3 Observations on the Jaguars' Signing of C.J. Beathard
There is a new signal-caller at TIAA Bank Field, and we aren't talking about Trevor Lawrence (yet).
The Jacksonville Jaguars officially signed former San Francisco 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard on Wednesday, giving them a veteran arm to add to a quarterback room that to this point was filled with youthful passers.
What does the signing of the former third-round pick mean for the Jaguars and their current direction? We attempt to digest the news and break it down here.
C.J. Beathard should threaten Jake Luton's roster spot more than anyone else's
It is hard to imagine that C.J. Beathard would provide much competition for Gardner Minshew II if both were on the roster entering training camp. While Beathard is older and has been in the NFL longer, Minshew has more in-game experience at the NFL level and has been decisively better than Beathard when comparing the production between the pair.
With that said, Beathard's signing could spell bad news for Jake Luton in the event Minshew makes it to camp without being traded. It isn't too far out there to envision the Jaguars keeping three quarterbacks on the active roster, and Beathard's experience and veteran arm would likely give him an edge over Luton, whose NFL high points don't quite match Minshew's. Luton's spot should be safe if Minshew is traded and no other moves are made, but it is tough to see him cracking the 53-man roster if camp was starting tomorrow.
Like last year with Mike Glennon, it was important the Jaguars entered 2021 with at least one veteran passer
It didn't matter if it was Alex Smith, Geno Smith, Tyrod Taylor, whoever. Just like the Jaguars needed to not walk away from the 2020 offseason without at least one veteran passer in their quarterback room, it was important for the Jaguars to once again find a seasoned NFL signal-caller this March. For as qualified and experienced Minshew is, it is always key to surround young passers with as many veteran passers as possible who can be in their ear as they develop.
Adding Beathard is a bit close to not fulfilling that need since he has spent just four years in the NFL, a minimal amount of time compared to other free agent quarterbacks on the market. But ultimately, Beathard is now the elder quarterback in the Jaguars room, which at least fulfills the goal of signing a quarterback with more experience than the third-year Minshew.
This move could provide the Jaguars with flexibility when it comes to Gardner Minshew
I am not fully convinced this type of move signals a Minshew trade is imminent, but it would make more sense for the Jaguars to move Minshew now than it would have a week ago. Say the Jaguars traded Minshew before today, their current backup to Trevor Lawrence would be Luton. Luton hasn't shown the ability to be a dependable backup and he is hardly more experienced than Lawrence.
Now, though, the Jaguars could be free to move Minshew without many questions about the backup quarterback spot. Minshew is a better quarterback than Beathard but Beathard is also someone who has spent a lot of time as a backup and has seen NFL action -- more action than Luton has seen, at the very least. While the Jaguars shouldn't be quick to trade Minshew just because they signed Beathard, they now at least have some flexibility.
