Lombardi Has Some Harsh Words For Gabbert, Gabbert Calls It "comical"

[jtnc]

"In my 20-plus years in the NFL, I don't think I have seen a high first-round pick look as scared or as out of place as Blaine Gabbert," Lombardi wrote. "The game looks entirely too big for him. When the ball is in his hand, he treats it like a hot potato. His play was embarrassing, considering he was a top-10 pick. I believed Gabbert was a good prospect and wrote about it leading up to the draft. When everyone was concerned about his down-field throws, I thought he would be able to adjust. But never did I think his eye level would be this low, his unwillingness to hang in the pocket this bad. I readily admit my mistake. Now the Jaguars need to do the same. How can they expect players around him to buy in? Gabbert cannot fool his teammates. If he continues to play like this, no one will want to play with him."

Davis: Mock Draft 4.0

Watch out, Matt Cassel! Charles Davis has the Chiefs snagging a QB with the 11th pick in his latest mock draft. More ...

When Prisco met with Gabbert last week in Jacksonville, he handed the quarterback a copy of the assessment by Lombardi, a former NFL front-office executive. According to Prisco, Gabbert read it, paused and looked up from the paper.

"Who is Mike Lombardi?" Gabbert asked. "Every season a player is going to have a certain label. It creates buzz. It creates controversy and interest. Whatever the label is for the year, it's going to stick with you. He doesn't know what's going on. He doesn't know anything about me. It's comical. It's funny."

To Gabbert's credit, he comes across as focused and intent on reversing his play from last season. He's concerned about what his teammates think, not about the white noise surrounding him. But Lombardi stands by what he wrote and by his assessment of a quarterback who remains under fire -- long after the games have ended.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82864b95/article/blaine-gabbert-labels-lombardis-critique-comical

[Brokenbad]

He played a tiny bit better than Jimmy Clausen, and to think, people wanted him #1 overall instead of Cam.

[footballisasport]

http://www.nfl.com/n...ritique-comical

Lombardi was drinking the kool-aide Mike Mayock was serving. He may not have been onboard 100% with Mike but he, Charlie Casserly, and I hate to say this, 99.9 percent of the white men in the media wanted Gabbert over Cam despite knowing what everyone else always knew about his level of confidence. Gabbert was not 1st round material. I said it back then and I was attacked but oh well.

I wish him all the best but he's exactly what is wrong with our media. They feel it's their job to continue selling us a the "he's NFL ready" because they can, even if they know it's a lie.

Glad no one stated that Luck is NFL ready this year. I guess it's because they knew they were going to get what they wanted...Luck being choosen at #1 on the draftboard.