Niner Noise
FanSided

5 NFL teams likely in the market for a new quarterback in 2019

By Peter Panacy

BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals throws the ball in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals throws the ball in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Blake Bortles #5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts in the fourth quarter during the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Blake Bortles #5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts in the fourth quarter during the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Jacksonville Jaguars

Projected 2018 Starter: Blake Bortles

It’s anyone’s guess why the Jacksonville Jaguars inked quarterback Blake Bortles to a three-year contract extension this offseason.

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Sure, Bortles finished 2017 with numbers second only to his career-high marks in 2015. But that was only after the Jaguars realized they’d be a run-first, defense-heavy squad last season. And that approach, not Bortles, was the reason Jacksonville finished 10-6 and pushed deep into the playoffs.

Armed with a talented cast of contributors on both sides of the ball, one could make the argument Bortles holds this team back from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Plus, it’s common elite defensive units are tough to keep together for an extended period of time. And with just over $20 million in cap space heading into 2018, it’s easy to see why this will be a problem in a couple of years.

Unless Bortles suddenly starts to thrive — there’s little reason to believe he will — this upcoming season, the Jaguars should strongly explore finding a long-term replacement to take over in 2020.

That means using the 2019 NFL Draft as a means to find a younger, cheaper option with a far greater ceiling.