Silver Lining Folesbook?

If reports are true, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be signing Nick Foles to replace Blake Bortles as their starting quarterback. For those of you pining for Blake to backup Foles, the dream has died. Frankly, you confused a dream and a nightmare. Worse for many others, the future led by Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins surely has no place in Jaguars history.

No! Do not postulate Foles mentoring Haskins! If there is a universe where the Jaguars sign Foles and draft Haskins, then Rick and Morty is more fact than fiction.

Not surprisingly Twitter was the best place to hang out when the news broke. The gap between joy and disdain was wide, and those sides expressed their dissatisfaction with intent and passion. Is Nick Foles the answer to a position mismanaged for close to 20 years? Or is he an impulse buy from a leadership falsely committed to 2017 as the rule and not the exception?

At his age, and with his lack of actual starting experience, there is good reason to see this move as desperate. The future is in the draft. Sign Tyrod Taylor and accept your lot in life. On the other hand, he suffered under a Jeff Fisher thumb that hampered his progress, and when given the opportunity to lead he brought a trophy to Philadelphia.

Where will you sit?

Full disclosure, I am indifferent. The argument that 50 million for four years guaranteed is excessive and irresponsible is not contested, but I tend to evaluate the ROI after the performance. By that statement I obviously side with the decision to sign him as reasonable, at least from a talent perspective. This is why I refuse to gnash my teeth and band the drum of doom. Foles is coming, the defense is talented, and if Nick could elevate the Eagles to a Super Bowl win then something is there.

But historically, this is what I do. I did it with Blake. I did it with David Garrard. I did it less with Byron Leftwich, but I still did it. When you give me a quarterback I overly support him, and I look for every bit of silver lining I can find.

Bortles is the perfect example. He was my guy during the draft, and when the Jaguars grabbed him I was convinced the dark run was over. In the midst of his three years as Garbage Time Blake I pimped every bit of good press I could find, focused on any bit of progress, and hoped the pressure changed the coal. All the while knowing his ceiling was lower than his floor.

I will be the fan that grinds on the likes of AIM_HIGH and John Shipley because I am a fan. And I love those two because they balance me out, and I thrive on a counterargument to whatever they throw out. Especially if it can be funny.

Sadly, this is our reality. This quarterback divide. This debate that others take much more seriously than I do. The real fear that this team cannot keep the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Yannick Ngakoue, and Myles Jack because of the Foles price tag. That the quarterback position will be ignored in the draft once again, and we will be left with another mind boggling quarterback signing. Juxtapose that against the pure optimism that Jacksonville fields an actual winner at the position. Someone who, in spite of his statistics being very close to Blake’s, makes quick decisions, throws a beautiful spiral, and has the leadership qualities to actually elevate those around him.

Look for me on the sunny side of life. Doing my best to give you the best Foles possible. Even though I really wanted Haskins, my heart is completely Silver Lining Folesbook until it is not. What do you want? The man beat Tom Brady. He has solid hands lining up in the slot. He is Tim Tebow with a tight spiral. More to come. Why overreact before you even know what weapons Foles will have?

Here is our world. From what precipice will we view it?

No one wants to be here, especially after being minutes from a Super Bowl, but 2018 happened. The reality is overpaying for a quarterback, and then dealing with this existential crisis of an unknowing and unforgiving team, all we can do is make a choice. As a fan base, we are once again pitted against each other with respect to our signal caller. You will either need a sense of humor or thick skin.

Or both.