The Jacksonville Jaguars enter the 2013 offseason with a number of questions on the roster as well as new head coach and general manager after finishing tied with the worst record in the league last season.
The team started off with second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert, but was forced to go to backup Chad Henne when he was hurt during the season. The team ranked 21st in the league in passing with just 213 yards per game and Henne passed for 2,084 yards and 11 touchdowns. Gabbert plated in 10 games last season and passed for 1,662 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Jaguars have a new head coach in Gus Bradley and after the disappointing offensive season, the team could bring in a veteran quarterback or two to compete for the starting job next season, including recently-released Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. If the Jaguars brought in Fitzpatrick he would be a distinct upgrade over both Henne and Gabbert based on how they played last year and although the Bills had a down season, the Jaguars have been worse.
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Fitzpatrick passed for 3,400 yards, 24 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season while completing over 60 percent of his passes. The team had some playmakers in Stevie Johnson and CJ Spiller, but the team couldn't play consistently all season. Fitzpatrick signed a six-year, $59 million extension with the Bills after leading them to a 5-2 record to start the 2011 season, but he never lived up to the deal.
The plans of general manager Buddy Nix were accidentally revealed by a prank when two 20-year-olds set up a conference call between the Bills GM and Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik and released it to Deadspin.com. On the call, Nix spoke about how Fitzpatrick was not playing up to his contract and while he didn't say that he was going to release him, Nix mentioned that he likely would be playing for a backup position in 2013.
The team has a few options if they want to sign a free agent to help hold things over, including names like Drew Stanton or Brady Quinn. Fitzpatrick could be an excellent short-term option for the team if the decide to draft a quarterback like Geno Smith, Matt Barkley or Ryan Nassib. There is a chance the Bills could try to trade up for the second pick, which would allow the Jaguars to get some picks to add depth.
Although the team has not expressed any interest in acquiring Tim Tebow, there is a chance that could change down the line, as the Jets would like to trade him before the season starts now that they have brought in David Garrard to compete with Mark Sanchez. The Jaguars are be in desperate need of some excitement with the team after going just 2-14 and losing 13 of the final 14 games of the season. Since Tebow is from the city, he could bring back a fan base that has been lacking.
Tebow was underused in New York last season, but was effective when he was on the field, rushing for 102 yards and completing six-of-eight passes. He did not score a touchdown and he was passed over for Greg McElroy when Sanchez was benched. Matt Cassel could also be an option now that he has been released by the chiefs, as his contract will be gone and he could sign again on the cheap.