Jags QB coach: Gabbert would be best QB in this draft

[Skyy God]

I see the coach is from the Tamba Hali school of fluffing your existing QB.

New Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo recently made a statement that would have been heresy in 2012, but actually makes a bit of sense in 2013 -- and shows just how questionable the 2013 quarterback draft class really is. 23-year old Jags quarterback Blaine Gabbert is going into his third NFL season, but would have been in this rookie class had he redshirted and stayed for his senior year at Missouri. And according to Scelfo, Gabbert would have been the best quarterback in the 2013 draft order.

“If you graded him out right now, this is his draft class. If he were coming out and the quarterback draft class the way it is, would he be the top guy taken? I think the answer is yes," Scelfo told Jacksonville.com. “Ask the scouting departments and the general managers around the league and I think you would end up with a yes on that. Basically at his age, 23, the number-one pick in the draft with two years of experience already under his belt. That’s pretty good.’’

Such an argument would have been ridiculous in a draft featuring Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill and a host of other potential NFL starters, but the fact that you have to stop and think whether Gabbert would pace the 2013 group is quite the indictment of a group of signal-callers with some pretty serious issues.

Yes, a guy who has completed 53.8 percent of his NFL passes and threw just 21 touchdown passes in 25 professional games might actually be a better long-term option than Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, and their fellow NFL prospects. Smith and Barkley, who each turned down invitations to play at the Senior Bowl, will throw at next week's scouting combine. The six QBs who did show up in Mobile, Ala. to display their talents were underwhelming for the most part. Gabbert, who threw 40 touchdowns and 18 picks in two years as Missouri's starter, showed enough to be thought of as a definite first-round prospect in his draft class. From a talent perspective as opposed to team need, few 2013 quarterbacks can say the same.

Gabbert suffered an elbow injury in November that eventually ended his 2012 season, and veteran Chad Henne performed pretty admirably in Gabbert's stead. Still, the Jags seem committed to Gabbert as their man. New head coach Gus Bradley is trying to reinforce the positive by putting together a reel of Gabbert's best plays, as opposed to the blooper reel one might see if one were to review, say, the team's 41-3 loss to the Chicago Bears in October, when Gabbert completed 17 of 33 passes for 142 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Gabbert's "best" game, at least from a quarterback rating perspective, came the nest week against the Oakland Raiders, when he completed just eight of 12 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with a shoulder injury.

With all the questions, Bradley said that Gabbert will get every chance to succeed in the team's new administration. Former general manager Gene Smith, who selected Gabbert 10th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, was replaced by Dave Caldwell, and Bradley replaced Mike Mularkey as head coach after Mularkey led the Jags to a 2-14 record in 2012.

“That was his second year," Caldwell recently told Jacksonville.com about his quarterback's prospects. "What were they saying about other quarterbacks after their second year? We’re looking for improvement [in his third year]. We need to build around him. We’ll upgrade whenever we can upgrade.’’

The problem for Caldwell is that the NFL is now a league in which it doesn't pay to be patient at the quarterback position, especially a year after seven different rookies started for their teams in 2012, and many did surprisingly well. The other problem for Caldwell and his team is that the follow-up draft to the one that planted so many great young quarterbacks in the league presents no such easy answers.

More and more, teams with iffy quarterback situations might be tempted to stick with what they have, and try to work through it.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...3622--nfl.html

[silver5liter]

**** andrew luck and rg3 for making every media turd go... well the qb class isnt that good. When in reality it is actually a pretty deep class.

[KCrockaholic]

Originally Posted by silver5liter

**** andrew luck and rg3 for making every media turd go... well the qb class isnt that good. When in reality it is actually a pretty deep class.

This QB group is average to below average in my opinion.

But the theory that because the class is relatively weak, so that means no QB is "worth the #1" pick, is wrong.

Nope, Geno isn't the same prospect as Luck. And doesn't have the flashy 40 time of Griffin, but he's a legitimate 1st round quarterback.

And to me, he's the only QB worthy of being taken #1 overall. Because I think there's a large separation between Geno and the 2nd closest guy which happens to be Glennon in my book. Glennon, Wilson, and Barkley are all guys that I wouldn't touch until the 2nd round, and I'd even consider moving Barkley back to 3rd round. I think Nassib has more going for him than Barkley does. And it's not that I hate Barkley, but I don't like how he's going to translate to the NFL game. Same reason I don't like Wilson. I don't think he has starting NFL tools to work with outside of nice intangibles.

But if Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder can go in the top 10 in the same draft class, this class isn't all that bad.

But somehow because now not every draft class has Luck, Griffin, Wilson, Tannehill, the fans who haven't dug deep into this QB class, and just listen to dumbass Kiper, and douchebag McShay go around repeating the same shit they've heard on TV.

The Geno fans have spoken about why they want Geno and why he has the tools to succeed in the NFL. Then there's the anti-Geno fans who have no reasoning. They just continue to parrot the same thing back and forth about how "No QB worth dez nuber one pick". If someone brought something to the table about WHY Geno isn't worthy taking a chance on I'd love to sit and listen to it. I know Geno's flaws. I've seen about 30 full games of Geno over the past 2 months. And most of those games multiple times. I then went and found every single Geno interview I could on the internet. And watched them, and listened to how he talked and acted. I've done all my homework on the guy. It's time for the anti-Geno club to step up and provide theirs.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by B14ckmon

Translation: This QB class blows goats. Infinitely better next year.



No one at any point in time has made any indication that the Jaguars at any point were even considering drafting a QB in the first round. They are all reaches. Why draft a guy we will have to cut to make room for Teddy Bridgewater?

Don't worry if the Chiefs still don't have a QB and are within striking range, Bridgewater will be ripped apart and made seem like he's not worthy of picking either. It is what it is.

[patteeu]

This was probably posted in some megathread somewhere, but it belongs here too.

This morning on 810's Border Patrol, Terry Shea of IMG Academy was on to talk about the college quarterbacks that are training at IMG (Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, and Tyler Wilson). He agreed with Frank Scelfo that Blaine Gabbert would go ahead of all three of them if he were coming out in 2013. Ouch. It's worth noting that he worked with Gabbert when Gabbert was training for his combine. He's currently working directly with Tyler Wilson. Geno Smith and Matt Barkley are working with someone else from IMG.

Here are a few other quick notes. In general, as you might expect, he was mostly positive about all three QBs.

Geno Smith - Isn't the best fit for a West Coast offense (like Andy Reid's) because of his lack of experience taking snaps under center. But if you just talk in more generic terms, it seemed like he was saying Geno Smith was the top prospect of the three. If anyone else was listening, maybe they can confirm or deny that impression.

Tyler Wilson - Most accurate of the three. Said he had "sweet feet" (patteeu comment: so maybe Rex Ryan will be interested? *groan*).

Matt Barkley - Seemed to give him the nod as the guy who is most ready to run a West Coast offense in terms of taking snaps from center, dropping back, running play action, understanding the defense pre-snap and as the play develops.

Bottom line: All three have deficiencies and he was only luke warm, at best, on the idea of any of them being worthy of the top pick overall.

[Setsuna]

Originally Posted by O.city

Congrats by the way, apperantly the Jags are going to get Bridgewater next year, who is the next MontanaElwayManningBrady.

Screw Underwater. I don't want him. I don't want "next year" until it's actually 2014. I want 2013 and I want Bray in the second. Plain and simple.

[Beef Supreme]

The Jags QB coach...

There you have it folks, from the world's foremost authority on evaluating quarterbacks.

[htismaqe]

Gauging trade interest.

Just like the Browns, who are telling people that Weeden would be the #1 QB in this class.

Completely see-through.

[MahiMike]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

But if Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder can go in the top 10 in the same draft class, this class isn't all that bad.

Those 2 guys are why this year's crop is gonna drop. Some of the QB's thought to go in round 1 this year will be available later.

Given that, how would you like to be Jax or Minn and going after your 2nd high round QB just a few years later?

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by MahiMike

Those 2 guys are why this year's crop is gonna drop. Some of the QB's thought to go in round 1 this year will be available later.

Given that, how would you like to be Jax or Minn and going after your 2nd high round QB just a few years later?

At least they're trying.

We're going on our 2nd high round QB in 3 ****ing decades...

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

yeah poor jax and minn; actually making an effort to be relevant in the modern NFL...
Posted via Mobile Device

[HotCarl]

Originally Posted by patteeu

This was probably posted in some megathread somewhere, but it belongs here too.

This morning on 810's Border Patrol, Terry Shea of IMG Academy was on to talk about the college quarterbacks that are training at IMG (Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, and Tyler Wilson). He agreed with Frank Scelfo that Blaine Gabbert would go ahead of all three of them if he were coming out in 2013. Ouch. It's worth noting that he worked with Gabbert when Gabbert was training for his combine. He's currently working directly with Tyler Wilson. Geno Smith and Matt Barkley are working with someone else from IMG.

Here are a few other quick notes. In general, as you might expect, he was mostly positive about all three QBs.

Geno Smith - Isn't the best fit for a West Coast offense (like Andy Reid's) because of his lack of experience taking snaps under center. But if you just talk in more generic terms, it seemed like he was saying Geno Smith was the top prospect of the three. If anyone else was listening, maybe they can confirm or deny that impression.

Tyler Wilson - Most accurate of the three. Said he had "sweet feet" (patteeu comment: so maybe Rex Ryan will be interested? *groan*).

Matt Barkley - Seemed to give him the nod as the guy who is most ready to run a West Coast offense in terms of taking snaps from center, dropping back, running play action, understanding the defense pre-snap and as the play develops.

Bottom line: All three have deficiencies and he was only luke warm, at best, on the idea of any of them being worthy of the top pick overall.

Boy, if that isn't telling, I don't know what is!

[Saul Good]

Jags are trying to talk the Chiefs out of drafting Geno.

[HotCarl]

Frank Scelfo, the new quarterback coach of the Jaguars, has one of the toughest jobs in pro football this year.

Scelfo’s assignment is to develop Blaine Gabbert into a NFL-caliber quarterback after he struggled in his first two years with the Jaguars.

Scelfo, though, doesn’t see the same Gabbert the fans have watched the last two years.
“I look at it differently than you guys,’’ he said. “You all have an opinion formed after two years of watching [him]. I don’t have an opinion yet. I don’t have a vision of him that is skewed one way or the other.

“I like him as a person. I’ve had a chance to talk to him. He’s very interesting, he’s very outgoing, very comfortable to talk to as Chad [Henne] is. He wants to be successful. He has the motivation inside to be successful, which means he’s going to be a hard-working guy.’’

Scelfo sees a lot of upside, looking at how Gabbert might be viewed today if he’s stayed in school and red-shirted and was in this upcoming draft as a fifth-year senior.

“If you graded him out right now, this is his draft class. If he were coming out and the quarterback draft class the way it is, would he be the top guy taken? I think the answer is yes.

“Ask the scouting departments and the general managers around the league and I think you would end up with a yes on that. Basically at his age, 23, the number-one pick in the draft with two years of experience already under his belt. That’s pretty good.’’

Among the fifth-year senior quarterbacks who are in this draft are Landry Jones, Mike Glennon and E.J. Manuel. Gabbert entered college in 2008 with them and with Andrew Luck and Terrell Pryor, but the latter two didn’t spend five years in school.

Scelfo said Gabbert will still face competition and he wasn’t saying Gabbert will be the quarterback of the future.

“That I can’t answer, that future part. I think he’s blessed with a lot of good tools physically. There’s nothing he can’t do on the football field.

“Because I haven’t been able to talk football with him, we have to figure out where he is and where we’ve got to get him to. If there were issues, then we have to overcome those.”

According to the offseason rules, Scelfo and the other Jaguars coaches aren’t allowed to discuss football with Gabbert until April.


Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/sports/footb...#ixzz2Kvmq1wHU

[B14ckmon]

Teddy Bridgewater will be so ****ing good my face is melting just thinking about it.

And I am sure Tyler Bray is ecstatic that he has a 13 year old verbally blowing him on forums.

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Jags are trying to talk the Chiefs out of drafting Geno.

And perhaps they're trying to deal Gabbert as well.