Oct 28, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert (11) lines up under center Brad Meester (63) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Jaguars 24-15. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars seem committed to quarterback Blaine Gabbert.  Well, at least they seem committed to giving him a fair shake in a competition against other quarterbacks.  New head coach Gus Bradley and new general manager Dave Caldwell have no loyalty to Gabbert but they continue to show support and issue positive statements about him.  As good as coach speak sounds at this point, the Jaguars are making so much noise this offseason that fans of other teams have taken notice.

12th Man Rising editor Keith Myers took a stab at the Gabbert situation from his pulpit at Fansided’s Seattle Seahawks blog.  He compared Gabbert to Tarvaris Jackson in Seattle as a piece that’s simply there for a year while the rest of the team is rebuilt.  That may be the most truth spoken about Gabbert yet this offseason.  With all the hubbub about how great things will be in future, we often lose sight of which players will be with us in the future.

Another aspect of Myers’ piece is the Jaguars’ emphasis on analytics.  He cited the now common knowledge that Gabbert was significantly better with 2.6 or more seconds to throw the ball.  This was covered by B&T earlier this week.  Whether it is easier on pass protectors to protect for a quarterback who can get the ball out at 2.5 seconds or faster or that the a quick read and releas quarterback simply makes the offensive line’s number look better is up for debate.  But what isn’t is that most quarterbacks throwing before 2.6 seconds are not very good.  The notable exceptions with less time than Gabbert are Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Myers advocates that the analytics used by the Jaguars weren’t as in-depth as we think.  Here’s an excerpt from his story:

If the conclusion is that Gabbert regularly faced too much pressure, that should show up in the stats as well, but it doesn’t. Gabbert was only under pressure for 32.7% of his throws. While that sounds like a lot, there were 16 quarterbacks who faced pressure on a higher percentage of throws.

The problem wasn’t that Gabbert couldn’t perform under pressure. His completion percentage when under pressure was actually the best in the NFL in 2012 (57.7%). His accuracy when under pressure was also good at 70.8%, 6th best in the NFL. Pressure, it seems, wasn’t the problem.

Here at B&T we noted Gabbert’s better play under pressure when we analyzed the 2012 season position by position.  It was a surprising variable in a terrible season by Gabbert.  Myers notes it as not being a problem, and I agree, so where is the problem?

To Myers the problem is simply the quarterback and it won’t be solved with a new right tackle like Luke Joeckel.  To me, I see it as a problem with forcing the ball out too soon because of the perception of inevitable pressure.  So many of Gabbert’s passes were dumpoffs last season because his receivers were not always able to get open quickly and because the pressure was seemingly inevitable.  For a player that has been sacked 62 times in 24 games, I don’t blame him for a getting a little antsy.

Am I expecting Gabbert to turn into Tom Brady in 2013?  No.  Do I expect him to get better?  Absolutely.  2013 will determine if Gabbert really is just a bandaid in the grand schemes of Bradley and Caldwell or if he can be something more.

- Luke N. Sims

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Aug 26, 2011; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian (right) sits next to his son and general manager Chris Polian before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Following the NFL Draft general manager Dave Caldwell cleared some space in his front office personnel to make room for his own guys.  Those four guys are Kyle O’Brien, Paul Roell, Mark Ellenz, and Chris Polian.  These four men are going to have an influence on the personnel moves Caldwell makes over his tenure and will likely contribute significantly to the molding of the roster.  So, who are these four men?  Let’s dive in.

O’Brien takes over as the Director of College Scouting.  O’Brien has a 12 year history in scouting.  He has spent extensive time with the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs.

Roell joins O’Brien as his Assistant Director of College Scouting.  Having spent over half a decade with the Minnesota Vikings, Roell gets most of his extensive 21-years of experience from the Indianpolis Colts before his time in Minnesota.

Ellenz will be the Eastern Regional Scout.  Like Roell, Ellenz comes from the Colts.  He has spent his entire 13 year scouting career with the team.

The pulls from the Colts make sense as Caldwell spent time under former Colts president Bill Polian.  Polian’s son, Chris, who most recently served as General Manager and Vice President for the Colts.  Polian comes to the Jaguars with extensive front office experience and will be filling the role of Director of Pro Personnel.

Personally, I like the moves.  While the Jaguars have essentially brought in the team that saw the rise and fall of the Indianpolis Colts from 1998-2011, there is a lot of football experience from this staff and they will be looking to prove that it wasn’t all Peyton Manning in Indy.  This team may be young but it has extensive experience in its front office.  Polian especially figures to be a big part of Caldwell’s process, but having him beneath Caldwell in the organization structure should not be overlooked.  In the end this is still Caldwell’s team.

Paul Kuharsky takes a look at the positives and negatives of bringing Polian in, here.

- Luke N. Sims

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October 20, 2012; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson (16) scrambles for extra yardage during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won 12-10. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

General Manager Dave Caldwell is incredibly pleased with his first draft, as well he should be, and he is also incredibly pleased with his fifth round pick, University of Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson.

The uber-athletic Robinson wasn’t supposed to be on the board in the fifth round, at least not in Caldwell’s eyes, and yet he was there for the taking to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth, so Caldwell pounced.  This wasn’t a shock to Caldwell’s old boss, Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff who said told him, “‘I knew you were going to end up getting him at some point in time.’”  Caldwell had had his eye on Robinson for a while.

“Every time I go to Michigan it just amazes me about how passionate he is about football, how loved he is at that school amongst his teammates and how he just goes about his business. You watch that guy practice and he has fun. Not only does he have juice on the field in terms of his speed and play-making ability but just juice in the building,” Caldwell said as he raved about his new running back/kick returner/wide receiver.  The playmaker is going to be someone special and Caldwell will figure out a way to get him the ball.

Caldwell knows that seeing Robinson on the field will be a pleasure for Jags fans.  ”You’re going to love the kid,” he said.

For those of us who have had the pleasure of seeing him play as a Wolverine already, we know that we’re going to enjoy every time Shoelace has his hands on the ball.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims