Category: Gardner Minshew

Watch: Gardner Minshew highlights from rookie season

Gardner Minshew II had a solid 2019 season, but he may just be getting started.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t have plans to start quarterback Gardner Minshew II, but when Nick Foles went down Week 1, the rookie got the opportunity of a lifetime and did some impressive things in the process. He ultimately finished the season 285-of-470 (60.6%) for 3,271 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and six picks, which were stats good enough to compete with  2019 first overall pick Kyler Murray.

Once Foles returned Week 11, it wasn’t long before the job was given back to Minshew (Week 14 vs. the Chargers), and after finishing on a strong note against Indy in the season finale, the argument could be made he will be QB1 in 2020. Of course, the season wasn’t a perfect one for the rookie but plenty of promise was shown, and if he can continue his growth, the Jags may be in good hands.

Here’s a full roundup of Minshew’s top highlights for 2019 as he went 6-6 on the season:

Feel free to listen to the archived episodes of Bleav in Jags, too, and subscribe via Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify.

Ep. 3

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4 Nick Foles trade partners that make sense for Jaguars

There are several teams who could entertain acquiring Nick Foles, who could flourish under the right circumstances like those of the Colts.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made their biggest free agent swing in team history last March with the signing of Nick Foles, and it unfortunately, didn’t pay off (at least in 2019). With an expensive contract now on their hands from the veteran and Gardner Minshew II showing enough promise to be the starter instead, many now believe the Jags should look to trade Foles to remove themselves from what could be a mistake.

According to Minshew himself, there will be an open competition between the two quarterbacks, however, if the Jags change their minds and decide to trade Foles, here are four teams that make sense as trade partners:

Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Indianapolis Colts

While they are the Jags divisional rivals, this is an easy one to point out. The Colts’ head coach, Frank Reich, was Foles’ offensive coordinator during the 2017 season when Philly won the Super Bowl (and in 2016, too).

It’s not exactly a secret that the Colts will be looking to add a quarterback this offseason. Some think it will be Philip Rivers, another quarterback who worked with Reich in the past. Reich was the veteran’s position coach in 2013, then his offensive coordinator from 2014-15. When considering their relationship, he’s clearly going to be an option on the table for the Colts this offseason

My counter to that, however, is that Rivers simply doesn’t have it anymore and isn’t the quarterback he was when Reich was there. At least with the right conditions, Foles has a chance remotely reflect to the Super Bowl MVP the Jags thought they were getting. Additionally, it would require a draft pick from the Jags to get the deal done, much like the Brock Osweiler trade a few years back.

I mean, let’s face it, taking a draft pick from a divisional opponent would have to be appealing for Indy, especially in addition to getting a player who could come right in and pick up the playbook with ease.

As for their available cap space, Indy is second in that category with over $86 million in available money at the moment. That number will decrease in time, but still, they could ingest Foles’ deal with ease this offseason.

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Poll: What’s your confidence rating in Jags’ QB situation?

In a 2019 season in which didn’t go how Jacksonville Jaguars fans had hoped, they at least received a pleasant surprise at the most important position on the field. As a result of a collarbone injury to Nick Foles, sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew …

In a 2019 season in which didn’t go how Jacksonville Jaguars fans had hoped, they at least received a pleasant surprise at the most important position on the field. As a result of a collarbone injury to Nick Foles, sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew II had to come in and start in 12 games for the team and was able to acquire a 6-6 record in the process.

Fast-forward to present day and it appears Minshew’s intriguing season was enough to earn him and open competition to be crowned the starter in 2020. However, that also means it’s a possibility that Nick Foles could start, but ultimately, fans will have to wait until some point between the team’s return from the offseason and the start of the regular season to find out.

Many would argue that the job should be Minshew’s because Foles’ résumé isn’t overly impressive when asked to be a full-time starter. Ultimately, the rookie finished the 2019 season 285-of-470 (60.6%) for 3,271 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and six picks. A strong argument could be made that his campaign was the strongest of any rookie quarterback in the 2019 class as he threw for more touchdowns than Arizona’s Kyler Murray (21 to 20) and had a higher passer rating (91.2 to 84.7).

Despite that success, it’s worth mentioning that Minshew had some concerning outings against teams like the New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans (second game), and a few others where he was kept in the pocket and struggled as a result. Some fans still are iffy on his arm strength, too, and feel there are better overall prospects in the draft.

Foles, on the other hand, registered four starts and was 77-of-117 (65.8%) on the season for 736 yards and three touchdowns. He returned from his collarbone injury Week 11, but could never gain any momentum after sitting the first two quarters of the season out.

Simply put, some fans thought he came into Jacksonville as a career backup, and with the team firing the man who knew him the best in coordinator John DeFilippo, they aren’t high on him bouncing back in 2020.

The organization has continually banged the drum of having two good quarterbacks, but some fans would argue the uncertainty at the position isn’t necessarily a good thing. That’s exactly why we came up with a new poll to see where a majority of the fanbase’s thoughts are when it comes to the Jags’ quarterback situation.

Below we’ve provided a ratings poll from one to five, with five obviously being very confident and one being the exact opposite. Feel free to give us your feedback and pass the poll along, as it appears the Jags may feel the answer at quarterback is currently on the roster.

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CBS slots Jags at No. 27 spot of power rankings

Occasional Jags radio analyst Pete Prisco slotted the team at the No. 27 spot of his power rankings, which is actually better than others.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2019 season was one in which was hard to watch and fans actually rejoiced its end. They only bested their win total from 2018 by just one win with a 6-10 record, well below their expectations.

Someone who watched them extensively throughout the process was CBS Sports and occasional Jags radio analyst Pete Prisco, who recently released his post-Super Bowl power rankings with the Jags slotted at the No. 27 spot.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars

Even after the bad showing last season, coach Doug Marrone is back. They have a new offensive coordinator in Jay Gruden, who has to decide on Gardner Minshew or Nick Foles as his quarterback.

The Jags named Jay Gruden to their staff last month, and as Prisco pointed out, he’ll be an important part of the Jags’ season if they are to have a turnaround. While his run with the Washington Redskins ended unimpressively, his success as on offensive coordinator certainly indicates that he can get the Jags’ offense right.

In addition to deciding on who will be the better option behind center, the Jags will need to find pieces around which ever quarterback is declared the winner. The Jags’ offensive line needs boosting, they need significant upgrades at tight end, and could use a receiver to pair with DJ Chark Jr., so Gruden will have his work cut out for him. If Gruden can overcome the Herculean task, however, the Jags could find themselves further up Prisco’s power rankings this fall.

As for the rest of the AFC South, Prisco slotted the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans at the No. 10 and No. 11 spots, respectively. The Indianapolis Colts came in behind them at the No. 20 spot.

ESPN lays out 2 free agent scenarios where Jags trade Nick Foles at a hefty price

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell lays out some domino scenarios for the Jags to trade Nick Foles while landing a starting QB.

While it looks like the Jacksonville Jaguars are gearing up for a quarterbacks competition between Gardner Minshew II and Nick Foles, others feel Foles could be traded this offseason. It’s a possibility that ESPN seemingly hasn’t ruled out either, as writer Ben Barnwell laid out some free agent domino scenarios where the Jags added a new starting quarterback and traded Foles.

Both scenarios were a result of the domino effect of Tom Brady moving on from the New England Patriots. In scenario No. 1, Brady signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as it was announced they would be moving on from Philip Rivers. In Barnwell’s scenario, this caused Rivers to sign with the Jags on a four year deal for $100 million, then dumping Foles and his salary off on the Indianapolis Colts via trade.

So on top of Rivers’ crazy contract, what did it cost to ship Foles you ask?

Well, the Jags shipped their No. 20 overall selection to the Colts to get them to eat the contract. Indy then packaged up their firsts to trade up for Tua Tagovailoa.

Simply put, there is no way the Jags would go for this. First and foremost, the only person the Jags need to be shelling out a $100 million contract to is Yannick Ngakoue, so they definitely wouldn’t burn that type of money on a struggling quarterback like Rivers.

Secondly, I could see the Jags trading Foles to their division rivals in the Colts, but definitely not at the expense of a first, second, or probably not even a third-round pick. This is something Jags Wire contributor Phil Smith and I actually discussed this week on the “Bleav in Jags Podcast.”

In the second domino scenario, Brady ended up with the Colts. That trickled into the Jags trading down with the Miami Dolphins at the expense of their 2020 first rounders and a 2021 first-rounder. The Dolphins also temporarily took Foles before the Eagles ended up back with him.

Again, this is a scenario that’s absolutely hard to see unfolding. While I haven’t completely ruled out general manager Dave Caldwell acquiring a quarterback (listen to the podcast), it’s still very unlikely. One thing that certainly won’t happen is him trading up for a quarterback at the cost of three first-rounders. Simply put, the pairing of Gardner Minshew II and Jay Gruden is intriguing and the rookie has done more than enough for Caldwell to trust him at least for the season of 2020.

Ultimately time will tell what the Jags do at quarterback, but based on Caldwell’s history, he probably won’t be giving up a ton of draft capital to do so — if at all. Their cap situation says they also won’t be paying a quarterback crazy money either, which strongly points to Minshew being their top option.

Podcast: Previewing Jags’ QBs, thoughts on McAdoo addition, and Khan’s new London comments

James and Smith preview the most important position on the Jags’ roster (quarterback) and how Ben McAdoo could help the position.

Jags Wire contributor Phil Smith and I jumped back in the recording booth for episode No. 2 of the “Bleav in Jags Podcast.”

This week we previewed the Jags’ quarterbacks as Gardner Minshew II and Nick Foles are set to battle for the No. 1 spot. We dove into their pending competition, when a starter could be named, who could be the favorite, and much more.

Afterward, we discussed the Jags addition of Ben McAdoo and the impact he could have in the quarterbacks room, whether it’s on Minshew, Foles, or both.

With the saga between Khan and the fans of the Jaguars still fresh on everyone’s minds, we also discussed his recent comments to via the Black News Channel, as he stated he wants to take the pressure off fans in Jacksonville with the games played in London.

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3 things to know about new Jags QBs coach Ben McAdoo

The Jags have a new quarterbacks coach in Ben McAdoo who has had quite an interesting career prior to signing.

The Jacksonville Jaguars filled another vacancy on their staff Tuesday night as former New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo signed to take the team’s quarterbacks coach vacancy. With the team having an unusual season behind center in 2019, McAdoo will now be charged with getting the best out of Gardner Minshew II and Nick Foles, who will battle to start this offseason.

With McAdoo being such a key hiring for the Jags, here are three things to know about the veteran assistant who will return to coaching after a few years off:

He’s been in the league for 16 years

McAdoo initially entered the NFL as a quality controls coach in 2004 with the New Orleans Saints and has worked his way up the ranks. It was there where he met and was interviewed by current Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who he followed to San Francisco and Green Bay (where McCarthy became a head coach).

While in Green Bay as a tight ends coach (2006–11) and a quarterbacks coach (2012–13), McAdoo saw the Packers have great success including a victory in Super Bowl XLV and numerous playoff runs. However, his biggest achievement was getting to coach Aaron Rodgers for two years, who he grew a solid bond with (which we’ll bring up later).

McAdoo’s last stop before Jacksonville was with the Giants where he got his first crack at being an offensive coordinator (2014-15). In just his second year with the role, he propelled the Giants to having the sixth-highest-scoring offense in the NFL. Eli Manning also had career highs in passing attempts, completions, and touchdowns that season.

Of course, that led to the Giants promoting him to their head coaching role in 2017. Initially, he was able to have some success in his first season by aiding the team to their first playoff berth since 2011. Unfortunately after that, the wheels fell off in 2018 and he was fired but there are certainly some good achievements on his résumé.

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Minshew, Foles, and Fournette all given same odds to win MVP in 2020

Three Jags on the offensive end currently have 150/1 odds to win MVP, which means a lot of work needs to be done for the team.

According to BetMGM, even the Jacksonville Jaguars’ top stars will be longshots to win the MVP award in 2020. Whether it’s quarterbacks Nick Foles or Gardner Minshew II or running back Leonard Fournette, all three were given the same exact odds of 150/1, which are the same figures future rookie selections Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert received.

After two consecutive disappointing seasons, it isn’t exactly shocking to see each of the Jags’ top stars with such low odds because the Jags have a lot of work to do around them to become postseason contenders. Both Minshew and Foles will have a battle to start this offseason, but even when that is decided, they’ll need upgrades on the offensive line, at tight end, and at receiver. The Jags’ offensive line woes also apply to Leonard Fournette as well.

As for those who topped the list, Patrick Mahomes came in with the best odds to win the annual award, with odds of 4/1. Behind him were quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson, who had odds of 5/1 and 6/1, respectively.

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Gardner Minshew talks about how Jags made him comfortable in his first start

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II had arguably the best rookie campaign of any first-year quarterback from the 2019 class and a lot of his success came early in the season. Most (including himself) weren’t expecting him to have to …

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II had arguably the best rookie campaign of any first-year quarterback from the 2019 class and a lot of his success came early in the season. Most (including himself) weren’t expecting him to have to start Week 1 of the regular season, and it was even more shocking to see the success he had in his early stages.

In a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Minshew explained just how he put together his impressive Week 1 performance where he went 22-of-25 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He also elaborated on why he was to be successful beyond that point and it simply was due to the support of the staff around him.

“So, going in I didn’t have any reps with the first-team but I had some great people around me coaches-wise,” Minshew said. And then Nick [Foles] [helped tremendously], being able to watch him and how he prepared. In the first game, Nick goes down and I was going over [the plan] with my quarterbacks coach [Scott Milanovich] and he says, ‘All right, circle all the plays you like.’

“I feel like I was really put in a position to succeed by those guys and I cannot be more grateful for the people around me.”

While the Jags’ staff received a lot of criticism, the offensive staff actually deserves the least amount of blame because of the hand they were dealt during the first half of the season. However, John DeFilippo was still fired while Scott Milanvich took a job to be the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.

Minshew’s ability to catch on fast was something fans praised him for in the early stages of his NFL career, and with a new offensive coordinator coming into the mix in Jay Gruden, it appears he has the ability to make another quick transition. If he can make that transition, it’s hard to imagine that veteran Nick Foles could win his job back after a season where Minshew flashed multiple times and finished on a high note.

NFL.com gives Jags an A- for 2019 draft class in season review

In a year where a lot didn’t go right for the Jacksonville Jaguars, many would agree that the team’s 2020 draft class did their part. Count NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice amongst those who were impressed with the group as he gave the Jags’ class an A- in …

In a year where a lot didn’t go right for the Jacksonville Jaguars, many would agree that the team’s 2020 draft class did their part. Count NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice amongst those who were impressed with the group as he gave the Jags’ class an A- in his recent review of the league’s draft classes.

A big reason for praising the class, of course, was the impact of rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II, who went 6-6 as a starter.

Let’s start with the most interesting development in an otherwise-forgettable Jaguars season: MINSHEW MANIA!! OK, I won’t go completelyoverboard here, because let’s be honest: At least some of the allure had to do with the mustache and the headband and the distinct je ne sais quoi that tickled the average football watcher’s fancy. That said, the Jock Strap Kingposted a 21:6 TD-to-INT ratio and went 6-6 as a rookie starter for a team that finished the season at 6-10. Fumbles were an issue, but overall, he clearly outplayed prized free-agent signee Nick Foles.

As many would imagine, Filice also praise the performance of the Jags’ first-round selection, Josh Allen, as he lead all rookies in sacks in 2019 with 10.5.

Five rounds and 171 picks prior, the Jags had Allen fall right into their lap, and the no-brainer selection paid off in a major way, racking up 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Resident draft guru Daniel Jeremiah ranked Allen as his No. 5 overall rookie (second on defense, behind only Nick Bosa) and offered this enticing appraisal: “He has the potential to eventually lead the league in sacks.”

Without a doubt, the Jags got two of the most productive rookies in the whole 2020 class between Minshew and Allen, but when you add in the fact that right tackle Jawaan Taylor was the only rookie in the league to play 100% of his snaps, it’s hard not to have hope about the future production of the roster.

In his review, Filice looked ahead to the needs of the Jags heading forward. He stated what many have echoed and that’s the fact that the Jags need to pay Yannick Ngakoue and deemed Marcell Dareus as a player who could be released or restructured to make the cap space for Ngakoue’s deal. He added that Calais Campbell was in the same boat as well as cornerback A.J. Bouye.

Of the three, I believe Campbell, who is the heart and soul of the defense is the most likely to stay. Releasing Dareus, which I feel is likely, would be a tremendous relief off the cap as he’d free up over $20 million.

Bouye on the other hand may have a 50-50 shot to stay or be released. He’d free up over $10 million if released. His fate could boil down to whether or not he wants to restructure, and if he doesn’t, the Jags may look in the draft for an answer.