JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On day one of the Jacksonville Jaguars organized team activities quarterback Blake Bortles set clear expectations for the upcoming season.
“I think this is by far the most important month of my career and then the following month will be just as important and so on and so forth until we start rolling and it goes through the same thing with the season,” said Bortles.
The 2016 season is one that Bortles would love to forget. His 3,905 yards, 23 touchdowns and QB rating were all down compared to his breakout season in 2015. This put the status of Bortles as the franchise quarterback in question. The Jaguars seemingly answered that question by choosing not to add a quarterback in the draft or free agency.
Bortles spent a large portion of February and March working with the 3DQB group in California. That’s what he did prior to the 2015 season but decided to spend the majority of the 2016 offseason working out in Jacksonville. Although it’s very early in the Jaguars offseason program, Bortles can already feel a difference.
“I would say similar to 2015, definitely nothing like last year,” said Bortles. “It’s a little different. It’s something that I feel better about and I think it just helps me be a more efficient quarterback and passer.”
No matter what Blake Bortles does this offseason, he's not going to change perception.
"You can think a lot about it," Bortles said Tuesday. "It's that saying, like, 'What have you done for me lately?' Well, that's our lately and that's my lately, so until we get a chance to go play again in September and change that narrative, that's who we are.”
It’s still too early to tell which version of Bortles the Jaguars will get during the 2017 season. The new plan is to have Bortles throwing less than his average of 37 times a game.
"I just hope, obviously, consistency," said Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone. "I think that's the one thing you see in everyone else and being able to get the ball out with everyone staying on rhythm, for lack of a better term."
NOTES: Five defensive starters, including Jacksonville's entire secondary, missed the opening practice of OTAs. Linebacker Telvin Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey were not in attendance, and cornerback A.J. Bouye and safeties Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson were injured and working on the side.
Left tackle Branden Albert, acquired in a trade with Miami, continued to skip voluntary workouts.
The Jaguars opened practice with a new-look offensive line that included guard A.J. Cann swapping sides and center Brandon Linder moving to right guard.