The Big Question Going Forward

Looking at the top of the 2014 NFL Draft, there is already a consensus of opinion forming in the draftnik ranks. It has the Houston Texans selecting Teddy Bridgewater 1st Overall, and the St. Louis Rams beefing up their offensive line with Jake Matthews going second. Houston needs a quarterback, and I'm sure that there will be a lot of jockeying for the 2nd pick from other teams in need. The Rams have Sam Bradford at quarterback, and they believe as I do that he can be the franchise signal caller they envisioned him to be with the first pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. They also have a pair of outstanding pass rushers in Chris Long and Robert Quinn, so even though a pick of Jadaveon Clowney added to the defense could happen at #2, I believe it will be another team making that pick with a trade. But if the Bridgewater/Matthews scenario holds, and you are the Jacksonville Jaguars, what move do you make? I brought up this in my previous blog, and if it comes to play it will be discussed for a long, long time. The Jaguars need a quarterback, but they have needed a pass rush for what seems like forever. Jacksonville was last in the NFL in sacks in 2013, and getting to the quarterback is just as important in the NFL today as having a franchise quarterback. Al Davis put it best when he once said 'The other team's quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard.' Many mock drafts are already slotting Blake Bortles from nearby Central Florida to the Jaguars. And the pick makes a lot of sense. But keep in mind that the Head Coach of Jacksonville is Gus Bradley, and he cut his NFL teeth building a nasty defense in Seattle, all the while being led on offense at quarterback by first Matt Hassleback, a veteran nearing the end of his days as a starter, then by Russell Wilson, a special talent but one that was a third round draft pick. I wonder if Bradley believes that he can catch the Wilson lightning in a bottle again. But I can see Bradley looking to piece together a defense along the lines of the one he coached in Seattle. To do so, he will need to beef up the pass rush, and I cannot see Jacksonville passing on Clowney if he is still available. The Jaguars have Chad Henne right now, and though no one is going to consider him a franchise quarterback, he did lead Jacksonville to four wins in the second half of the season, and he can steer the ship until a quarterback such as Zach Mettenberger or Tajh Boyd is ready to take the reins. This is going to be The Big Question Going Forward: Do you go for the sexy pick of quarterback at the top of the draft, or do you go for the smart pick? One thing that the history of the NFL Draft has shown us is that there is no such thing as a sure thing, but it has also shown us that the smartest drafters always benefit the most in the long run. Jacksonville was smart in 2013 with a draft that brought in Luke Joeckel, Jonathon Cyprien, Ace Sanders, and Dwayne Gratz. They would be smart again to keep building on the 2013 finish by adding Jadaveon Clowney if he is there at #3 and then to add a quarterback they can build on in Round 2.