Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert is realistic about his situation. After two years and a 5-19 record as a starter, he's fighting for his job. The Jags are expected to select a quarterback in the 2013 NFL Draft who will compete with the former first-round pick.
"The best guy is going to win," Gabbert told The Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran. "That's why this sport is so intriguing to people and so fun to be a part of. The competition is daily. Every practice will be a mini-game. You need to put your best foot forward regardless of the situation. That uncomfortable feeling is a good feeling and that's why good teams are successful -- because they have that competition.
"It's going to be a blast."
At least Gabbert knows the deal. If the old regime that drafted him were still around, Gabbert still might be the team's No. 1 quarterback. But new general manager David Caldwell and new coach Gus Bradley inherited him and are eager to see progress. The Jaguars really haven't provided Gabbert with much talent to help him, but that doesn't explain all of his struggles -- he's completed just 53.8 percent of his passes and has thrown 21 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Ryan Nassib, Landry Jones, Tyler Wilson and Zac Dysert all have been discussed as possible draft selections, O'Halloran wrote. Chad Henne still is looking for a second chance after things didn't work out with the Miami Dolphins. And the Jags do have the option of selecting a higher-ranked quarterback (Geno Smith) with the No. 2 overall pick, though many doubt any of the prospects are top-10 worthy.
A former Jaguars assistant coach labeled the quarterback "Blame" Gabbert in an interview with Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver. "Nothing's ever his fault," the coach said.
"Anybody that knows me knows I've never deflected blame on anybody, and I've always owned up to my mistakes," Gabbert said. "I don't want to blame anything on anybody -- that was instilled in me early on.
"It's untrue, and my thing is, put your name on it if you're going to say something like that to the national media."
The Jags were thought to be interested in Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn, but that was shot down. So the competition likely will come from a rookie. The 2013 season probably is Gabbert's last chance to make it work as the Jaguars' starter.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
