Jaguars Assistant Dirk Koetter Reiterates Blaine Gabbert Will Compete To Start

David Garrard, who coach Jack Del Rio and Jaguars General Manager Gene Smith have said will be the starter, will get the majority of the repetitions during training camp, with Blaine Gabbert – the No. 10 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft – taking slightly fewer and veteran backup Luke McCown getting slightly fewer than Gabbert. Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter said recently it will break down to Garrard getting about 40 percent of the practice reps, with Gabbert getting about 30 percent and McCown getting about 20 percent. “It’s like 42, 33 and 20 something,†Koetter said. “What it does is create a situation where Blaine will be learning the offense as if he’s the (No.) 2. Luke will technically be the three, but competing to be as high as he can go. It forces Blaine to come along without putting pressure on him to come in and be the starter.†Gabbert met with Koetter and Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Sheppard the day after he was drafted, and he also received a playbook while at the facility that day, but aside from that, his work has been limited to practices with Jaguars players and without coaches. The longer the lockout lasts, Koetter said, the more difficult Gabbert’s task. “There’s so much to know,†Koetter said, adding that the planned breakdown in practice repetitions “will force there to be competition. “Now, Blaine may play up or down from that number (of repetitions)†Koetter added. “We’ll see how it goes from there. Same with David. Same with Luke. . . . Coach has structured the reps as such that Blaine’s not going to be sitting there, just sitting on his helmet. “He’s going to be getting reps and he’s going to be the guy with the pressure on him to catch up. Luke and Dave know what’s going on. I’m sure those guys have been studying.†Koetter said while much of the off-season speculation from observers has focused on how much Gabbert may or may not play as a rookie, there are positives in having a veteran quarterback such as Garrard, who has started the last four seasons. “Dave can come right in and be ready to go relatively quickly,†Koetter said. “Some other teams draft a guy in the first round, they’re probably counting on that guy coming in and being the starter. In our case, that guy does not have to be the starter and in this kind of a year, we have enough weapons on offense we can be fine with Dave at quarterback. “If Blaine is capable of coming in and getting past Dave in Year One, it looks to me like the Jaguars win. We’re all winners. But I think the likelihood of that, the longer this goes, is tough, and we don’t have to have it happen.â€

Source: Jaguars.com