The Jacksonville Jaguars have been one of the trending topics of the league since veteran quarterback Andy Dalton became a free agent. The reason for that is because they’ve long been interested in him due to his connection with offensive coach Jay Gruden, who was Dalton’s coordinator for three years in Cincinnati.
This has also caused many to wonder how the Jags truly feel about Gardner Minshew II, who led the team to a 6-6 record as a starter and flashed some things that a franchise quarterback would. With Dalton bringing 133 starts and three Pro Bowls to the mix, would the Jags be looking to make him a starter, a backup, or would he have to compete for the QB1 spot?
While on “Good Morning Football” Friday afternoon, coach Doug Marrone was asked about the matter and he stated that Minshew was “no doubt” the Jags’ quarterback. He also stated that their search for a veteran was to upgrade the quarterback position as a whole, something they strive to do with every position during the offseason.
"He's our QB there’s no doubt about it..but one of the things were doing, were still looking to make sure were upgraded at each position. There are some vets out there we might look at to bring in."@Jaguars HC Doug Marrone on Gardner Minshew. pic.twitter.com/RCRXaXGHQJ
— GMFB (@gmfb) May 1, 2020
It’s long come off as though the Jags want to see what they have in Minshew although Marrone’s statements Friday are the closest they’ve come to flat out saying it. However, their interest in Dalton may simply be them looking to get the best insurance policy available for Minshew as he knows the system better than him and could help him pick things up. He’s also a player who could potentially pick the team up if Minshew just flat out struggles and has to be benched.
The problem with landing Dalton is he may prefer other destinations if the Jags truly aren’t trying to bring him in as a starter. Another team could also entice Dalton over the Jags to come in by paying him a solid contract to be a backup as it is hard to see the Jags offering Dalton a lot of money.
The other team that has reportedly been interested in Dalton are the New England Patriots. They currently have Jarrett Stidham as their No. 1 quarterback and showed a lot of faith in him by not drafting a quarterback. However, if they offer Dalton a chance to start, it’s hard to see the Jags landing him. If they don’t though, Dalton has a chance to be a Jag but ultimately time will tell.