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| The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering a new era. Blaine Gabbert may not be a part of it. Neither may Jacksonville. |
If you were to stand all the NFL franchises on a totem pole, the Jacksonville Jaguars would certainly be at the bottom. They don't have decades of history, like the Lions. They don't have any Hall of Famers, like the Cardinals. They don't have a Super Bowl trophy, like the Buccaneers. They don't have a Super Bowl appearance, like the Panthers. They've never had a high-profile quarterback, like the Chargers. They don't consistently sell-out their games, like the Browns. They do, however, have the ugliest uniforms in the league.
Yet last week, the Jags were the biggest story in the NFL. In a matter of 24 hours, owner Wayne Weaver fired his coach and sold his team. Jack Del Rio had one of the more inauspicious long-term coaching tenures in NFL history, with just three winning seasons and one playoff victory in nine years. (That also happens to be the number of playoff wins Mike Shanahan has had in the past nine seasons, but I digress.)
My favorite Del Rio story came in his first season as coach of the Jags, when he decided that putting a tree stump and ax in the middle of a locker room full of emotionally charged mega-athletes was a good idea. The motivational ploy backfired when his punter axed himself in the leg after a loss. You know you've made a mistake when you have to use the phrase "a gash of some sort" during a press conference. The peak of Del Rio's reign in Jacksonville will forever be David Garrard's last-second win over the Steelers in the 2007 wild card round. Not exactly what you want from a nine-year investment.
Garrard became expendable when Jacksonville drafted Blaine Gabbert with the 10th overall pick in this year's draft. Of the four rookie quarterbacks who have seen extended playing time, Gabbert is the worst by far. His total yards, completion percentage, and passer rating are all worst in the league. His putrid 5.2 yards per attempt, an important statistic for judging quarterback efficiency, is also the worst in the league. Even Curtis Painter has mustered a 6.3 YPA. Watching him live, his mechanics seem to change from snap to snap.
The bad news for Gabbert is that, because of this year's rookie wage scale, the Jaguars have little financial incentive to stick with him. Matt Leinart, the 10th pick of the 2006 draft, signed a rookie contract worth over $40 million for six years, with $14 million guaranteed. Gabbert's rookie contract lasts a mere four years for $12 million. It was once a big financial hit to give up on a high pick like Gabbert after one year. Not anymore. The least a team asks from a rookie quarterback is to show some signs of greatness amid his growing pains. Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Christian Ponder have done that. Blaine Gabbert has not. Jacksonville would be foolish NOT to draft a quarterback next April.
Gabbert or no Gabbert, the person who will dictate the future of the Jaguars will be their new owner, Shahid Khan. His is a compelling rags to riches story, but it's one that should worry Jacksonville fans. Aside from some business history there, he has few ties to the city. He had already tried to buy the Rams last year, so he isn't specifically tied to the Jaguar franchise. And it's hard to believe Weaver's guarantee that Jaguars will stay in North Florida, when just this month he promised that he wasn't selling the team. With the collective bargaining agreement settled for the next decade and a new round of television deals coming any week now, getting a team in Los Angeles will soon be the NFL's top priority.
Losing a team is the worst thing that can happen to a sports fan, yet I'm afraid that's what the future holds for the Jaguar faithful. The Jaguars have less history and support than any other franchise. They have just gotten a new owner. In January, they'll hire a new coach. In April, they'll draft a new quarterback. And not too long after, they'll move to a new city, and leave poor Jacksonville behind.
Yet last week, the Jags were the biggest story in the NFL. In a matter of 24 hours, owner Wayne Weaver fired his coach and sold his team. Jack Del Rio had one of the more inauspicious long-term coaching tenures in NFL history, with just three winning seasons and one playoff victory in nine years. (That also happens to be the number of playoff wins Mike Shanahan has had in the past nine seasons, but I digress.)
My favorite Del Rio story came in his first season as coach of the Jags, when he decided that putting a tree stump and ax in the middle of a locker room full of emotionally charged mega-athletes was a good idea. The motivational ploy backfired when his punter axed himself in the leg after a loss. You know you've made a mistake when you have to use the phrase "a gash of some sort" during a press conference. The peak of Del Rio's reign in Jacksonville will forever be David Garrard's last-second win over the Steelers in the 2007 wild card round. Not exactly what you want from a nine-year investment.
Garrard became expendable when Jacksonville drafted Blaine Gabbert with the 10th overall pick in this year's draft. Of the four rookie quarterbacks who have seen extended playing time, Gabbert is the worst by far. His total yards, completion percentage, and passer rating are all worst in the league. His putrid 5.2 yards per attempt, an important statistic for judging quarterback efficiency, is also the worst in the league. Even Curtis Painter has mustered a 6.3 YPA. Watching him live, his mechanics seem to change from snap to snap.
The bad news for Gabbert is that, because of this year's rookie wage scale, the Jaguars have little financial incentive to stick with him. Matt Leinart, the 10th pick of the 2006 draft, signed a rookie contract worth over $40 million for six years, with $14 million guaranteed. Gabbert's rookie contract lasts a mere four years for $12 million. It was once a big financial hit to give up on a high pick like Gabbert after one year. Not anymore. The least a team asks from a rookie quarterback is to show some signs of greatness amid his growing pains. Cam Newton, Andy Dalton and Christian Ponder have done that. Blaine Gabbert has not. Jacksonville would be foolish NOT to draft a quarterback next April.
Gabbert or no Gabbert, the person who will dictate the future of the Jaguars will be their new owner, Shahid Khan. His is a compelling rags to riches story, but it's one that should worry Jacksonville fans. Aside from some business history there, he has few ties to the city. He had already tried to buy the Rams last year, so he isn't specifically tied to the Jaguar franchise. And it's hard to believe Weaver's guarantee that Jaguars will stay in North Florida, when just this month he promised that he wasn't selling the team. With the collective bargaining agreement settled for the next decade and a new round of television deals coming any week now, getting a team in Los Angeles will soon be the NFL's top priority.
Losing a team is the worst thing that can happen to a sports fan, yet I'm afraid that's what the future holds for the Jaguar faithful. The Jaguars have less history and support than any other franchise. They have just gotten a new owner. In January, they'll hire a new coach. In April, they'll draft a new quarterback. And not too long after, they'll move to a new city, and leave poor Jacksonville behind.
Pick - Jaguars (The Jaguars will work hard for their new coach. The Chargers will give up on their old one.)
Pick Against the Spread - Jaguars (+3)
Want to talk football? Follow me on Twitter at @BostonGiant.
Have a suggestion for an article? Email me at eternalsunshinepete@gmail.com.
Odds courtesy of USA Today.
Image found here.
You forget that they did have a good team for the first 5 years under Tom Coughlin with Mark Brunell as QB. True it has been downhill for the last 11 years, they have a large stadium in one of the smallest markets, new owner, new coach. I hope you are wrong about them moving to LA. Vikings are facing an unhill battle over a new stadium in a state with no support for taxpayer funding, a new coach, and an owner with no ties to MSP. I think it is a toss up.
ReplyDeletePS - Teal and black or purple and gold — toss up.
ReplyDeleteGood point Mary. The Jaguars got off to an incredible start, an AFC Championship game appearance in their second year of existence, playoffs in four of their first five years. But, as you said, it's been bare bones since then.
ReplyDeleteThe Vikings have been linked to LA more than any other team, but I think that's mostly bluster from an owner and politicians that each want to get the best deal for their side. You would know more about the local situation in Minnesota than I do, but in the end, I believe the Vikings have a strong enough fan base to encourage cooler heads to prevail. Not so for the Jaguars.
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