5 questions heading into Jaguars training camp

Veteran players for the Jacksonville Jaguars report to EverBank Field officially on Thursday, though many of them have already been there. That means that training camp is less than 24 hours away, kicking off Friday morning at 9:55 at the Florida Blue Practice fields.

Here are five questions that should be answered through the course of training camp:

How close to ready is Blake Bortles?

Alfie: At the forefront of training camp is going to be the competition between Blake Bortles and Chad Henne at the quarterback position, no matter what Gus Bradley and Dave Caldwell say publicly. The team contends Henne is going to be the starter this year and I'd lean towards that being the case, but where Bortles is at in his development is still going to be the biggest story of training camp.

Chaps: I have no idea.

Is Luke Joeckel healthy and ready for the LT position?

Alfie: We all assume Luke Jockel will slot right into the left tackle position and be just fine, but in reality we have no idea. He performed well for the few snaps he played against the St. Louis Rams after the Eugene Monroe trade, but outside of that he was still getting his legs under him at right tackle with some up-and-down performances. Health wise, all accounts are that Joeckel is 100 percent and ready to go, but for all intents and purposes he's a rookie at the left tackle position all over again.

Chaps: Maybe.

Was Andre Branch's improvement last season real or smoke and mirrors?

Alfie: Branch has been a big point of discussion among Jaguars fans, mainly about where exactly he's at in his development. There are fans, like myself, who aren't just yet buying his six sack performance last season after examining how they came compared to his ability to put pressure on the quarterback. Others think he's turning that proverbial corner in his development and should continue to be a factor rushing the passer this season, albeit backing up Chris Clemons.

Chaps: Andre is now my second favorite player on the team. His #WindmillWisdom posts have changed my life. I hope that he absolutely explodes and becomes a dynamic player. Overall, I think he will still kind of suck though.

Who starts at center and right guard?

Alfie: The offensive line overall for the Jaguars has a lot of potential, but it's a big unknown. The two biggest question marks are at the center position and right guard position. We think that Michael Brewster and Brandon Linder will walk away with the starting jobs there, but that's hardly set in stone. There are guys like Jacques McClendon, Luke Bowanko and Drew Nowak who can push the others for jobs.

Chaps: I cant believe how dumb some of the comments were in that Tony Dungy post.

Is the offense going to actually have the ability to score points?

Alfie: The Jaguars sucked at putting points on the board last season, point blank. It was a massive issue last season and something that needs to be fixed. The team added a new running back, brought back a tight end in Clay Harbor who showed some ability and drafted two receivers in the second round. There are pieces in place now to at least threaten at times offensively, but we'll need to see it before it's to be believed.

Chaps: Yes. Im excited to watch a team that might be average for the league. That will be super fun.