NFC Scout on Gabbert

[unicar15]

• The top QB right now. Gabbert is the QB prospect who has generated the most momentum for being the top passer taken with Luck out of the mix. Though Gabbert played in the ever-more-prevalent spread offense at Missouri, NFL scouts do not seem to penalize him for it, as they have other recent spread quarterbacks entering the league. It might have something to do with him being about 6-4, 235, with a big arm.

"The thing that sticks out to me is that he's a lot more athletic than you think he is,'' the NFC scout said. "He's like Ben Roethlisberger and Josh Freeman, in that he's a guy who can extend the play even when he's got guys hanging off him. That's the trait that makes those guys so special. They're so big and they can shake guys off. He's not as strong as Roethlisberger and Freeman, but he has some of the same skills.''

Gabbert also gets high marks for largely carrying his team's offense, despite the lack of other great skills players. He scores well too in terms of his work ethic and football savvy.

"Missouri's spread offense isn't like Florida's,'' the scout said. "They don't have great athletes all around him and it's not a simple spread like in some places. He's doing it all on his own. You can see him scanning through his progressions, reading the field, and he has to move, extend the play, and create. And he's a mature kid and will put in the work. I could see him going near the top, in that third, fourth or fifth range.''

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/don_banks/01/12/2011-nfl-draft/index.html#ixzz1AuAuqcFb

I think that Gabbert is as pro-ready as any spread QB recently. His size and style are not like most spread QBs in college in that most of those guys are looking for the run option. If there is such a thing as a "pro spread" then that is the type of QB I would classify Gabbert as. Personally, I like him and IMO if he is a QB worth taking at #5 then he is a QB worth taking at #1. Either way hes the #1 ranked QB and that is a huge need for us. I don't want to look back at this draft and think that another great QB got away b/c of bad scouting or us being too scared to pull the trigger at #1.

It also helps that he compared him to Roethlisberger and Freeman. If we pass on this kid in order to give Clausen the job for one more year I have a feeling we are going to be sorry...unless we are in position to get Luck next year.

[Catalyst]

I'm not sold, but if the new O.C. & QB coach feel like he has a skillset that they can develop then I wouldn't mind giving him a shot.

[scarface]

...but...but..Cam Newton.

[poarch0]

Let's just roll dice

[unicar15]

Let's just roll dice

With this draft class IMO if you can't trade down then you roll the dice on Gabbert as #1 overall. The most glaring miss for us in the past few years was definitely Joe Flacco. We had two first round picks that year and ignored QB as a need when it should have been a huge priority.

We've missed out on other guys like Kevin Kolb and then Josh Freeman because of Hurney's decision to trade away top draft picks. If our history tells you anything, its that drafting QBs is opportunistic. It doesn't get much more opportunistic than having the #1 pick. My opinion is that if he is a no-brainer as a top 10 pick for some team that needs a QB then he has to be a no-brainer #1 overall pick for a team like us, where the biggest need is QB.

[Real Emotional Trash]

My mindset refuses to go from Andrew Luck to Blaine fuging Gabbert :/. Spread QB, not really seeing anything special. I've seen an ugly game of his. Doesn't look any more special than the two Missou QBs that came before him, who were projected 1st round before staying an extra season and being BLEH. How is he any different?

[janderson20vt]

With the 1st pick in the draft? I don't think I can take the humility of people laughing at my team for drafting Blaine fuging Gabbert with the 1st pick in the draft. If we take ANY QB in this draft we better trade down. I like Mallet over Gabbert anyway. Say what you want but the kid has a rocket arm and makes some great throws. He could be good if developed properly.

[unicar15]

My mindset refuses to go from Andrew Luck to Blaine f**king Gabbert :/. Spread QB, not really seeing anything special. I've seen an ugly game of his. Doesn't look any more special than the two Missou QBs that came before him, who were projected 1st round before staying an extra season and being BLEH. How is he any different?

Gabbert has been an elite prospect since HS. He isn't a system quarterback just because he plays in a spread offense. Ryan Mallett essentially played in a spread as well with Petrino and Petrino's QBs haven't exactly been phenomenal pro QBs.

He's different from Chase Daniel because he has more natural ability and is also 4 inches taller...that is a big difference. Curtis Painter was never projected as a first round pick. He was always a pretty mediocre QB in college and a terrible decision-maker.

Gabberts first year at Mizzou, he had numbers very comparable to Andrew Luck...in a more difficult conference. He had a down year this year but was that because of his play or because of the subpar talent around him? His team still went 11-2 (I think) in arguably the best conference in the country.

[Panthro]

If there is a rookie cap in 2011 take Gabbert. Bring in someone worth the $

[Cavscout]

I just can't see Gabbert in a Panther uniform

[DirtyMagic97]

Blaine Gabbert needs to tear it up t the combine, and I expect him to. He's a pretty athletic guy who can avoid pressure, and he has a cannon for an arm. The Mizzou offense was geared around quick throws and runs. It was a dink and dunk type of offense for the most part. He threw a lot of screens, but it wasn't because that's all he could do. When he went down field he almost always seemed to give his receivers a chance to catch the ball and kept it away from defenders. Not to mention he didn't have great players around him...

[MattB]

It probably won't happen but the Panthers should definitely consider it. You don't get the chance to draft an elite QB prospect every year. I would hate to be in the position next year needing a QB and being further back in the draft and maybe being out of the Luck/whoever else sweepstakes.

[MHS831]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9BB0mwOBMg&feature=related

this is from 2009, but I see some mechanical problems. For one, he throws off his back foot a lot, when his momentum is moving away from the LOS. Overthrows the fade several times, perhaps on purpose due to coverage, but the fade is a pass if thrown well, separates the WR from the coverage. Good arm strength, but the accuracy was not great in 2009. Rather quick release on many throws. Based on this film, he is a 3rd rounder. Of course it was filmed over a year ago.

[MattB]

It's worth noting that he missed his senior year of High School because of injuries so he is further behing than most. I've only seen him play once in the bowl game recently and he play very well. Big arm, good accuarcy, mobile. Reminds me a lot of Josh Freeman.