We finally get real insight into the Bouye controversy............Smith, take a bow.
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Move to Jacksonville pays off in many ways for A.J. Bouye
By
Aaron Wilson, Houston Chronicle
January 19, 2018
Mirroring receivers' routes, matching their speed while anticipating quarterbacks' throws, A.J. Bouye has become an expert at shadowing the most explosive players in the game.
The job requirements for the Jacksonville Jaguars' Pro Bowl cornerback involves plenty of game-impacting decisions made on the fly.
Another more contemplative choice Bouye made nearly a year ago has had a major impact on his life, bank account and the fortunes of two NFL franchises.
By choosing the Jaguars as a free agent in March when he signed a five-year, $67.5 million contract that included $26 million guaranteed and a $10 million signing bonus, Bouye instantly became a multimillionaire as the Texans were outbid.
The former undrafted free agent from Central Florida helped transform the Jaguars into one of the NFL's top defenses. Without Bouye in their secondary and depleted by injuries to J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus, the Texans plummeted from first in total defense the previous season to last in the NFL in points allowed per game.
Bouye intercepted a career-high six passes and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time as the Jaguars won the AFC South division title. They square off with the New England Patriots and star quarterback Tom Brady on Sunday in the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Texans finished 4-12 overall, falling from first to worst in the AFC South as they were swept by the Jaguars and still haven't adequately replaced Bouye's ball-hawking presence.
Instead of using the franchise tag to retain Bouye, the Texans let the Georgia native walk as he strengthened a suddenly formidable division rival that features arguably the top cornerback tandem in the NFL in Bouye and Jalen Ramsey.
Bouye didn't want to leave the Texans [Comment: this is contrary to everything that we were made to believe], but has no regrets about his decision to choose the Jaguars over competing offers from them, the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans. He emphasized that he has no hard feelings.
"Oh yeah, I definitely 100 percent wanted to come back to Houston," Bouye said this week during a telephone interview from the Jaguars' training facility. "Things didn't work out. My agent told me what they said as far as being told I was looked at as their fourth-best corner. [Comment: agents don't speak to coaches.........they speak to the GM who gives them the only feedback]It was like, 'Why give him that money?'
"I could see how the organization and the coaches looked at me. It was nothing personal, but I knew they would count me out. [Comment: a coach does not give the "fourth best" CB on the roster the most snaps of all the CBs.........again, not a coach's perspective]Jacksonville didn't even offer the most money. Chicago offered the most. Something told me to go with Jacksonville. I like their talent. It was closer to home and it's in the division. I'm happy here."
And the Jaguars are extremely pleased with their investment in Bouye, paying him an average of $13.5 million per year.
Besides recording 56 tackles and ranking third in the NFL with 17 passes defended, Bouye yielded opposing quarterbacks to generate a combined 36.1 passer rating while throwing in his direction. That ranked a record-first among all cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Throughout his journey from obscurity, Bouye hasn't lost his motivational fuel despite the validation of being named to the Pro Bowl.
"When I talk to a lot of players around the league after games, they tell me, 'You don't get a lot of credit, people sleep on you,'" Bouye said. "I don't pay attention to that, but it shows the ones who are playing and coaching
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