“This Race To Maturity”
March 24th, 2015
Jags head coach Gus Bradley talks about sitting a rookie QB like Blake Bortles was last year
Both Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston will be 21 years old on opening day of the 2015 season.
Sane Bucs fans want to see Tampa Bay draft one of those quarterbacks on April 30 (may the heavens help us), and then sit the guy for a season and let him develop thoroughly and effectively in more of an old-school fashion, like Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Carson Palmer.
Also, these fans don’t want to see a rookie struggle behind the Buccaneers’ shaky offensive line.
That kind of plan often has to change, but not just because of injury or external pressure.
Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley dove into that subject today with Joe and media munching on hash browns at the AFC coaches breakfast in Phoenix.
Bradley drafted QB Blake Bortles No. 3 overall last year and watched his organization’s plans for Bortles change in real-time.
“We had hoped that [Bortles] would go the whole year [on the bench] and Chad Henne would be our starter. But as we went through OTAs and training camp, you could see we were on this race to maturity and trying to speed up this learning process for him, and just felt like at that time in the season, really the rest of the time he needed to be on the game field. So now looking back, I’m glad he did get that experience.”
Bortles went on to start 13 games. Bradley explained timetables got accelerated, in part, because Bortles was everything they expected when they drafted him. Bradley said the Jaguars, through the pre-draft process, thought Bortles would be internally driven and fearless in all phases of the position, and his competitive nature was as advertised.
Joe found this especially interesting because a team is almost obligated to start a highly-drafted rookie, if they feel classroom and clipboard work is slowing his development.
The Bucs, or any team, could have a grand plan to sit Mariota or Winston for a year, but that can’t stick if it’s counter-productive. This is yet another reason the Bucs have to fix their O-line in a hurry. Their beloved rookie QB could be ready to play on Day 1.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:03 pm
chad henne is better than any quarterback we’ve had in a long time…..hmmm wonder why they were trying to fast track a rookie. MM and JW are better than him and better than Mike glennon, I doubt MG would make it 3 games IF he can beat out anyone in training camp
March 24th, 2015 at 2:05 pm
I have never seen a rookie QB that was ready to go day 1 . Can you name one?…I didnt think so
March 24th, 2015 at 2:07 pm
lol they have not addressed the o line cause they are trading the pick.
all this obsession with two QB’s who are not worth the number one pick, nor are they good enough to beat out glennon who has experience, but has never gotten the starter reps from the beginning of the season/preseason/ota’s etc.
i’ll be laughin with all the guys jumping ship on draft day.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:08 pm
Mariota will be our starter Week 1.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
You don’t learn how to read and handle a blitz by holding a clipboard.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
A lot of future Titan fans in this thread…wow
March 24th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
any quarterback in this draft is good enough to beat out mike glennon. people are overreacting to the offensive line, a real offensive coordinator knows how to mask deficiencies because every offense has them. name one offense that has no deficiencies in the nfl? colts running game, patriots receivers, seattle receivers, denvers line and run game. the offensive coordinator is better equipped to work with what he’s given we’ll get what we need no problem lol
March 24th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
Mariota>Winston – Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, John Elway, Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck spring immediately to mind.
Were they great as they became immediately? No, but they were good and ready to be good.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Mariota>winston. Which is false btw. Cam.newton threw like 3 tds and 400 yards his rookie year opening day. So yea i.can name one
March 24th, 2015 at 2:20 pm
And robert 9 , is just dumb….so.dumb
March 24th, 2015 at 2:20 pm
I like Bortles. Being a Buc Fan in Jacksonville, i want Bortles to be good. It is easy to like the Jags, lovable losers. HMM, kinda like the bucs.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
bucs4lyfe Says:
March 24th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
patriots receivers,
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Edelman and Gronk are excellent, please try again.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Erik – You are still just CLINGING to that Mariota will be a Buccaneer idea – despite over evidence to the contrary. Do you honestly believe what you are saying? 97% of every draft analyst out there has the Bucs picking Winston. Are they ALL wrong and you are right?
If you are wrong and Winston is the pick – will you accept and support Winston as your Buccaneer QB Erik?
March 24th, 2015 at 2:25 pm
“a real offensive coordinator knows how to mask deficiencies because every offense has them.”
Yes indeed! And a real OC will make MG8 far better as well. From scheming to game day play calling!!!
And recall our OC has already said nice things about MG8.
Then again I do not believe our OC posts here on JBF so what could he know compared to the world of football genius I read here everyday.
Many scenarios could unfold. Fameis could come and look awesome but still continue with his INT’s while MG8 won’t be spectacular but his experience may help him protect the ball better. If that happens..Lovie will use MG8 until Fameis learns some discipline in his throw selections.
IMO Fameis will eventually get it and supplant MG8 but unlike the Winston worshippers I do not blindly believe that Fameis will CERTAINLY be better from day one.
No NFL coach tolerates turnovers and Lovie may be the least tolerant of all. But Fameis will finally figure it out and do what he needs to do to get on the field. But I hope the Bucs don’t simply give it to him because he’s the top pick. Make him EARN it.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:25 pm
Mariota who?
March 24th, 2015 at 2:25 pm
overwhelming evidence
March 24th, 2015 at 2:31 pm
bucrightoff
Edelman and Gronk are excellent, please try again.
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True so tight end isn’t an issue for the patriots but your saying Julian Edelman is a number 1 receiver? he had an amazing game in the superbowl and thought he should have been the MVP but come on man…..fine I cant find a hole in the offense of the superbowl champions damn since you want to be technical ok fine that’s 1 team what about the other 31
March 24th, 2015 at 2:31 pm
Seriously?
Andrew Luck.
No, they’re not. Stop living in a dream world and come back to reality.
The mighty Glennon couldn’t beat out Freeman or McCown (twice). I don’t see him beating out JW or MM.
Both he and our incumbant starter (Freeman) got 50% of the reps the offseason he was drafted. That’s as close to starter reps as he’s going to get.
Guess you’ll be laughing at yourself…
Sounds like you plan on being either a Titans or Eagles fan next season with that our talk.
I’m realizing the same thing. It’ll be nice when we get all these bum fans off the ship, though.
You broke the rules. He only asked for one. How dare you provide him with definitive facts. Shame on you.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
Purty much every scout at the combine said the Bucs are taking Winston.
Then you’ve got Ira Kaufman saying this at the NFL owners meeting :
“At the NFL meetings here in Phoenix, haven’t met a soul who doesn’t think the Bucs are taking Winston at No. 1.”
Erik knows more than all these scouts, owners, and draft experts….I guess.
Size XL creamsicle or the old read and pewter will do Erik. Stay away from the Burger King uniforms.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:40 pm
bucs4lyfe Says:
True so tight end isn’t an issue for the patriots but your saying Julian Edelman is a number 1 receiver? he had an amazing game in the superbowl and thought he should have been the MVP but come on man…..fine I cant find a hole in the offense of the superbowl champions damn since you want to be technical ok fine that’s 1 team what about the other 31
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I’m saying its not an issue for them. Edelman was a 1,000 yard receiver despite missing time. Colts running game, now there is an issue, it hurt them. The receivers New England had didn’t hurt them. Could they be better? Of course, but they aren’t detrimental to their success like say…the Colts running game.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:45 pm
Winston squints too much, he stares down his recievers, takes too long to throw, is too slow, is a sore loser, goes berserk on his coach, makes sexual jokes after being accused of rape, steals from stores and fast food restaurants, goes trigger happy with BB guns, takes game suspensions as a joke, likes to fumble even though he is not tackled, likes to throw picks to the other team, and he likes to go Rip Van Winkle in the first half of games.
And to top it all off Winston shot Kennedy, faked the moon landing, created Ebola, stabbed Mike Williams, and changed the speed limit signs on the road Mariota was driving.
And people think he will succeed in the NFL???
March 24th, 2015 at 2:49 pm
yep and we all know that if we don’t get the line fixed it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is but having said that blake bortles was the most sacked quarterback in the league last year so it has nothing to do with speed, teams will simply not allow you to escape on the edge and collapse the pocket. sooner or later your going to have to stand in the pocket and make a throw like Winston has done the last two years. he’s better than bortles and Derek carr so he should have no issue starting day one
March 24th, 2015 at 2:57 pm
How do you learn to play QB by watching someone else play QB? I’ve been watching QBs for 30 years, yet I don’t feel like I would be that much more successful against a blitz package.
March 24th, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Whether it be Mariota or Winston they will start day 1. Hell, we were hoping to sit a 3rd round drafted QB and he was forced to start too early. You think a 1st round pick will get that luxury, hell no.
March 24th, 2015 at 3:02 pm
I mean I’m sure there are things you CAN learn but does it benefit you losing a year of your career?
Apply this logic to any other position:
“Hey Randy Moss, sit there and watch Chris Carter for a year”.
“Longoria, not so fast! You’re not seeing the diamond until you’ve memorized the complete works of Tom Emanski”.
March 24th, 2015 at 3:15 pm
Each QB is different. Some are ready week one. Some need a year or more to be ready. Its predicting who is ready and when that can be a challenge. Plus all the variables that can force a team start a QB earlier than they wanted.
March 24th, 2015 at 3:33 pm
Remember the Dungy family and Mariota family are tight. With the Dungy family talking with Lovie and Licht I think they will be taking Mariota. Everybody discounts Dungy from this scenario, but I think he plays an impact.
March 24th, 2015 at 3:44 pm
Skyline…I guess you gotta hold onto something.
I wonder how come the draft “experts” don’t take Dungy into consideration…
March 24th, 2015 at 3:53 pm
I don’t know why you hold draft “experts” (I use that term loosely) so high. I don’t remember a draft where the #1 and #2 QBs were regarded so high. So obviously there wasn’t much to determine. Last time there was a debate over who should go #1 and #2 the so called experts got it wrong. Anytime it is a given sure they’ll get it right. No one doubted Luck was going #1 or that Clowney was going #1. Yet, I believe it was the 2013 draft where it was a debate between which OT would be taken and didn’t most have Joeckel going over Fisher because he was the better one. Yet, when it happened the articles came out that is was no surprise since they were 1 and 1A. I can see that happening this time. I don’t think there is a definitive #1. FSU fans can believe that there is, but the rest don’t.
March 24th, 2015 at 3:56 pm
I would argue Brooks’s opinion will go a long way for Winston as well….
March 24th, 2015 at 3:59 pm
Obviously Mariota is more mature than Winston and knows football. His intelligence has never been questioned and has always been praised. I would take Mariota over Winston. Yet, with Glennon still on our team I don’t see that happening. Doesn’t make sense to have Glennon and Mariota. Glennon and Winston fit better together.
March 24th, 2015 at 4:39 pm
So Erik and Skyline are about the only 2 legit Mariota lovers still clinging to hope and still putting on a brave face that it’s gonna be their guy despite everyone and their mother who knows anything about the NFL saying Winston will be the Bucs pick….. I’m not counting those who just say ridiculous and slanderous things about Winston all the time because they don’t like him.
March 24th, 2015 at 6:26 pm
I just said it will probably be Winston. I really wonder if FSU fans are smart.
March 24th, 2015 at 6:42 pm
Good news bad news
Good news: you start Winston next year you will be picking at the top of the draft again next year, just like Jax
Bad news: you start Winston and you’re picking at the top of the draft next year + you possibly screw up his development moving forward like many many others
Fact: this is a win now league, and Lovie needs to win now… Winston will start a game next year (prematurely imo)
March 24th, 2015 at 6:48 pm
@Pickgrin and 1987 – just buying into group think isn’t actually ‘knowledge’. Baaa! Baaa!
March 24th, 2015 at 7:40 pm
I agree that IF AND WHEN Winston or whoever they draft shows they are more prepared and ready to start…then they should. Hell maybe thats week 2 who knows but I firmly believe the team needs to give Mike Glennon every opportunity to prove what he can do. Its only the smart and right thing to do
March 24th, 2015 at 9:16 pm
The writing is on the wall, but some of these fans can’t read it.
March 25th, 2015 at 8:52 am
@Celly said it all.
Dungy was defense specialist, why would you take his Mariota bias opinion.
Maybe if he was an offense minded coach who once specialized at the QB position and didn’t have a connection to a… wait a second why not just wait for Gruden’s QB camp.