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Teams rationalize all kinds of wacky things by saying stuff that doesn't always make sense. The Kansas City Chiefs, for example, tried to rationalize their quarterback situation last year by saying they had three NFL caliber starting quarterbacks on the team, which everyone knew at that very moment was laughable.
More: Complete Chiefs draft coverage | Canty visits the Chiefs
The Jacksonville Jaguars, who picked Blaine Gabbert 10th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, appear to be doing something similar with Blaine Gabbert. Jaguars quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo said, per the Florida Times-Union:
"If you graded him out right now, this is his draft class. If he were coming out and the quarterback draft class the way it is, would he be the top guy taken? I think the answer is yes.
"Ask the scouting departments and the general managers around the league and I think you would end up with a yes on that. Basically at his age, 23, the number-one pick in the draft with two years of experience already under his belt. That's pretty good.''
I have trouble going from "Struggling quarterback who has five career wins and can't complete 60 percent of his passes" to "No. 1 pick in the draft with loads of potential". The key, though, is looking at this in hindsight. Gabbert was good enough to be picked 10th overall back in 2011; is it crazy to think that, with two more years in college, he would be good enough to go No. 1 in 2013?
If you remove the hindsight and what we know about Gabbert already in the NFL, the comment makes perfect sense. As a prospect, Gabbert has just about everything a team looks for in an NFL quarterback. He's big, athletic, and has a strong arm. He's smart, in terms of picking up an offense, but his decision making and pocket presence leave a lot to be desired. You can describe plenty of the quarterbacks in the 2013 NFL Draft the same way, so why is it such a stupid thing to say?
I was a Gabbert fan when he came out of the draft which means I would probably want him this year if I didn't know what I know about him now. But now that I've seen him play over two seasons I can tell you that I do not want him to be the Chiefs quarterback.
Let's say Gabbert never left Missouri in 2011. Would you take him No. 1 overall in 2013?