Dede Westbrook pushing Allen Hurns out of Jacksonville?
By Jon Dove
Dede Westbrook has had a tremendous preseason and may have already forced the Jacksonville Jaguars to re-think his role.
A report by Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times Union suggests the Jacksonville Jaguars may be looking to move wide receiver Allen Hurns. He mentions the emergence of other players on the roster as one of the main reasons.
Dede Westbrook was one of those mentioned thanks to his strong preseason play. Cutting ties with Hurns would give the Jaguars a starting trio of Allen Robinson, Marquis Lee and Westbrook. This would be a solid trio if the Jaguars could find a taker for Hurns.
The issue is that Hurns is still in the early part of a big-money deal and would be tough for another team to absorb. For the Jaguars, it would be a risk to put so much trust in a rookie receiver.
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Westbrook will need time to develop a better feel for the position. He didn’t run very sophisticated routes while at Oklahoma. His small frame brings durability concerns. Westbrook also comes with off-field question marks.
The Jaguars are hoping to make a playoff run this season and trading away an established playmaker like Hurns would be odd. It becomes an increasingly questionable move when you factor in the risks involved with Westbrook.
Of course, a large chuck of Jacksonville’s success relies on quarterback position. Blake Bortles has had a rough preseason and may be in jeopardy of losing his starting job. Either way, it would make sense to have a veteran like Hurns on the field rather than breaking in a rookie.
Jacksonville can’t afford to get off to a slow start and dealing with the ups and downs of a rookie is a risk.