The Jaguars say they’re happy with Gardner Minshew – that’s he’s going to be their starting quarterback. Whether they still feel that way when they’re on the clock with the 9th pick on Thursday remains to be seen. But I have looked at Minshew, and I like the way things are shaping up for him.
He played pretty well as a rookie. He went 6-6 as starter, with 18 TDs and only 4 interceptions in those games. He was surprisingly nimble as a scrambler, buying time to make throws. And he finished with a 91.2 passer rating – higher than any of the quarterbacks selected in the first round.
He’s also got Jay Gruden coming in to be his offensive coordinator, and Gruden has had some success putting together offenses. Not so much in 2018, with the failed Alex Smith experiment, but earlier in his career. When Gruden was an offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, he got 33 TDs out of Andy Dalton one year. He got three good seasons out of Kirk Cousins.
At the start of last year, Case Keenum had 300-yard games against the Eagles and Bears. Gruden tends to favor the pass.
Put it this way. Over the last nine years, starting quarterbacks have averaged about 20.0 points per game (using standard fantasy scoring). Gruden has put 132 quarterbacks onto the field for NFL games. Exactly half of those guys have put up above-average fantasy numbers.
I’m not drafting Minshew to be my starter, and I’m not hoping to get him as my backup. But to me, in a typical 12-team league, it makes sense that he should be a backup on one of the 12 teams.
JAY GRUDEN'S STARTING QUARTERBACKS | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starter | Year | Opp | Score | Pass | TD | Run | TDR | Pts |
Dalton | 2011 | @CLE | W 27-17 | 81 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 |
Dalton | 2011 | @DEN | L 22-24 | 332 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 24.9 |
Dalton | 2011 | SFO | L 8-13 | 157 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8.4 |
Dalton | 2011 | BUF | W 23-20 | 298 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 26.1 |
Dalton | 2011 | @JAX | W 30-20 | 179 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 |
Dalton | 2011 | IND | W 27-17 | 264 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 17.1 |
Dalton | 2011 | @SEA | W 34-12 | 168 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 16.7 |
Dalton | 2011 | @TEN | W 24-17 | 217 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 23.3 |
Dalton | 2011 | PIT | L 17-24 | 170 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16.5 |
Dalton | 2011 | @BAL | L 24-31 | 373 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 25.9 |
Dalton | 2011 | CLE | W 23-20 | 270 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 19.8 |
Dalton | 2011 | @PIT | L 7-35 | 135 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 11.4 |
Dalton | 2011 | HOU | L 19-20 | 189 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13.7 |
Dalton | 2011 | @STL | W 20-13 | 179 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 8.8 |
Dalton | 2011 | ARI | W 23-16 | 154 | 2 | 48 | 0 | 20.5 |
Dalton | 2011 | BAL | L 16-24 | 232 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 13.3 |
Dalton | 2012 | @BAL | L 13-44 | 221 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 12.2 |
Dalton | 2012 | CLE | W 34-27 | 318 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 28.3 |
Dalton | 2012 | @WAS | W 38-31 | 328 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 30.0 |
Dalton | 2012 | @JAX | W 27-10 | 244 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 26.7 |
Dalton | 2012 | MIA | L 13-17 | 234 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 17.8 |
Dalton | 2012 | @CLE | L 24-34 | 381 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 31.6 |
Dalton | 2012 | PIT | L 17-24 | 105 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 9.2 |
Dalton | 2012 | DEN | L 23-31 | 299 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 20.6 |
Dalton | 2012 | NYG | W 31-13 | 199 | 4 | -2 | 0 | 25.8 |
Dalton | 2012 | @KAN | W 28-6 | 230 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 26.8 |
Dalton | 2012 | OAK | W 34-10 | 210 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 23.0 |
Dalton | 2012 | @SDG | W 20-13 | 211 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 21.1 |
Dalton | 2012 | DAL | L 19-20 | 206 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14.3 |
Dalton | 2012 | @PHI | W 34-13 | 127 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 18.2 |
Dalton | 2012 | @PIT | W 13-10 | 278 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.9 |
Dalton | 2012 | BAL | W 23-17 | 78 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8.3 |
Dalton | 2013 | @CHI | L 21-24 | 282 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 22.3 |
Dalton | 2013 | PIT | W 20-10 | 280 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 19.0 |
Dalton | 2013 | GNB | W 34-30 | 235 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 20.1 |
Dalton | 2013 | @CLE | L 6-17 | 206 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 11.6 |
Dalton | 2013 | NWE | W 13-6 | 212 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 13.1 |
Dalton | 2013 | @BUF | W 27-24 | 337 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 30.6 |
Dalton | 2013 | @DET | W 27-24 | 372 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 31.2 |
Dalton | 2013 | NYJ | W 49-9 | 325 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 36.3 |
Dalton | 2013 | @MIA | L 20-22 | 338 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 18.1 |
Dalton | 2013 | @BAL | L 17-20 | 274 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 23.9 |
Dalton | 2013 | CLE | W 41-20 | 93 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16.7 |
Dalton | 2013 | @SDG | W 17-10 | 190 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 14.4 |
Dalton | 2013 | IND | W 42-28 | 275 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 32.9 |
Dalton | 2013 | @PIT | L 20-30 | 230 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 21.5 |
Dalton | 2013 | MIN | W 42-14 | 363 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 35.2 |
Dalton | 2013 | BAL | W 34-17 | 281 | 2 | 23 | 1 | 30.4 |
Griffin | 2014 | @HOU | L 6-17 | 267 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13.6 |
Griffin | 2014 | JAX | W 41-10 | 38 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 4.1 |
Cousins | 2014 | @PHI | L 34-37 | 427 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 33.9 |
Cousins | 2014 | NYG | L 14-45 | 257 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 18.1 |
Cousins | 2014 | SEA | L 17-27 | 283 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 22.6 |
Cousins | 2014 | @ARI | L 20-30 | 354 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 25.7 |
Cousins | 2014 | TEN | W 19-17 | 139 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 |
McCoy | 2014 | @DAL | W 20-17 | 299 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 22.6 |
Griffin | 2014 | @MIN | L 26-29 | 251 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 19.0 |
Griffin | 2014 | TAM | L 7-27 | 207 | 1 | 41 | 0 | 18.5 |
Griffin | 2014 | @SFO | L 13-17 | 106 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 6.4 |
McCoy | 2014 | @IND | L 27-49 | 392 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 32.8 |
McCoy | 2014 | STL | L 0-24 | 199 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11.1 |
McCoy | 2014 | @NYG | L 13-24 | 39 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 4.4 |
Griffin | 2014 | PHI | W 27-24 | 220 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 12.1 |
Griffin | 2014 | DAL | L 17-44 | 336 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 28.7 |
Cousins | 2015 | MIA | L 10-17 | 196 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 13.7 |
Cousins | 2015 | STL | W 24-10 | 203 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14.2 |
Cousins | 2015 | @NYG | L 21-32 | 316 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19.8 |
Cousins | 2015 | PHI | W 23-20 | 290 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24.6 |
Cousins | 2015 | @ATL | L 19-25 | 219 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15.1 |
Cousins | 2015 | @NYJ | L 20-34 | 196 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13.9 |
Cousins | 2015 | TAM | W 31-30 | 317 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 35.4 |
Cousins | 2015 | @NWE | L 10-27 | 217 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14.9 |
Cousins | 2015 | NOR | W 47-14 | 324 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 32.2 |
Cousins | 2015 | @CAR | L 16-44 | 207 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 14.8 |
Cousins | 2015 | NYG | W 20-14 | 302 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 25.2 |
Cousins | 2015 | DAL | L 16-19 | 219 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 15.6 |
Cousins | 2015 | @CHI | W 24-21 | 300 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 26.3 |
Cousins | 2015 | BUF | W 35-25 | 319 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 39.1 |
Cousins | 2015 | @PHI | W 38-24 | 365 | 4 | -4 | 0 | 33.9 |
Cousins | 2015 | @DAL | W 34-23 | 176 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20.8 |
Cousins | 2016 | PIT | L 16-38 | 329 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 17.3 |
Cousins | 2016 | DAL | L 23-27 | 364 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 24.2 |
Cousins | 2016 | @NYG | W 29-27 | 296 | 2 | -5 | 0 | 22.3 |
Cousins | 2016 | CLE | W 31-20 | 183 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21.2 |
Cousins | 2016 | @BAL | W 16-10 | 260 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 16.9 |
Cousins | 2016 | PHI | W 27-20 | 263 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 22.0 |
Cousins | 2016 | @DET | L 17-20 | 301 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 26.6 |
Cousins | 2016 | @CIN | T 27-27 | 458 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 30.8 |
Cousins | 2016 | MIN | W 26-20 | 262 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 21.0 |
Cousins | 2016 | GNB | W 42-24 | 375 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 31.2 |
Cousins | 2016 | @DAL | L 26-31 | 449 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 34.7 |
Cousins | 2016 | @ARI | L 23-31 | 271 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23.6 |
Cousins | 2016 | @PHI | W 27-22 | 234 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 20.3 |
Cousins | 2016 | CAR | L 15-26 | 315 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 16.9 |
Cousins | 2016 | @CHI | W 41-21 | 270 | 1 | 30 | 2 | 32.5 |
Cousins | 2016 | NYG | L 10-19 | 287 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18.4 |
Cousins | 2017 | PHI | L 17-30 | 240 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 19.0 |
Cousins | 2017 | @LAR | W 27-20 | 179 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 13.7 |
Cousins | 2017 | OAK | W 27-10 | 365 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 30.5 |
Cousins | 2017 | @KAN | L 20-29 | 220 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 22.8 |
Cousins | 2017 | SFO | W 26-24 | 330 | 2 | 26 | 1 | 33.1 |
Cousins | 2017 | @PHI | L 24-34 | 303 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 29.0 |
Cousins | 2017 | DAL | L 19-33 | 263 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17.2 |
Cousins | 2017 | @SEA | W 17-14 | 247 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12.8 |
Cousins | 2017 | MIN | L 30-38 | 327 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 32.9 |
Cousins | 2017 | @NOR | L 31-34 | 322 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 29.2 |
Cousins | 2017 | NYG | W 20-10 | 242 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 20.5 |
Cousins | 2017 | @DAL | L 14-38 | 251 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 21.2 |
Cousins | 2017 | @LAC | L 13-30 | 151 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 12.4 |
Cousins | 2017 | ARI | W 20-15 | 196 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17.8 |
Cousins | 2017 | DEN | W 27-11 | 299 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 27.8 |
Cousins | 2017 | @NYG | L 10-18 | 158 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 15.1 |
A.Smith | 2018 | @ARI | W 24-6 | 255 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 22.2 |
A.Smith | 2018 | IND | L 9-21 | 292 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 16.0 |
A.Smith | 2018 | GNB | W 31-17 | 220 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 21.0 |
A.Smith | 2018 | @NOR | L 19-43 | 275 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 20.5 |
A.Smith | 2018 | CAR | W 23-17 | 163 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 17.5 |
A.Smith | 2018 | DAL | W 20-17 | 178 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 14.5 |
A.Smith | 2018 | @NYG | W 20-13 | 178 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 14.2 |
A.Smith | 2018 | ATL | L 14-38 | 306 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 21.5 |
A.Smith | 2018 | @TAM | W 16-3 | 178 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 14.5 |
A.Smith | 2018 | HOU | L 21-23 | 135 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 10.1 |
McCoy | 2018 | @DAL | L 23-31 | 268 | 2 | 28 | 0 | 24.2 |
McCoy | 2018 | @PHI | L 13-28 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 |
Sanchez | 2018 | NYG | L 16-40 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 |
J.Johnson | 2018 | @JAX | W 16-13 | 151 | 1 | 49 | 0 | 16.5 |
J.Johnson | 2018 | @TEN | L 16-25 | 153 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 13.9 |
J.Johnson | 2018 | PHI | L 0-24 | 91 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5.0 |
Keenum | 2019 | @PHI | L 27-32 | 380 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 31.0 |
Keenum | 2019 | DAL | L 21-31 | 221 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 19.0 |
Keenum | 2019 | CHI | L 15-31 | 332 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 24.9 |
Keenum | 2019 | @NYG | L 3-24 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 |
—Ian Allan