11/21/24
August 31, 2007
Jaguars Will Dump Leftwich, Rely on Garrard to Start: In a dramatic about face from all of the happy talk this preseason between Byron Leftwich and Coach Jack Del Rio, the Jacksonville Jaguars will drop their four-year starter and elevate David Garrard to the position. If anyone's looking for a gutsy, slow-footed, cannon-armed quarterback who takes more debilitating hits than the Black Knight on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Leftwich is available for trade until 4 p.m. Saturday.
I would actually love to see him start at QB for the Panthers. Seriously. I am so not in love with Jake Delhomme these days, and if David Carr is the answer then I don't want to know the question.
posted by NoMich at 06:31 PM on August 31, 2007
i dunno, but Garrard looks like a good back up....not the man to get you over the hump...as evidenced by his failure last season...i like del Rio but some of his decisions have been a lil out of left field.....time will tell...tho i like the jags.( GO GIANTS) i just dont think Garrard has the poise of Leftwich ...and poise counts
posted by lindomotorsports at 07:04 PM on August 31, 2007
Garrard is no where near what you need as a starter.he can't consistently make the throws.with Taylor and Drew,you don't need another runner.Thats the only thing Garrard is good at.
posted by mars1 at 07:16 PM on August 31, 2007
As a Jags fan, I don't think Garrard is good enough to take the team anywhere in the playoffs, but Leftwich isn't good enough to start. I admire his guts, but he's too slow and he doesn't know when to avoid a hit. The Jags did him no favors with his receiving corps, but Leftwich had more than enough time to prove himself here. He didn't get the job done. Garrard's a decent quarterback and he has great speed and some improvisational ability.
posted by rcade at 07:40 PM on August 31, 2007
Leftwich is a lop. They're better off with Garrard for now. But they might think about making that position a top priorty for next years draft or a trade.
posted by ggermanctl at 08:40 PM on August 31, 2007
As much as I love Leftwich (I was very excited when we drafted him), this was the right move. It's time to move on, and Garrard has improved dramatically since last year. With our defense and running game, Garrard will have an opportunity to continue his growth as a quarterback and a leader. I also think the releasing or trading of Leftwich is also the right move. By doing this, there will be no qb controversy, and Garrard won't be looking over his shoulder. If I wasn't ready for the season to start before now (and I was), I am now/lol.--go Jags!!!
posted by jagsnumberone at 10:33 PM on August 31, 2007
I bet the Chiefs would be one team that would be interested. Yes, he isn't much of an upgrade, but for the Chiefs he might actually help. Man that is sad.
posted by brainofdtrain at 12:27 AM on September 01, 2007
For a change the Lions probably won't be calling. That says something. What that is, I am unsure. Could be the highlight of his resume ... "Lions not interested'.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 12:33 AM on September 01, 2007
Hey brainofdtrain that's funny, because when i heard the news I thought the same thing! I just wonder how long they will give Brodie before the come to their senses. Byron wouldn't be much of an improvement for the Chiefs though, not behind that revamped offensive line. Even Larry will have trouble running with that line in front of him. As far as Garrard goes, he is the best QB they had in camp. Not to say that they shouldn't still be shopping around for a better one though.
posted by robi8259 at 03:02 AM on September 01, 2007
I think Del Rio's style is more cautious than Leftwich's style. As much as Jack's playing up Garrard's escapability and the things he can do as a runner, I really think he's looking for a guy who won't try to use his cannon arm to force balls into coverages where they can't fit. I think Garrard is the safer of the two, because he knows he doesn't have that arm, and he won't be tempted to take all the chances that Leftwich does. That said, I still think Leftwich is a starter for somebody before the end of the season, and he'll probably still be playing in the AFC.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 07:37 AM on September 01, 2007
If Houston had a BRAIN, Byron would be a perfect fit. Sorry, but their Management skills is serverly lacking, not to mention the owner.
posted by suave at 09:47 AM on September 01, 2007
It wasn't too long ago where Byron was telling anyone who would listen that if he could stay healthy, they were going to the playoffs (pretty much implying that he himself was the key to their success). While that's true for most QB's, I had never heard one actually come out and declare that as boldly as he did (most would say "If WE can stay healthy", not "if I can stay healthy")
posted by bdaddy at 10:08 AM on September 01, 2007
I think Atlanta would be a team possibly interested in Leftwich.
posted by dyams at 01:41 PM on September 01, 2007
According to the all-knowing desk jockeys at NFL Network this morning, the Falcons are much more interested in Andrew Walters than Leftwich. Walters is probably going to be released by the Raiders (if Russell ever signs), and he starred at Arizona State for the current Falcons' offensive coordinator, I believe. I think Kansas City is your best bet, with Houston and Atlanta having a sniff.
posted by wfrazerjr at 04:13 PM on September 01, 2007
Couldn't Del Rio have figured this out a long time ago, you know before he denied Garrard of all of the reps with the first team offence? Nothing like setting your QB's development back at all.
posted by jc at 07:41 PM on September 01, 2007
i dunno, but Garrard looks like a good back up....not the man to get you over the hump... Those words just described all three QB's on the Kansas City roster.
posted by hawkguy at 08:03 PM on September 01, 2007
Considering he's been hurt his whole career maybe he'll hang up his cleats. Sure he could go somewhere else and play and do reasonably well, but I don't see him as going somewhere and leading the team to a Championship.
posted by oxocerite at 04:48 PM on September 02, 2007
I doubt he'll retire though. He is still young enough and has enough talent that some team will offer him a contract. I doubt he can lead a team to the Super Bowl, but stranger things have happened.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:19 PM on September 02, 2007
Well if Trent Dilfer can do it and Rex Grossman can get there...
posted by oxocerite at 09:40 PM on September 02, 2007
I don't see the Chiefs getting on this bandwagon. They have a lot of faith in Croyle for the future, and are barely paying him. Pretty good place to be. Leftwich is always hurt because he doesn't have an internal clock. The guy just stands there until either someone gets open or he gets hit. Not smart. Ya, You'll see him throw some nice balls, and it's refreshing to see a QB so bold. Not worth it though when he's always on the bench come playoffs. It will take a pretty desperate team to pick him up. They will wait til he's a free agent anyway.
posted by Slaptastic at 01:20 PM on September 05, 2007
I don't see the Chiefs getting on this bandwagon. They have a lot of faith in Croyle for the future, and are barely paying him. I disagree here Slaptastic. I don't think that the Chief have a lot of faith in Croyle. If they did, they would start him over a career back-up who is in the twilight of his career. Now you may want to argue that they don't to damage him due to weak offensive line protection, but the problem with that argument is that there really isn't an immediate solution to the slow deterioration of the Chief's O-Line play. Now i think that they will be a lot better than most think, but nonetheless they most likely will have to rebuild that line through draft picks, which will take a few years. By the time that line is solid again, Croyle will have been waiting in the wings for near 5-6 years! By then if he is really that good he will have moved on. To me, Croyle is someone they have high hopes for, but not someone they are very confident in to pan out as a long-term solution to the Chief's QB revolving door. I say take a shot with Leftwich. If he stays healthy (a big if i know), then he could possibly help the Chiefs overachieve. He isn't a long term solution either, but he could maybe buy the Chiefs a little more time to decide if they are ready put all their future in Croyle's hands, or whether they go back to drafting a QB and grooming him. If he stinks, or gets hurt, you're merely at where you started before, which wasn't that great. Regarding the Chiefs QB situation right now, what do you have to lose? We're starting a career back-up in his mid-thirties: are we not desperate?
posted by brainofdtrain at 05:16 PM on September 05, 2007
This seems like an awfully dramatic fall from grace. Just a couple years ago the Jags were on the short lit of teams with no QB questions for the foreseeable future. I wonder of Garrard is good enough to take them to the promised land. And I would think that some teams would be desperate to join the Leftwich ssweepstakes.