Gabbert: A gamble worth taking?
One of the things I love following prior to the start of any NFL season are the key positional battles going on across the league; and no other position intrigues me more than that of the Quarterback position! This is arguably the most important position on the team and the hardest to predict; and one of the most talked about battles right now is between David Garrard and the #10 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Blaine Gabbert.
Most people will look at where the Jacksonville Jaguars picked Gabbert and automatically assume he is the team’s starter for the foreseeable future. Top ten picks are expected to come in and have an immediate impact on the team. There has also been a lot of talk of Gabbert replacing Garrard as the Jags’ starter in 2011. However, I feel that not only should they stick with Garrard for the oncoming season, but they may regret trading up to pick Gabbert in the short term.
These thoughts are reiterated by starting Running Back Maurice Jones-Drew. When asked about the Jaguars’ decision to trade up from #16 to #10 and pick the Missouri QB on NFL Network he responded, “Very shocked by it…they felt like David needed someone to compete with.” Then, when questioned on his opinions on the ensuing positional battle, JD stated “It’s going to be fun to watch, but I know David will win.” Fellow Pro Bowler and Tight End Mercedes Lewis shares this view, last month saying that “The Jaguars will make the playoffs, and Dave will be our Quarterback.”
Therefore it seems like it would be a bad idea for Jack Del Rio, who named Garrard as his starter in 2007, to replace him with Gabbert. The head coach had said at the time that Garrard ‘gave them the best chance to win’. The ensuing season he led them to a wildcard playoff berth, in which they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and were knocked out of the Divisional Round by the (at the time) Perfect Patriots. He threw for over 3,000 yards the following year, and again in 2009, before just falling short in 2010. However, he has failed to lead the team to a playoff spot since the 2007 season.
Garrard has been accompanied the whole time by his Pro Bowl Running Back Jones-Drew, who has put up consecutive 1,000 yard rushing seasons in the last two years, but has lacked the weapons at Wide Receiver and consistency in the roster. In the same interview on NFL Network, he expressed this opinion; “I just feel like what we needed on offense wasn’t a new Quarterback, we just need another year amongst each other because we had a lot of new players come in.” He expanded in the interview, bringing up names such as Terrell Owens and Plaxico Burress, veteran Free Agents who could provide what the Jaguars have been missing on offense.
Gabbert has been participating in player organised workouts but hasn’t been able to meet with his new coaches during the lockout. No doubt players will be handing him copies of the playbook which the current Lockout prohibits coaches from doing, however, the likelihood of him gaining a full understanding of it without the support of these coaches is unlikely. With the shortened off season, Gabbert will not have enough time to prepare for starting the 2011 season, so it would be unwise for Del Rio to thrust the rookie into this position.
Therefore, if what I believe is right and Garrard continues to start for the Jaguars, they will have wasted a pick so high up. Gabbert can sit behind Garrard for sure, but you shouldn’t be spending a #10 pick (let alone one you traded up for) on a QB prospect who could be sitting behind your current starter for at least a year or two. Garrard is getting older yes, and is of a similar age to Tom Brady of the Patriots, who picked up Ryan Mallet in this year’s draft. The difference is that the Patriots picked him up in the 3rd round, a much more ideal location for a developmental Quarterback. The Jaguars should have spent their 1st round pick on a WR or shoring up their defence, which ranked a lowly 27th in points per game and 28th in yards per game!
Garrard will start in 2011 and Gabbert will sit behind him as the #1 backup however, this means that the Jaguars have not got the best value out of their #10 pick. Such a high gamble on a player who is not NFL ready and a not potential starter (in my opinion) for your team has wasted an opportunity to fix their defensive problems! I agree with Jones-Drew when he says a Quarterback is not what the Jaguars were missing on Offense. Could this cost the Jaguars another playoff spot? Only time will tell!
Article courtesy of Damien Jarrett.
