Jags’ good graces). TE Marcedes Lewis was unfortunately unable to get anything going due to injuries. This off-season the Jaguars added some much needed talent from the draft with the likes of USC’s Marqise Lee and Penn State’s Allen Robinson.
Out of the University of Southern California, Marqise Lee has been one of the nation’s top receiving prospects ever since he burst onto the scene in his freshman year at USC. In his freshman year out of Inglewood, CA, Lee was able to catch an outstanding 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns on 73 receptions to go along with his 28.5 kick return average and 33 yards on the ground for the Trojans. Lee then one-uped his Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year caliber season with an absolutely unbelievable Sophomore season, catching 118 passes for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns and 856 return yards in his Biletnikof Award-winning season. Lee’s 132.4 receiving yards per game were what made the 6’0″, 195-pound kid out of Los Angeles such a breakout star and potential first round draft pick in the NFL. Trouble did come to Lee in his Junior season as former gunslinger Matt Barkley went to the NFL and Lee was forced to deal with a lingering knee injury which caused him to only catch 57 passes for 791 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2013. Now although many people may argue that Lee is too injury prone and not durable enough to make it in the NFL, I believe that with his speed and ability, he can turn any dismal passing offense into a stellar one. His 4.49 40-yard dash time makes him lightning-quick and elusive beyond the line of scrimmage and because of his excellent vision and ability to read corner backs, he will for sure an elite receiver in the NFL if he’s given the chance.
As for Allen Robinson (just recently signed), I see big things. Even with the whole Sandusky scandal taking away the national spotlight from the Penn State Nittany Lions, Allen Robinson has been one of the Lions brightest spots since the day he walked on as a true freshman in 2011. In his junior season, Robinson took every opportunity he could to play his very best, catching a solid 77 passes for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2012. In games against ranked opponents such as Northwestern, Ohio State and Nebraska, Robinson was able to average 83.3 yards on 6.6 receptions per game along with two touchdowns against Northwestern. According to PSU’s team site, at the end of the season, Robinson was eventually selected the Big Ten Richter-Howard Receiver-of-the-Year and first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches, media, BTN.com and ESPN.com. A Biletnikoff Award candidate,[Robinson] broke the Penn State season receptions record with 77 catches, shattering the previous mark of 63 shared by All-Americans O.J. McDuffie (1992) and Bobby Engram (1995).” After such a great performance his sophomore season, many thought it would be impossible for Robinson to do any better, however in his junior season, Robinson absolutely exploded with offensive talent, giving Penn State it’s greatest receiving effort in it’s long history.
In his last and final season at Penn State, Allen Robinson performed at an unbelievable level at the receiver position, catching 97 passes for 1,432 yards and six touchdowns. What was incredible about Robinson’s season was that he was able to play at such a high level, every.single.game. For instance through the first eight games of the season, Robinson was able to tally over 100 yards all but two times. Over the entire season, Robinson recorded nine games of 98 receiving yards or higher. Although Robinson didn’t catch as many touchdowns in his junior season as he did during his sophomore season, he was able to catch for over 400 more yards and 20 more receptions than his sophomore season. While Robinson may not be the fastest receiver out there (4.6 40-yard dash time), his physical size to go up and catch passes, strength to leave tacklers in his wake and subtle acceleration to catch corners off guard, make him a great receiver.
With both of those receivers combining with Lewis, Sanders and Shorts, I think that Henne (or Bortles) will have great seasons in 2014. Last season the Jaguars had hardly any receiving talent and were forced to deal with injuries and off-the-field issues. Although Henne has already been established as the starting QB going forward, he is still on a short leash. I think that if Henne’s interception issues start to effect the Jaguar’s overall offensive output, I could see Bortles getting the starting nod. Henne’s first two years in Jacksonville were less than productive, but I give him a mulligan because of the lack of offensive talent around him. This season the Jaguars loaded up at the receiver position and added former Viking RB Toby Gerhart to the mix. With such talent as that, the ball and responsibility are all in Henne’s corner. If Henne can’t handle the responsibility by week 11 or 12, look for Bortles to get his chance. I fully expect Henne to cooperate though and retain the starting position till at least past week 12.