NFL Breakout Quarterbacks for 2017

By:Darrell Owens

Jameis Winston

Jameis Winston has been through many trials and tribulations in his very young football career. Before becoming the 1st Pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, Winston faced multiple scandals including a Rape Charge/Lawsuit and the “Crab Legs Incident” while at Florida State University, but despite all of the negative attention, Jameis still found a way to be a tremendous leader for the Seminoles, leading FSU to a National Championship in 2015 and winning the Heisman Trophy in the process. Since being drafted, Winston has taken his leadership skills to the next level. Former teammate, Cecil Shorts III once said about Winston leadership

“You always want to play for a quarterback like that. At a young age like that, to be a leader and stand up like that…he’s a born leader.”

Winston is now entering his 3rd Season in the NFL and is prime to breakout this year. After posting back to back 4,000 yard seasons, 50 combined touchdowns and a QB Rating of 85.2, I believe Jameis will be in the MVP conversion this year. With all the new weapons that he has on the offensive side of the ball (DeSean Jackson & OJ Howard) to name a couple, there is no reason why Jameis Winston won’t have his best year yet!

Winston’s 2017 Prediction: 4,437yards… 36TD 14INT

Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott is coming of a very impressive rookie year in 2016, where he put up some great numbers…3,667yds 23TD’s 4INT and QB Rating 104.9, which was 3rd in the league beating out the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Dak didn’t come into last preseason as the starter, but after Tony Romo went down due to injuries, Dak got his opportunity and he never let it go. Prescott would lead the Cowboys to a 13-3 season and the #1 seed in the NFC. Despite the tough loss to Packers in the Divisional Round last season, Prescott was outstanding, 24 for 38…302 yards passing 3TD’s & 1INT. Dak goes into this season with tons of expectations. Being the quarterback for “America’s Team” isn’t the easiest thing in world, just ask Tony Romo, but Prescott has a calm & coolness to him that I can only compare to Russell Wilson. Just like Wilson, I don’t see Dak having a sophomore slump, I believe he will thrive.

Prescott’s 2017 Prediction: 4,178yards… 31 TD’s 7 INT’s

 

Tyrod Taylor

Tyrod Taylor has one of the biggest task to achieve out of anyone on my list…How can he end the streak?! The Buffalo Bills have not been to the playoffs since 1999. I was a freshman in high school and as a kid growing up, I was accustom to seeing the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. With Hall of Famer’s Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed & Bruce Smith lead the way, the Bills were one of the AFC’s most dominating teams in the 90s. The Buffalo Bills have had many QB’s come in to play for this team… Doug Flutie, Rob Johnson & Drew Bledsoe just to name a few, but for the first time this century, they have someone who I believe is ready to take the Buffalo back to the playoffs. Taylor has had 2 solid years as the starter for the Bills, over 6,000 yards passing, 37 TD’s & 12 INT’s. Taylor does a solid job of taking care of the football and Buffalo needs that stability at the QB position. I believe this will be the best year of Tyrod’s career & that he will sooner, rather than later, lead the Bills back to the playoffs.

Taylor’s 2017 Prediction: 3,644 yards 27TD 7INT

Marcus Mariota

Former Heisman Trophy winner, Marcus Mariota was the #2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and has definitely lived up to the hype. Mariota followed up his great rookie season with an equally impressive sophomore season, but a fracture fibula ended his season a game early. Marcus was well on his way to another 3,000 yard season before the injury and possibly leading the Tennessee Titans to the playoffs. This year, Mariota has a chance to really take the NFL by storm. With the additions of Cory Davis, rookie from Western Michigan & Eric Decker, Former Pro Bowler at WR, they also have two-headed monster at running back…Demarco Murray and Derrick Henry, another former Heisman Trophy winner. With all the talent on the offense of side of the ball and a solid defense lead by Brian Orakpo, the sky is the limit.

Mariota’s 2017 Prediction: 4,099 yards 35 TD’s 13 INT’s

Mike Glennon

Mike Glennon is finally getting his opportunity to go into a season as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Now you may remember back in 2013, when Glennon was drafted, he did play a nice chunk of the season, finishing with a 4-9 record for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, totaling 19 touchdowns & only 9 interceptions. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough for Glennon to keep the starting job for the next season. Fast forward 4 years later and now Mike has a chance to lead the Chicago Bears into the 2017 season. With last year’s stud rookie running back, Jordan Howard by his side and a solid O-Line lead by Kyle Long, the only real question for Glennon’s offense will be the receiver position. The Bears brought in former New York Giant…Victor Cruz and Former Pittsburgh Steeler Markus Wheaton to help bring along the Chicago Bears receiving core and if 2015 first round pick, Kevin White can live up to his pre-draft hype, the Bears could have something special at wideout. Now, I’m not sure if Glennon having a breakout season will translate into wins for the Chicago Bears, but it definitely will be interesting to see.

Glennon’s Prediction 3,416 yards 30 TD 16 INT

Carson Wentz

The debate last year was who should the LA Rams draft with the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Jared Goff or Carson Wentz? We all know by now that the Rams decided to go with Goff, but it was Wentz who would get drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the #2 pick that would have the better season. Wentz throw for 3,782 yards 16 touchdowns & 14 interceptions last season. Carson started the season with a 4-2 record, which included winning the first 3 games of the season. With an amazing 34 to 3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, had the whole NFL buzzing about Wentz’s talent and potential. Unfortunately, over the next eight games the narrative would change, Wentz would struggle with a record of 1-7, throwing just 5 touchdowns & giving up 10 interceptions. The biggest issue for Carson during last season was the play of there wide receivers. Dropping passes became a habit for this team.
Well, the Eagles front office decided to rectify the situation by going out and signing Alshon Jeffrey from the Chicago Bears ,as well as, Torrey Smith from the San Francisco 49ers adding these two receivers with Jordan Matthews should help take Carson Wentz’s play to the next level!

Wentz Prediction: 4,248 yards 27TD 15 INT

Blake Bortles

Last, but certainly not least, the biggest wildcard on my list of quarterbacks has to be Blake Bortles. With career marks of 69 touchdowns & 51 interceptions,he hasn’t had a bad career, but has definitely not have a great career either. Bortles is entering his fourth season in the NFL and has little to show for his career so far. In 2015, Blake had a solid year 35 touchdowns & 18 interceptions. People had started to talk about the potential greatness Blake was showing, then last happen. Bortles and the Jaguars show the potential that they had in the first game of the 2016 season against the Green Bay Packers, almost pulling off the upset against Aaron Rodgers & the Pack in a 27-23 battle in Jacksonville. After that game, it seem like Jacksonville couldn’t find a way to put it all together, finishing the season with only 3 victories. Jacksonville has been drafting some of the best up-and-coming talent, asa well as, signing big free agents for years now and everybody including myself, have picked Jacksonville to turn it around for the last few seasons, but we have been burned multiple times. Now it’s 2017, and once again we asking the same questions…Can Blake Bortles & the Jacksonville Jaguars finally live up to the potential they have? I say… YES, But for all the answers we seek, we shall find out the answers soon.

Bortles Prediction: 4,305 yards 33 TD’s 16 INT’s