Perspective on Blaine Gabbert

[davos]

Yea, yea another QB thread. But something that is just simply not mentioned during the whole spread offense v. pro-style debate revolves around Blaine Gabbert. Yeah, he didn't throw many touchdowns in Missou's spread offense but many things he has done seem to be completely ignored...

He was rated the 14th overall highest rated recruit in the country his senior year...and if you look at rivals.com's QB lists, he was the highest rated QB coming from a pro-style system that year. He had high marks across the board in nearly every statistical category. Now of course high school is a completely different level than college, additionally leaps and bounds behind the NFL, but Gabbert did something throughout HS & college that not only shows drive, but commitment to really succeed at QB:

Article excerpt:

"Gabbert, 21, was a five-star recruit coming out of Parkway West High School in 2008, rated by Rivals.com as the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the nation. So it was a little curious when — having decommitted from Nebraska just before Bill Callahan was fired — he elected to go run the spread offense at Missouri, where he started as a sophomore and junior before declaring a year early for the draft.

That offense raises a red flag, as it does — for good reason — with all spread quarterbacks, thus the concerns raised by some draft analysts that Gabbert has too much to learn to be considered a safe first-round pick.

What the analysts might not know is that Gabbert, from the age of 15, has been tutored in pro-style passing by a personal quarterback coach named Skip Stitzell.

A 61-year-old who never played past high school, Stitzell has been a regular on the major quarterback camp circuit, working with prospects such as Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford and, on an extensive basis, Josh Freeman.

When Gabbert was in high school, Stitzell often drove the 100-plus miles from his home north of Columbia, Mo., for training sessions with Gabbert at Hammer’s facility. During Gabbert’s college years, he spent hundreds of hours — during nonpractice periods for the Tigers — on Stitzell’s home turf a half-hour from campus in tiny Fayette.

“He was always working on three-step, five-step and some seven-step drops from under center,” Stitzell says. “We were keeping him in position for the NFL. Some of these (spread) guys, they go five years of college without doing any of it. Blaine is very good with mechanics, very good with footwork. He’s got an NFL-style arm, can make all the throws, has the size and athleticism. And then there’s the best part: his mentality, his drive, his focus. Nobody wants this more than Blaine.”

Former NFL offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Terry Shea has schooled first-round hopefuls the past few years for the Creative Artists Agency, which represents Gabbert, Freeman, Stafford and Sam Bradford.

According to Shea, Gabbert “looks so fluid in his dropback mechanics right now from under center, you almost say he couldn’t have been in the shotgun. We’ve polished him up some, but he had a very good level of fundamentals already in place.”

Read more:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-02-28/made-for-this-blaine-gabbert-has-spent-years-preparing-for-the-nfl

Now I'm not endorsing him, but figured this could create some starting ground to have legitimate discussion about him, b/c the whole idea that since he was in a spread offense on his college team makes him a project is wrong considering his history. Maybe he's just a better fit in a pro-style system and Missouri actually limited his abilities with their Spread Offense....I dunno...discuss

[KDawg004]

I've heard from several talking heads that he is better suited for a pro-style offense than a spread. He also wowed teams in the interviews. But he just doesn't do it for me. He regressed this year in a system that is QB friendly, not very good accuracy on his deep ball, and is easily flustered in the pocket.

I wouldn't count him out and he is an option that should be considered. I think Newton has the edge on him though.

[vorbis]

i had a weird lucid dream 3/4ths asleep a week or two ago that the panthers traded down and drafted gabbert at #9. it was not a pleasant dream. this counts as actual analysis, right?

[SorthNarolina]

Blaine Gabbert sounds like a quirky nfl name that can work. Cam newton has a better feel to it but it may be too normal and fall short. Gabbert is such a crazy soundiing name it might work.

[teeray]

[ATTACH]34411[/ATTACH]

If he makes Rivera and Hurney dance like this.... go get em!!!

[unicar15]

I've gone to some of the Mizzou boards and they essentially said that the guy didn't fit the spread and that his potential will ultimately be shown when he is under center..who knows?? If we took him I wouldn't be disappointed at all.

[Mr. Scot]

Interesting.

Still couldn't get behind that choice, but it might serve to minimize my angst a bit if he's the pick.

[davos]

I've gone to some of the Mizzou boards and they essentially said that the guy didn't fit the spread and that his potential will ultimately be shown when he is under center..who knows?? If we took him I wouldn't be disappointed at all.

Potential greatly depends on their willingness to learn and if this Stitzell really felt he should commit this much time on Gabbert, I say there is some major untapped potential. Also, if Blaine's work ethic and smarts are as good as they claim, added up with his measure-ables and arm, I think he'd be a guy to build a team around. This Stitzell worked very close with Josh Freeman through his development as a QB. Added with the rest of his resume, he's damn good at what he does and who he finds. I'm not saying Gabbert is "worth" the number one pick, but if he really wows our guys at the Tigers pro-day and in his interview, he could very well end up a Panther.

[mav1234]

I wanted to add something about Gabbert.

He was a captain at Mizzou. This might seem like nothing big, but he was a junior... and very few players are EVER captains at Mizzou as a junior. You guys might remember Chase Daniel... Well, if he was anything at Mizzou it was a leader on the field, and he wasn't even made a captain until his senior year.

Gabbert's intangibles are off the chart. The guy is a workaholic. He says it, but it's true - he spends a ton of time with film and at practice, in the gym and working his butt off. He's also pretty smart, an academic all american, and has been practicing for the pro game for a long time.

There's no guarantees with this draft class of quarterbacks, but Gabbert is the quarterback I like most. I don't see us taking him, but I'm still excited to see his career wherever he lands.

[nagai]

Yeah things like mechanics don't really annoy me. I have questions about the guy, but the things discussed in the OP don't bother me. He has a lot of great intangibles, but I wonder if he has the cool mind to work when the game's on the line. I wonder if he has the type of mental toughness (not intelligence) to get it done when it's crunch time.

[panther4life]

I see nothing about him that makes me think he'll be any better than Clausen.

[JawnyBlaze]

If nothing else, there's the 3 or 4 inches of height...

*disclaimer* I am in no way endorsing Gabbert or slamming Clausen. I think Clausen still has a shot at a productive NFL career and I don't really want Gabbert.

But I'm more willing to keep an open mind about Gabbert after reading this.

I see nothing about him that makes me think he'll be any better than Clausen.

[Stumpy]

But I'm more willing to keep an open mind about Gabbert after reading this.

What is this "open mind" you speak of? I've heard of such things whispered in back alleys, but I was assured no such thing existed in this land of the Huddle.:eek:

[JawnyBlaze]

ssshhhh I'm trying to start a trend.

What is this "open mind" you speak of? I've heard of such things whispered in back alleys, but I was assured no such thing existed in this land of the Huddle.:eek: