PIECES IN PLACE FOR BORTLES TO SUCCEED
Five things to know about the Jacksonville Jaguars heading toward the 2017 season:
1. Offensive offseason on defense:
The 2016 Jaguars finished sixth in the NFL in total defense last season, giving up 30-plus points just three times and holding opponents to fewer than 300 yards eight times. That being said, the team finished 3-13. Jacksonville got to work in the offseason, signing defensive end Calais Campbell, safety Barry Church and cornerback A.J. Bouye. Campbell, who played in at least 13 games in each of his nine seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, had eight sacks and forced two fumbles last season. Church is a durable, experienced safety, while Bouye has the bigplay capability to force turnovers at the corner.
2. Draft improvements:
. Though quarterback Blake Bortles has things to prove, some pressure has been alleviated with first-round running back Leonard Fournette and second-round offensive lineman Cam Robinson. Fournette has the playmaking ability to become the focal point of the offense, making Bortles’ job easier. New team executive Tom Coughlin rolled the dice on fourth-round pick Dede Westbrook, who was spectacular on the field at Oklahoma but was arrested twice on domestic violence charges before he got there. If there aren’t any issues with Westbrook, the Jags’ already-potent receiving corps will gain yet another threat.
3. Well-received:
Jacksonville’s top three receivers as of now are Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee. Robinson and Hurns’ numbers dropped in 2016 compared to 1,000-plus yard receiving seasons in 2015, but Lee’s emergence as a threat and Westbrook’s potential to dominate the slot could open up lanes for all four receivers. Without safety net Julius Thomas at tight end, the Jags will look to Mar- cedes Lewis and Mychal Rivera to fill the void.
4. Bortles or bust:
This will be the year Jaguars fans know whether Bortles is truly a franchise quarterback. There are no more excuses to be made. His attempts have increased in each of his first three seasons, meanwhile his 59% completion percentage has stayed the same, as have his high number of interceptions. Entering a fourth season with weapons to use and blockers as support, Bortles faces a make-or-break season.
5. Troublesome schedule:
The NFL schedule doesn’t look pretty for Jacksonville. The Jaguars are favored in just five of the 16 games, according to spreads released by Cantor Technology. Jacksonville hasn’t won more than five games since 2010 and hasn’t finished higher than third in the AFC South in that same time frame. Cantor has Jacksonville as a one-point favorite or underdog in six of the 16 games. The Jaguars are a 11⁄ 2- point underdog when they travel to London to take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.