2017 NFL Power Rankings: Where do Los Angeles Rams stand heading into Week 1 preseason?
By Dan Parzych
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
This time of year is always fun to watch when it comes to players facing the most pressure to produce for their beloved team, and when it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Blake Bortles ranks near the top of that list. Despite the Jaguars picking up his fifth-year option this offseason, the organization has made it clear how important it is for Bortles to finally be the quarterback they need him to be on offense.
Don’t be fooled by the numbers by Bortles over the last two years since most of those statistics came during garbage time in games where the Jaguars had basically already lost, which is the last reputation any quarterback wants to have. With weapons like Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, it’s amazing to see Bortles fail to get this offense on an elite level, and if the struggles continue in 2017, the quarterback could be looking for a new home next offseason.
Hopefully, the selection of Leonard Fournette from this year’s NFL Draft will help take some of that pressure off Bortles running the offense since he’s never had a reliable running back to work with. And if the addition of Fournette does payoff, maybe Jacksonville will finally have what it takes to make the leap to being potential contenders.