Blake Bortles heads biggest franchise question marks

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Blake Bortles heads biggest franchise question marks Published: Nov 09, 2016 at 08:13 AM Around The NFL Podcast Co-Host The are in danger of authoring the second 0-16 season the NFL has ever seen. Come January, the talent-starved, woebegone will have to decide whether to hire their third head Sean McDermott Jersey coach in three seasons. And yet, the might just be the most depre sing team of 2016. After turning the page on first-round draft bust and the Gene Smith-Mike Mularkey regime after a disastrous 2012 season, Jacksonville's ownership embarked on a grueling, long-term rebuilding effort with the No. 3 pick of the 2014 draft as the centerpiece. Between nascent franchise quarterback and the receiver duo of and , there was enough promising talent on hand to chase free-agent tight end with hopes of developing a high-octane attack in Duval County. When Bortles came through with a , general manager David Caldwell concentrated on the other side of the ball, infusing the defense with talented players at all three levels. The 2016 season was billed as the reward for all of those fans who suffered through multiple attempts at reconstruction. Buoyed by the NFL's most improved roster, Jacksonville was a trendy postseason pick for the second straight summer. Just a few months later, coach Gus Bradley's job is in jeopardy and his quarterback is holding the rest of the team hostage. It's a sad state of affairs. With that in mind, let's take a look at the 10 biggest franchise question marks acro s the NFL, starting with that very quarterback: 1) , QB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Can the franchise savior be salvaged? Plagued by an that would make even Tim Tebow blush, Bortles is a broken player as of the midpoint in his third NFL season. It's not unusual for quarterbacks with injured arms or flawed mechanics to pad their stats on the losing end of blowouts, finally afforded time to scan lax defenses for open pa sing windows in garbage time. This is the state of Jacksonville's offense: a dysfunctional, chaotic me s incapable of moving the chains while the game remains competitive. "I don't know where it came from or why," Bortles acknowledged to CBS analyst Phil Simms in Week 8, "but my motion's getting longer." This is an i sue that goes back to Bortles' rookie-year struggles. With the aid of sports biomechanics guru Tom House, he in the offseason of 2015, only to backslide late this summer. On the hot seat or not, Bradley can't continue to play a quarterback with obvious physical and mental hang-ups. Tasked with mastering complex game plans each week, the on the "Top 100 Players Of 2016" list simply doesn't have the luxury of concentrating on his delivery to the extent it would take to fix it right now. Can a return trip to House provide a solution during the offseason? If so, how long will it stick this time? A few months? The entire 2017 season? A few years? The rest of Bortles' career? It's a franchise-altering conundrum for the ' front office. 2) , QB, Los Angeles Rams: Ever since the tandem of and combined for 22 wins in 2008, expectations for rookie quarterbacks have undergone a dramatic shift. First-round draft picks at other positions were always expected to play instantly, with mid-to-late-round choices reserved for developmental prospects. For nearly a decade now, that same paradigm has applied to quarterbacks: a first-round investment ideally translates to Week 1 starter. When the organization to trade up for the No. 1 overall pick, that expectation rises exponentially. When Goff struggled to master Rob Boras' playbook in offseason practices, that was understandable. He played in Cal's "Bear Raid" spread offense, which doesn't require quarterbacks to handle the in the NFL. When Goff was and the post-snap speed of defenses in preseason action, that was also understandable. He needed time to develop. Three months into his rookie season, though, it's alarming that the 3-5 believe Goff is than physically limited journeyman . While it's premature to discard Goff as an epic draft bust, it's fair to wonder when the franchise's windfall investment might start paying dividends. And when Goff is finally deemed ready, will he be worth the ? 3) , QB, Arizona Cardinals: The title of the Amazon documentary series speaks volumes: Entering the twilight years of their sterling careers, Palmer and were handed -- a tacit acknowledgement that the were entering a crucial Super Bowl-or-bust stretch before the window closes on the franchise quarterback and wide receiver. Is that window already closing prematurely? Sporting , Palmer played the best ball of his career in 2015, leading the NFL's most dangerous offense. That ability to escape pre sure has vanished this season behind an offensive line that can't block well enough to support the deep QB drops in Bruce Arians' offense. The can retool their philosophy next offseason to feature the dynamic , complementing a swarming, star-studded defense. At age 37, Palmer will be paid like an elite quarterback even if his role is minimized as his skills diminish. That's not a competitive a set. It's time for Arians to unearth his quarterback of the future. 4) , RB, Minnesota Vikings: The will have several glaring questions to answer next offseason. Will be healthy enough to recapture his promise as the future face of the franchise after this past summer? If so, where does that leave , who is under contract through 2017? Beyond the quarterback conundrum, the team's bra s will have to decide whether to hang on to Peterson -- the ghost of the ' past decade. Does Peterson have a legitimate chance to return from in December or January? If that doesn't happen, we might never see the greatest offensive player in franchise history donning the purple again. The owe Peterson $17.75 million in 2017, including a $6 million roster bonus in March. Set to turn 32 years old in that month, Peterson . Both he and the knew that when his contract was signed. Is he willing to accept le s from an organization he was as recently as the offseason of 2015? As to bypa s Walter Payton and John Riggins as the most productive "old" runner in history, is it in Minnesota's best interest to build the offense around a declining one-dimensional power back? 5) , QB, Dallas Cowboys: Two years removed from a , Romo is an afterthought behind as the boast the NFC's best record courtesy of a seven-game winning streak. Barring a multi-outing slump or an injury to the hotshot rookie, Romo will spend the next two months sporting a visor. It's abundantly clear that Prescott is the quarterback of the future -- and the future starts now. Where does that leave Romo in Dallas' plans? He's started just four games since the beginning of last season. There's no telling if his body can make it through a grueling 16-game schedule after multiple back and collarbone injuries. Considering Prescott's minuscule salary, the can afford to keep Romo on the roster as the highest-paid backup in history. Is that a palatable option for one of the league's top dozen quarterbacks entering his age-37 season? Will Romo restructure his contract to ease a trade to a QB-needy organization such as the or ? 6) and , DLs, New York Jets: Richardson and Wilkerson have been battling to be the face of the ' post- defense since the former arrived on the scene in 2013. While Wilkerson had emerged as the team's most disruptive defensive force, the younger Richardson was viewed as the more ideal building block -- until in the summer of 2015. After drafting as an eventual replacement for one of the two stud defensive ends, the front office ultimately made Wilkerson one of the league's this past summer. Now the boast an embarra sment of riches upfront, right? Not so fast. Wilkerson is on pace for le s than half of the 12 sacks he posted in last year's contract run. Richardson was , leaving his New York future in serious doubt. Billed as building blocks for the next contender, both players have shown a troubling lack of commitment, culminating in . Will Todd Bowles' me sage succeed as an effective wake-up call for Wilkerson? Will Richardson be shipped out in advance of next year's draft? Beyond Williams, where is the beating heart of Desmond Bane Jersey a once-mighty defense? 7) , QB, Washington Redskins: General manager Scot McCloughan neglected to meet the long-term contract demands of his franchise-tagged quarterback for an obvious reason: Cousins isn't talented enough to carry an offense. He must be supported by a stout offensive line, a consistent ground attack and talented pa s catchers such as and . In other words, Cousins can be a competitive advantage at a discount rate. If the are forced to allocate 15 percent of the salary cap to a league-average quarterback, though, that advantage disappears. Once Cousins gets paid, sacrifices will have to be made at other positions. Much like prior to his enriching XLVII run, Cousins has opted to bet on himself -- that included $16 million annually and $24 million in guarantees. At the quarter-season mark, that appeared to be a foolhardy decision. As of midseason, Cousins has rebounded enough of late to make his Washington future an even proposition. If the 4-3-1 make a second straight postseason appearance, it solidifies the future of the offensive nucleus. If the team nosedives in December, though, it's fair to wonder what will become of Cousins and the free-agent receiver tandem of Jackson and . 8) , WR, Buffalo Bills: When the to move up five spots in the draft for Watkins, the expectation was that he would not only emerge as a top-flight receiver but also the face of a franchise lacking in star power. Three years into his career, Watkins has mixed flashes of transcendence with lengthy disappearing acts. With a physical, tackle-breaking playing style that borrows as much from running back as wide receiver, it's fair to wonder if injuries will haunt Watkins throughout his prime. One of the reasons the were reluctant to reward with a mega contract was his inability to get the ball to his No. 1 receiver with consistency. Taylor struggles to see the middle of the field, where Watkins excels on slants and cro sing routes. Considering the recent succe s of a run-dominant offense featuring Taylor and , should the still view Watkins as a franchise-caliber player worthy of a second contract that would align with the game's most productive receivers? 9) , WR, Chicago Bears: The are facing a similar scenario with Jeffery, albeit a more pre sing one. Three years ago, Chicago featured a high-flying offense that . The future was bright with running back and the triple towers of Jeffery, and catching pa ses from the golden arm of . By the time free agency kicks off in March, Cutler and Jeffery could join the other three as former . Playing out the season , Jeffery isn't producing well enough to get the front office excited about a new long-term deal before he becomes the most coveted wideout on the open market. The enigmatic fifth-year star has even fallen behind tight end and slot receiver at times this season. Scouts and executives Jeffery's injury history, speed, hands and ability to anchor a pa sing attack as the No. 1 threat. Will the acknowledge those concerns, resigning to a full-blown rebuilding project on offense? 10) , QB, Houston Texans: When the suffered the ignominy of a at the hands of the last January, the team's brain trust identified quarterback and a lack of speed as the primary culprits. Lured away from Denver that raised eyebrows around the league, Osweiler was immediately billed as a major upgrade at . Once the signed playmaking tailback and drafted speedy deep threat , it was fair to wonder if the Osweiler-led offense would be the NFL's most improved. Fast-forward eight games into Osweiler's Houston career. After his quarterback managed an 3. Marko Guduric Jersey 2 yards on 41 pa s attempts, Bill O'Brien was met with local reporters wondering when he might consider benching his $72 million quarterback. For all of those resources poured into the offense, Osweiler's attack has been a marked downgrade on the smoke-and-mirrors show run by Hoyer (among others) in 2015. Houston's offense (12) and 31st in Football Outsiders' . Osweiler has yet to demonstrate the accuracy, field vision, pocket movement and streamlined delivery of a franchise player, ranking 33rd of 33 quarterbacks graded by Pro Football Focus this season. If he doesn't show significant progre s in the second half of the season, O'Brien will be left wondering how to upgrade a position that already occupies a substantial portion of the salary cap. More franchise questions marks: , QB, New England Patriots; , QB, Miami Dolphins; , QB, San Francisco 49ers; , QB, Cleveland Browns; , RB, Green Bay Packers; , RB, Kansas City Chiefs; , K, . This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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