Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars
When “Minshew Mania” hit Jacksonville, it hit hard. Although it was hard not to appreciate Minshew’s charisma, Gardnernfl was more than just a gimmick. Last season, the Jaguars quarterback was one of the more impressive players from the draft class.
However, Minshew till has his doubters. The Jaguars are going into the season with the former 6th round pick as their leader. Many analyst are predicting the Jaguars finish with the leagues worst record, and Jacksonville drafts Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick.
While Minshew isn’t the typical franchise quarterback, to say Jacksonville needs to look for a new quarterback just isn’t fair. Minshew finished as the AFC rookie of the week seven times. However, Minshew needs to show that he is more than just a fluke.
Although Minshew did have a few fantastic games, there were some games that he struggled. Gardner needs to show that he can have those big games while minimizing those bad games. Minshew is very good at buying time, he is mobile, and usually makes smart decisions with the football. Jacksonville hired QB friendly Jay Gruden as an offensive coordinator. The Jaguars also drafted a potential playmaker in Laviska Shenault Jr.
Going into next season, it will be interesting to see if Minshew can prove to be a franchise-quarterback. If the Jaguars struggle on offense, unfortunately the blame may be placed on him. Although, he had a strong rookie season, there were flaws to his game. He doesn’t have top level arm strength. However over the offseason, he looks like he added some extra muscle. If he plays well, he will be one of the NFL’s best stories once again.