The preseason comes to a close as numerous teams still have position battles taking place before moving down to their respective 53-man rosters. The Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars face off on Thursday night with many positions still to be filled. While the Falcons may not have a quarterback battle on their hands, the competition on the offensive line is fierce. Meanwhile the Jaguars must decide whether starting a rookie at quarterback is worth the risk.
Jacksonville traded Blaine Gabbert in the offseason and drafted Blake Bortles in the first round. The team remained adamant that Chad Henne would be the team's starting quarterback. They aimed to use the veteran as a stop-gap option in order to let Bortles develop for a year. After dealing with the struggles and inconsistencies of Gabbert, Gus Bradley was not interested in rushing Bortles along. However, through three preseason games, it is the rookie that continues to stand out. In last week's game against the Detroit Lions, Bortles went 10 for 17 for 158 yards and touchdown. He is going everything right and could end up being the Week 1 guy.
Jacksonville is also putting together a depth chart of offensive weapons. Bradley told the media that he was hopeful running back Toby Gerhart would transition easily from backup in Minnesota to starter in Jacksonville. The running back is likely running tandem with the likes of Denard Robinson who is also trying to find his way in the Jaguars' offense. Meanwhile the wide receiver position is up for grabs. Marqise Lee has performed well so far while Cecil Shorts III is inconsistent at best.
The biggest question mark for the Falcons remains on their offensive line. With Sam Baker officially out for the season, Jake Matthews is switching to his position on the left side. That is where he played most of his college years at and was highly successful. Atlanta plans for the rookie to be a Week 1 starter. That leaves a spot open on the right. Right now, Lamar Holmes is the likely starter. He saw some action last season, but struggled most of the time. Can he step up in order to help Matt Ryan be successful?