Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles poised to breakout in 2015

Dec 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) looks for an open receiver during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars had another losing season in 2014, but the Blake Bortles era did begin in Florida.

In last year’s NFL Draft, the Jaguars drafted Bortles with the third overall pick from Central Florida. Just three seasons after drafting Blaine Gabbert with the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Jaguars once again were looking to find a franchise quarterback.

There was a lot to like about Bortles coming out of college after three seasons, which isn’t known as a college football powerhouse. In three seasons, Bortles totaled 7,519 passing yards, 56 passing touchdowns, 19 interceptions, and a 65.7 completion percentage.

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Bortles was not only a good passer in college, but he was also not shy to run the football with his large stature. At Central Florida, Bortles totaled 561 rushing yards on 195 carries, with 15 touchdowns.

Despite the Jaguars saying that they were going to be sitting Bortles in his rookie season, he was inserted into action in the third week of the season. It was inevitable that Chad Henne was going to lose his job to Bortles, but for it to happen in the third week of the season was a bit shocking.

In his rookie season, Bortles would go through a lot of growing pains, as the team around him wasn’t very good. The offensive line was a glaring problem for both Bortles and Henne, as the two were sacked 71 times combined on the season, which was the most in the NFL by a wide margin.

Due to the poor offensive line, Bortles used his legs a lot in his rookie season, as he totaled 419 rushing yards on 56 carries.

In addition to Bortles being letdown by his offensive line often, his weapons on offense also let him down with numerous drops. According to sportingcharts.com, the Jaguars dropped the third-most passes in the NFL with 32 as a team.

Aug 28, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguar wide receiver Marqise Lee (11) catches a touchdown pass from quarterback Blake Bortles against the Atlanta Falcons during the 2nd quarter at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Richard Dole-USA TODAY Sports

Part of the reason for the drops, was the fact that Bortles was throwing to three fellow rookies. Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson, and Marqise Lee are all talented wide receivers, but rookies will make mistakes.

In 2014, Bortles would total 2,908 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes, 17 interceptions, and a 58.9 completion percentage. The obvious area of improvement for Bortles is to cut down on the interceptions, but in his last five games, Bortles only threw two interceptions.

Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; iDenver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (80) n the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

This offseason, the Jaguars added a big weapon for Bortles to help him develop, as they signed tight end Julius Thomas from the Denver Broncos. Thomas is coming off two consecutive Pro Bowl seasons with the Broncos and Peyton Manning. In 2014, Thomas battled an ankle injury for a good chunk of the season, but while even being hobbled and missing time, he was able to have his second straight 12-touchdown season.

Thomas is still only 26-years-old, and while he may be a veteran weapon compared to the receiver corps, he still has plenty of good football left in him.

In 2015, the Jaguars will be another year older, which for their quarterback and offense is a very good thing. Bortles showed signs of improvement as his rookie season went on, and with a talented group of players to throw the ball to, he will be poised for a strong sophomore season.

Next: What will the Jaguars do in the NFL Draft?

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