Hahahaha

[Tony2046]

Who is out there that is going to make them better? Kirk Cousins at 27 million? Sam Bradford at 27 mill? Pry out Foles out of Philly for a second rounder and hand over a 130 mill contract? Draft a QB and hand over the reins of a playoff ready team?

Well those are the questions I have. I wouldn't consider Bortles a franchise QB but he had a decent run at the end of the season. Does Coughlin think Cousins isn't all that either?

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

He doesn't make them better.

Obviously he is not Tom Brady but this is a team that was damn close to beating the Patriots in Foxboro in the AFCCG and moving onto the SB. Why would you change out the QB position of that team with an unknown instead of paying a couple years of the going rate to see if keeping the team together can replicate and just slightly improve the previous year's success?
Maybe it isn't the right move -- that's something we will find out -- but it hardly seems haha.

 

[luuked]

Not sure what is funny about it. Dude got them to the AFC championship game and nearly won it.

He didnt get them there. His defense did. He did almost less than Manning in 2015 to get his team that far.

 

[supafly]

Obviously he is not Tom Brady but this is a team that was damn close to beating the Patriots in Foxboro in the AFCCG and moving onto the SB. Why would you change out the QB position of that team with an unknown instead of paying a couple years of the going rate to see if keeping the team together can replicate and just slightly improve the previous year's success?
Maybe it isn't the right move -- that's something we will find out -- but it hardly seems haha.

We heard the same “haha” about Manning and his noodle arm in 2015, and yet they beat us in the AFCCG with 2 timely TD passes and went on to win the SB a couple of weeks later. This year it was Jay Cutler, who played well enough to throw 3 TDs and lead the game by 17 in the fourth quarter. Or Alex Smith in week one, Blake Bortles in the AFCCG, and ultimately, SB MVP Nick Foles a couple of weeks later.

We’ve seen Mark Sanchez win a playoff game in Foxborough, Joe Flacco win two, etc. Not sure why people have such short memories. Football is a team game and we’ve also seen some mediocre to poor QBs show up big in games vs this defense over the years.

 

[Ivan]

Well those are the questions I have. I wouldn't consider Bortles a franchise QB but he had a decent run at the end of the season. Does Coughlin think Cousins isn't all that either?

More likely he doesn’t think Cousins will go to Jacksonville. I think Cousins is coming down to Denver vs the Jets.

At first glance this looks stupid to me, but when you consider what Glennon got last offseason 18 million for an average starter is about market value. I think Coughlin is just being prudent and covering the position while he explores his other options. At that price he can make the case to Bridgewater’s agent that the starting QB position is open to competition.

 

[Ivan]

We heard the same “haha” about Manning and his noodle arm in 2015, and yet they beat us in the AFCCG with 2 timely TD passes and went on to win the SB a couple of weeks later. This year it was Jay Cutler, who played well enough to throw 3 TDs and lead the game by 17 in the fourth quarter. Or Alex Smith in week one, Blake Bortles in the AFCCG, and ultimately, SB MVP Nick Foles a couple of weeks later.

We’ve seen Mark Sanchez win a playoff game in Foxborough, Joe Flacco win two, etc. Not sure why people have such short memories. Football is a team game and we’ve also seen some mediocre to poor QBs show up big in games vs this defense over the years.

That’s a great argument for not paying these guys because of a few good games. This looks like a 2 year stopgap move that buys Coughlin time to address their future at QB. I think they will go after Bridgewater and promise an open competition.

 

[Froob]

I don't have an opinion on the deal one way or the other because they got to the AFCCG with him so there's that.

But I do wonder what their thoughts on Cousins are. Too expensive? Not much better? Are they buying time so they can draft and develop?

I respect Coughlin so it makes me wonder why he didn't wait to see how things unfolded with Foles or pull the trigger on some of these other FA QB's.

Blake was on the books for next year due to his wrist injury. If you get Kirk, you’re paying like 45 mill for QBs next season.

 

[Pape]

Bortles is an 18 million dollar a year place holder. Its a development deal - they keep him and develop another qb during those three years.

 

[BTTA]

If I knew this coin was available, and I was starting out in school, I would do everything in my power to become, at least a mediocre QB in the NFL.

I mean, even a sub par, back up is in a good position to "get by".
Compared to your usual working slob.

It's amazing the money these guys get. It's no wonder their heads swell like a balloon.

I'd try (if?) ....

A mediocre QB in the NFL is in the top 1% of his vocation. There are a lot of fields where being in the top 1% will get you paid really well. For most people, it would be easier to become a top 1% brain surgeon or top 1% CEO than it would a top 1% NFL QB.

 

[luuked]

Bortles is an 18 million dollar a year place holder. Its a development deal - they keep him and develop another qb during those three years.

They need that QB now and not in 2-3 years because by then all those amazing young defensive players will be on their expensive second contracts or traded/gone in FA. Instead of the 2013 Seahawks they will be the 2016 Seahawks (or if they are unfortunate with injures maybe even the 2017 version).

 

[Pape]

They need that QB now and not in 2-3 years because by then all those amazing young defensive players will be on their expensive second contracts or traded/gone in FA. Instead of the 2013 Seahawks they will be the 2016 Seahawks (or if they are unfortunate with injures maybe even the 2017 version).

Agreed. I never said it was a good idea. It just seems like a wait and see deal. If he turns the corner and gets better then they both win. If he doesn't, three year deals often last only two or even 1 year.

 

[Observer]

He didnt get them there. His defense did. He did almost less than Manning in 2015 to get his team that far.

Sure, but he was part of the team and the team needs a quarterback. I would rather keep a QB that seems to work well with the team than to risk losing him for an experiment.

 

[luuked]

Sure, but he was part of the team and the team needs a quarterback. I would rather keep a QB that seems to work well with the team than to risk losing him for an experiment.

Over the entire season he worked as well with this team as Osweiler did with the Texans a year earlier. I get the idea that without additional information someone unknown is worse than a bad player whose flaws you can play around but there were a couple of options for the Jaguars to take.

I have a feeling this was more about putting a bandage on that 19m cap hit that became essentially guaranteed because of his surgery than about having that much trust into him.

 

[supafly]

That’s a great argument for not paying these guys because of a few good games.

Maybe, but like you said, 18m dollars is nothing more than market average, so I’m not seeing what the big deal is.

Let’s look at the examples used: Manning certainly deserved his money, and we know Foles will get a comparable deal at worst. Alex Smith has done alright for himself. Bortles just game managed his team to a near SB appearance.

The only real misses were Flacco, who while is overpaid, is still probably worthy of an average type of deal if they’d actually bother to bring in a couple of weapons for him. We know that we don’t enjoy matching up with him come playoff time, and he’s a SB winner. Not sure what people expect him to make? Mark Sanchez was the outlier, but he was also coming off of 2 consecutive AFCCG appearances, so I can at least appreciate what they were thinking with the gamble.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

A few updates on this:

Bortles: “This is where I wanted to be” 

Bortles said he stressed to Tollner that he didn’t want to fight over financial details at the expense of limiting what the Jaguars could do with other players.

“That was one of the big things when me and Ryan talked early on about this a week ago,” Bortles said. “I said, ‘We’re getting paid millions of dollars to play football.’ It’s tough to pitter patter about how much money you’re making. It’s all incredible. It’s all a dream come true. We’re all extremely lucky to do it.

“Rather than fight over money here or money there, let’s take what we can get because it’s more than I ever thought I’d make and it allows us to go get some other guys done and continue to be a good football team all around.”

And



Bortles is a limited QB and not a top-tier guy, but he really does seem like he has a good head on his shoulders and the right attitude to lead that team.

He reminds me a bit of Jake Delhomme where he is not a top talent (though Bortles was drafted high, I know), but he has earned the respect of his team. Seeing him take less to hopefully keep Robinson and others there to help the team can't help but win him some points in the locker room.

 

[primetime]

Bortles was better than a game manager. Looked good against the Patriots in the AFCCG. I'd take him over Flacco or someone like that and they got him on a good deal (18th highest paid QB?) for a reasonable period of time. I don't know, seems fine to me.

I'd much rather pay Bortles that than pay Kirk Cousins whatever absurdity he's about the get, even if Cousins is probably marginally better.

Keep in mind Jimmy just got paid the most of any QB in history based on 5 good games. AJ McCarron is going to get paid probably around what Bortles did for having been a mid-round pick who fell flat in his only starting appearances and hasn't done anything since. The NFL is truly absurd.

 

[chasa]

If I knew this coin was available, and I was starting out in school, I would do everything in my power to become, at least a mediocre QB in the NFL.

I mean, even a sub par, back up is in a good position to "get by".
Compared to your usual working slob.

It's amazing the money these guys get. It's no wonder their heads swell like a balloon.

I'd try (if?) ....

you'd be much better off learning to kick field goals, or punting.

 

[Kontradiction]

Seems like a reasonable contract to me. If Bortles improves, it's a bargain. If he doesn't, they can get out of it easily and move on. It doesn't break the bank and gives them $9M up front in cap relief that they can use.

 

[BTTA]

...Keep in mind Jimmy just got paid the most of any QB in history based on 5 good games. AJ McCarron is going to get paid probably around what Bortles did for having been a mid-round pick who fell flat in his only starting appearances and hasn't done anything since. The NFL is truly absurd.

This is the most accurate context for Bortles' salary. It is a middle of the pack salary for the position, and reflects that he's a middle of the pack guy who has had some recent success. The Jags actually look reasonably sane compared to some of the other deals.

 

[primetime]

I mean, as the Niners you have to pay Garoppolo. It makes sense. (There's no excuse for whatever dumb team pays for McCarron). But there's no guarantee that he becomes what you think he will, or that his performance at the end of last season is reflective of the player he will be next season. Imagine a team in the NBA maxing a contract in the offseason for a guy they signed on a 10-day contract who scored 25 points per game and had 10 rebounds in the final five meaningless games. It would be absurd. But in the NFL, you have to do it for a quarterback.