Former Jaguars QB Blake Bortles enjoying life with Sean McVay's Rams
Blake Bortles, like all NFL starting quarterbacks, was under a harsh spotlight the past few years. That attention increases when you’re a high draft pick, as Bortles was.
The Jacksonville Jaguars finally moved on from Bortles this offseason, probably a little too late. The Los Angeles Rams, presumably seeing the promise that made Bortles the third overall pick of the 2014 draft, signed Bortles as a backup. He got a one-year deal.
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It might be nice for Bortles to take a step back out of that starter’s spotlight for a while. But he said he’d like another shot to start at some point.
Blake Bortles enjoying L.A.
Bortles told the Los Angeles Times about his time with the Rams so far, “It’s been awesome.” Not too surprisingly, he sees a big difference between Doug Marrone’s Jaguars staff and the one former NFL coach of the year Sean McVay runs.
“Seeing how he coaches, how all the other coaches coach and how the guys are receptive and take it, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Bortles told Gary Klein of the Times.
Bortles always had at least an expectation of competing for a starting spot in Jacksonville. He won’t start over Jared Goff this season. Bortles said settling into a backup role is “a weird thing to kind of balance in your head” but he’s happy to learn and be ready if needed.
But Bortles doesn’t expect to permanently settle into a new life as a backup quarterback.
“I also expect to be a starter in this league again, and I know it’s not going to be here in L.A.,” Bortles told the Times. “So I’m trying to just better myself. ... And if I get an opportunity to play, great. If not, then I spent a year learning from McVay, and being around a really good organization.”
Bortles wants to start again
Bortles probably has a long way to go before he is a starter again. There aren’t any teams desperate at quarterback right now and there’s a talented 2020 draft class on the way too. That will further limit any possible opportunities.
Bortles has never shown he can be a high-end starter. The Jaguars had a good team around him and while they had a nice playoff run two seasons ago, Bortles never lived up to his draft pedigree.
Perhaps a year with McVay and the Rams can fix some of the issues that held him back. But it will be tough to find a chance to start again, no matter how much Bortles wants that opportunity.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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