Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles Wise to Seek Advice
By Nick Ziegler
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles is a rising star in the NFL. But that hasn’t stopped him from finding ways to get better.
There have been many dark years lately for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but this team is one that is finally heading in the right direction. Despite having high draft picks, the Jaguars struggled to find themselves a franchise quarterback until they selected Blake Bortles.
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In his first two seasons, Bortles has helped lead a much-improved Jaguars’ offense. This season, they are shaping up to be one of the best in the AFC with a great duo at wide receiver, two talented running backs, and a good tight end. There are plenty of weapons for Bortles to choose from in 2016, and he is poised for a great season.
This offseason, Bortles’ coach Greg Olson wanted him to reach out to some of the best quarterbacks in the league to pick their brains. Some players would shy away from asking veterans for advice as a young player, but Bortles sought out two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
“We wanted him to seek the quarterbacks out who have a similar style of play and guys who were at the top of their games,” Olson said to Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com
The first quarterback that Bortles sought out was Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers had a much different path to becoming the starting quarterback of the Packers than Bortles did with the Jaguars, as he had to sit for many years behind Brett Favre. Rodgers has become arguably the best quarterback in the NFL and stressed the importance of being patience on each drive.
"“I bounced ideas off of them and asked them, ‘What would you do differently?’” Bortles said to O’Halloran. “Aaron was awesome. One of the things he said was, ‘Don’t try and score 21 points every time you have the ball.’ That’s what I’ve had to learn."
The second quarterback that Bortles spoke with was Carson Palmer of the Arizona Cardinals. Palmer has had his share of ups and downs in his career, but he was able to give Bortles some important advice about being a leader.
“Carson was good. He’s laid back, and he’s an unbelievable quarterback and leader in the NFL. He said similar things. He said, ‘Just continue to build chemistry and rapport with the guys you’re with.’”
Now entering his third season, Bortles will be asked to lead this Jaguars team for years to come. 2016 is the best opportunity for the Jaguars to make the playoffs in many years, as the organization has done a very good job in the draft in recent years, and also had one of the best offseasons of any team in the NFL this year.
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With all the tools in place, Bortles will be poised for a great season in his third year, and might be considered a star by the end of it if the Jaguars reach the playoffs. It is very difficult to become an elite quarterback in the NFL, but Bortles is doing all he can to reach that goal.