Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
One of the most interesting training camp competitions this offseason is the one that is going to decide who will be the Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback in 2013, but is the competition already over?
According to Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, Blaine Gabbert is going to be the Jaguars starting quarterback in Week 1 unless he is completely outplayed by Chad Henne in the preseason.
Through the first week of training camp neither quarterback has really done anything to set themselves apart from the competition, which really does not bode well for Henne who really needs to distinguish himself as the clearly better option if he wants to unseat Gabbert. People tend to forget that Gabbert is only 23-years old and the Jaguars still view him as a young quarterback with the potential for upside, but the Jaguars are not going to find out if he can ever evolve into a good quarterback if he is sitting on the bench.
When you look at everything the new Jaguars front office did this offseason, it was really centered on giving Gabbert the best possible chance to succeed. New Jaguars general manager David Caldwell spent his first draft pick on solidifying a porous offensive line and used a pair of mid-round picks on giving the offense a much needed boost of speed.
There is no question that of the quarterbacks on the Jaguars roster Gabbert has the most talent. It was the reason that he was a top 10 pick back in 2011 and it is why it makes the most sense for him to be the starter in 2013.
Nobody is mistaking the Jaguars for a playoff contender in 2013, so it hurts nothing by giving Gabbert one last chance to prove himself. We already know what Henne is and he is not going to be in the Jaguars long-term plans at the quarterback position. Gabbert has a chance to change some minds with a solid 2013, and if he fails then the Jaguars know and they can move on in what appears to be a very attractive quarterback draft in 2014.
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