Del Rio names Garrard starting QB; Leftwich to be released

sportsnetwork.com ^ | 08.31.07

[Perdogg]

Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio ended any speculation about who would be the Jaguars' starting quarterback on Friday, naming David Garrard as the team's starting signal caller for the 2007 season.

Del Rio had reinstated Byron Leftwich as the team's starting quarterback on Feb. 22. Friday afternoon, Del Rio announced Leftwich will either be traded by Saturday's six p.m. roster-cut deadline or he will be released.

[Perdogg]

Oh Atlanta, Oh Atlanta! I said yeah! yeah! yeah! Atlanta, got to get back to you

[Perdogg]

NFL PING

FReepmail scott says to be added to, or to be taken off the NFL Ping list... This is a fairly high volume ping list

[normy]

Man what the hell is up with that? Leftwich seems to have gotten on Del Rios bad side from the start.

[Terpfen]

If the Falcons were smart, they’d acquire Leftwich and get him up to speed on Petrino’s system. It’s a perfect fit for Leftwich, and his potential success in said system would preclude the need to draft a QB next year.

[Obie Wan]

Makes perfect sense to me. Leftwich wasn’t getting the job done !!!

[SampleMan]

Man what the hell is up with that? Leftwich seems to have gotten on Del Rios bad side from the start.

Being a lead footed QB will have that effect on a coach.

[pitinkie]

Afraid Garrard isnt any better! another season down the tubes!

[Uncle Ivan]

Agreed. Garrard is the same as Leftwich: lock on to one reciever, ignore everyone else.

Here's hoping Matt Jones can get out of Jacksonville and with a team that actually has a quarterback.

[The Pack Knight]

While you know Petrino would love to see the Falcons draft Brian Brohm, I think you're right. The problem with Harrington's passing is that it's the exact reverse of Vick's, all touch and no mustard. Vick is all arm and no touch. So while Vick was a master at making Pro Bowl receivers drop passes, Harrington's going to see to it that at least one of his receivers gets broken in half when he hangs a floater around someone like Dan Morgan or Brian Dawkins.

Leftwich has both the arm and the accuracy to do well in Petrino's system. It's a system you kind of have to learn by doing, though, since it relies heavily on a quarterback reading the defense and calling audibles, which is a skill you just can't pick up well in practice. Between Harrinton and Leftwich, the quarterback that can do that will be the one that starts next year. If neither can, then the Falcons will probably be picking high enough to trade up for Brohm anyway.

[TheRobb7]

One of the things about Leftwich that hurts himis his slow release.

He does a “wind-up” like a baseball pitcher and in the time it takes him to fit the ball into a gap....that gap closes, resulting in deflected passes, etc.

I’d like to see him succeed somewhere, but those mechanics have GOT to improve.

[The Pack Knight]

I’m surprised I forgot to mention that. I’ve always thought he looks like he’s trowing a curveball, the way his hand seems to come over the ball. I keep thinking he’s going to spike the thing into the ground.

He actually reminds me a lot of Bernie Kosar, though he’s got a long way to go to play on that level. Kosar’s game looked ugly, but the man was a couple key players and a couple freak plays away from ending up in Canton.

[mainepatsfan]

Agreed. I was at the Pats-Jags playoff game he started a couple of years ago and by the time he got rid of the ball the Pats DB’s had plenty of time to jump the routs.

[mcenedo]

I've been a season ticket holder since game 1 (not that it gives me any greater insight into the game).

Leftwich has lead feet, a long wind-up and no touch.

Plus he's the most inarticulate quarterback I've ever heard.

Good riddance.

[Badeye]

I’ve been a season ticket holder since game 1 (not that it gives me any greater insight into the game).
Leftwich has lead feet, a long wind-up and no touch.

Yep, and the injury bug just loves him.