Report: Tom Coughlin will interview with Jaguars, and he's no Blake Bortles fan
We’ve breathlessly tracked the interest in unemployed septuagenarian former head coach Tom Coughlin in recent days — definitely by the Jacksonville Jaguars, perhaps by the Buffalo Bills and, when it’s all said and done there might even be an open spot on president-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet if Coughlin wants it.
Here’s another interesting report on Saturday morning from Fox’s Jay Glazer: the Jaguars are not just paying lip service to their once maiden coach. Glazer said on his pregame report that the team will indeed interview Coughlin for Gus Bradley’s former position.
The more interesting nugget, however: Coughlin reportedly isn’t a big fan of quarterback Blake Bortles, per Glazer.
This can’t be stunning, but it is interesting in that the Jaguars might not be ready to dump Bortles yet. They have a huge decision looming on the former No. 3 overall draft pick this offseason when they must decide whether to pick up his fifth-year option. That would lock him into a contract for 2018 commensurate with the transition tag, which guarantees a salary equal to the average of the top 10 salaries at the position. Currently, that number sits in the $21 million to $22 million range but could change depending on any extensions signed between now and then around the league.
If Coughlin suggests that the team does not pick up the option, would that push him behind in the running for the position over a candidate who thinks they can revive his once-promising career? That’s unclear.
Beyond that, which quarterback might Coughlin want? The options for 2017 might be limited, via the draft, free agency or even a trade. The price to land one might be high, and there’s not a lot of clear-cut solutions who could step in — slow your roll on Tony Romo, we plead — as the kind of veteran leader Coughlin might seek.
After all, he’s turning 71 before the season and would not be hired to orchestrate a gradual rebuild. The Jaguars, who have gone 41-112 since their last playoff appearance, and team owner Shad Khan want to turn things around now.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
