Should the Jaguars Add to Their Quarterback Room?

What should Jacksonville do at quarterback this offseason?

Entering a crucial offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars have two starting-caliber quarterbacks in Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew. Foles was acquired via a four-year, $88 million deal in free agency off-season, while Minshew was drafted by Jacksonville in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The two had different roads to Jacksonville but landed in the same quarterback room.

After suffering a clavicle injury in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Foles missed the next eight games. In his place, Minshew went 4-4 as a starter and dazzled the league with his playmaking ability, all the way until he laid an egg vs. the Houston Texans in London in Week 9. 

Following the Texans game, the veteran Foles returned in Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts. His tenure as starter would be shortlived, though, as he was later benched for Minshew in Week 13. 

Minshew played well during his starts this season but also had bouts of inconsistency. With Foles and Minshew both representing uncertainty, hould the Jaguars look to the 2020 NFL Draft for another signal-caller? Players like Joe Burrow and Tua Tagavoiloa, for example, would be solid additions to the offense. 

With the quarterback situation still up in the air despite the minimal success, would it make sense for Jacksonville to trade up and draft a quarterback?

Foles and Minshew are two talented signal-callers that can lead the Jaguars in the right direction. Bring in the right offensive scheme and both quarterbacks could make it work. Minshew made it work with what he had in 2019, despite being a late-round rookie playing in an offense that wasn't built for him. Though Foles didn’t live up to expectations, he’s still under contract for three more years.

Drafting the next franchise quarterback in Burrow or Tagavoiloa would be the wrong move at this point. Sure, Foles didn’t play well in 2019. He was out for eight games, and when he returned, he didn’t play well. But, if the Jaguars want to win going into next season, they should stick with what they have. Give it another year to gel while adding talent to other important positions could be beneficial. 

Jacksonville’s offense was decent at times this year. Given that the offense was down due to some injuries, the unit made it work some weeks with what they were given. Bringing in a new franchise leader in 2020 really wouldn’t make sense considering the other holes Jacksonville has and the flashes the offense showed in 2019. 

Give Nick Foles at least one more shot to prove he still has what it takes to lead this franchise. If his numbers are down again next season, then maybe the front office should explore their options. But even then, Jacksonville has flexibility in 2020.

Plus, Gardner Minshew showed he can be a great leader. Maybe not the franchise quarterback, but when his name is called, he delivers. If general manager Dave Caldwell and the team want to improve, the smart move in this situation is to remain with what you have. Give your two talented quarterbacks one more year before bringing in the next potential leader of the team.

For the 2019 season, Minshew passed for 3,271 with 21 passing touchdowns and just six interceptions. To counter that, Foles’ stats were 736 yards on 77 completions with three touchdowns and two interceptions. That being said, Minshew had vastly better statistics due to Foles missing so much time. Minshew played in 14 games, starting 12, while Foles only played in four. 

Yes, trading up for a quarterback or even taking one who is falling sounds like a good idea on the surface. However, this year isn’t the time to do that. The Jaguars have other positions of need, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The front office should address those areas first before thinking about potentially releasing or trading Nick Foles to draft another signal-caller.