Blake Bortles INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 01: Blake Bortles #5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars drops back to pass during the first half of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 1, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager David Caldwell firmly believes Blake Bortles is the man that can lead the team to the promised land, despite some speculation about Bortles’ future in recent weeks.

The Jaguars GM spoke to the team’s website on Thursday, admitting he sees a bright future for Bortles and the franchise.

“I think the future is bright for him,” Caldwell said. “I have a lot of confidence in him. I know he has the makeup in terms of intelligence, competitiveness, his hard work, his effort, so if he has those things I think the rest of it will come.”

In fact, Caldwell said that he believes Bortles can lead Jacksonville to a Super Bowl, something that seems like a pipe dream at this point in time for the organization.

“I’ve said this time and time again: ‘I think we can win a lot of games with Blake; I think we can win a Super Bowl with Blake,” Caldwell said. “I think he needs to improve and I think we need to improve around him, too, in order for that to happen.”

Bortles, the third overall selection by the Jags in the 2014 NFL Draft, has had his ups and downs at the pro level. Consistency has been a huge problem for the 24-year-old, as he followed up a 35 touchdown season in 2015 with a 23 touchdown season in 2016. Bortles, struggles mixed with the team’s other personnel issues, plunged Jacksonville to a 3-13 record in a season where a playoff berth seemed like a realistic goal.

Caldwell said Bortles is ready to rebound and lead the Jags going forward in 2017 and beyond

“Here’s a guy that from a national standpoint got beat up for most of the year – some of it accurate, some of it not very accurate,” Caldwell said. “I think for the most part, he just rebounded and some of the throws that he made in the last couple of games … he’s not a guy that lacks confidence, I can tell you that much.”

There’s no doubt Bortles has the makeup to be an above-average starting quarterback in the NFL. Once Jacksonville surrounds him with the necessary talent, it will be much easier to evaluate his skill. For now, it’s hard to predict how Bortles will fair next season, even if Caldwell trusts his ability.

[Jaguars.com]

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