With The 8th Pick In The 2011 Stampede Blue Community Mock Draft, The Tennessee Titans Select...

by mgrex03 on Feb 16, 2011 9:53 PM EST in Community Mock Draft

Blaine Gabbert - QB, Missouri

Pick made by Aerostar193:

This is the worst possible scenario for the Tennesee Titans. Neither of the top two cornerbacks nor Robert Quinn are available, and QB Blaine Gabbert from Missouri simply has too many flaws and question marks to justify taking him in this spot. But in this case, the Titans have no choice. They desperately need to move on from the Vince Young/Kerry Collins era, and since no other best available players fill a need or the system, Gabbert it is.

For most of the 2010 season, nobody bothered mocking Gabbert into the 2011 Draft. Most assumed that he would come back for his senior season since he had only Missouri's starting QB for two seasons. But Gabbert pulled a surprise move, and decided to put his name into the stock of underwhelming 2011 QB draft prospects. Now, with Andrew Luck returning to Stanford, Gabbert is quickly becoming the consensus top quarterback available in the 2011 NFL Draft.

If the Titans picked him with the eighth pick overall, they would getting a potential franchise signal caller to replace Vince Young. Gabbert possess some of the best arm strength in the draft to go along with great size at 6-5 and 235 lbs. and good mobility. He also possess a quick and fluid release and can be very accurate on short to mid-range passes. But Gabbert also has a few draw backs. Only two years as a starter is fairly inexperienced for such a high pick at quarterback, so he would most likely have to sit and learn behind Collins or another veteran for a while. Gabbert's pocket presence also leaves something to be desired. In addition, Gabbert worked out of a spread offense and didn't have to make many reads, so there are questions on whether or not he can be successful under center in the pros. However, the same questions on working in a spread offense were pegged on Sam Bradford last year, and he turned out pretty well.

Since Vince Young's release is imminent and Kerry Collins is a free agent, there is a chance that Gabbert would be pushed into a starting role on Day 1 for the Titans. That wouldn't be an ideal situation for Tennessee given Gabbert's inexperience, so they would be wise to either re-sign Collins or look into another veteran like Marc Bulger. If Gabbert does earn a starting position, he has the weapons around him in Kenny Britt, Justin Gage, and Chris Johnson to succeed. But he'll occasionally struggle throughout his careers in the NFL, and those struggles may hold him back from ever being anything more than an average starter in the league.

If Gabbert is taken 8th overall, it'll be the second QB taken in the first round by the Titans in the past 6 years (Vince Young). Also, it'll be the first Missouri QB taken in the first round since 1977 (Steve Pisarkiewicz), and first QB drafted at all since 1978.

Blaine Gabbert Scouting Report from Mocking the Draft

The Cowboys, and Addai Another Aday, are on the clock...

Pos	Team	Player	Pos	School	Drafter
1	Carolina	Nick Fairley	DT	Auburn	palco
2	Denver	Da'Quan Bowers	DE	Clemson	chad72
3	Buffalo	Marcell Dareus	DT/DE	Alabama	Buffalo_Bill_Cody
4	Cincinnati	A.J. Green	WR	Georgia	beerbrunch
5	Arizona	Patrick Peterson	CB	LSU	JesusNinja13
6	Cleveland	Robert Quinn	DE	North Carolina	nickfromnaptown
7	San Francisco	Prince Amukamara	CB	Nebraska	nopuntintended
8	Tennessee	Blaine Gabbert	QB	Missouri	Aerostar193
9	Dallas				Addai Another Aday
10	Washington				TouchdownColts
11	Houston				SupermanWearsBobSander'sPJs
12	Minnesota				Mr. Indianapolis Colts
13	Detroit				Bradman721
14	St. Louis				VolsnCards5
15	Miami				metallicolts
16	Jacksonville				Collin McCollough
17	New England				mgrex03
18	San Diego				ColtsFanFromHawaii
19	N.Y. Giants				erockrap
20	Tampa Bay				Sir Sci
21	Kansas City				FreeneyAteYourLunch
22	Indianapolis				BlueVol03
23	Philadelphia				AnotherWriter
24	New Orleans				ushoe
25	Seattle				Vikings55Thunder
26	Baltimore				JaredCounterman
27	Atlanta				fiftycal2004
28	New England				mgrex03
29	Chicago				DClark#44
30	N.Y. Jets				Eltoasto
31	Pittsburgh				emiller17
32	Green Bay				sanders_fan89

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Comments

What do people think of Cam Newton?

I mean it seems like he has the intangibles that a team would like in their QB and while he isn’t the best passer in the draft, he is certainly better than Tim Tebow. I don’t think he’ll be able to run a whole lot in the NFL, but I think he could be somewhat like a Ben Roethlisbergler (less rape).

by infinityzero.systemerror on Feb 17, 2011 2:06 AM EST reply actions 2 recs

Rec'd for (less rape)

I put on my robe and wizard hat.

by Bloodninja on Feb 17, 2011 10:07 AM EST up reply actions

Over rated

I’d be surprised if anyone touched him at all in the first 2 rounds. He’s a project QB at best, and he’s even more raw than any “running QB” to enter the draft in the last few years.

People forget that Newton played behind Tebow and couldn’t unseat the guy in Florida. If Tim Tebow is better than Newton, what’s that say? Newton wasn’t very impressive, and against a mediocre Ducks defense, he looked nothing like he did against supposedly “superior” SEC defenses…

Bottom line: Newton has very little to go off of and he really only has his final year of college as any kind of basis to go off of. I don’t think he’s worth the effort, especially for a Titans team just tossed Young out the door…

by DevilsReject on Feb 17, 2011 1:31 PM EST up reply actions

I agree with your assessment but most don't.

I know the ‘experts’ tend to be wrong more often than they are right, but there are numerous mock drafts with Newton going in the first half of the first round. There are several that have him going as high as the Bills at #3.

by Lell87 on Feb 17, 2011 5:44 PM EST up reply actions

Good question

Having watched him all season, I think he has potential. I feel like he needs to be coached up to playing at pro level, though. Think Vick in Atl. versus Vick this past year. This past season, Vick was more inclined to stay in the pocket, but when given the open slot, took off running for huge chunks of yardage.

Newton seemed too inclined to run it himself, at times seemingly made up his mind before the defense showed its hand. In my opinion, the only reason he was AS successful was the size of college defensive players versus those of the pros. That’s not to say he won’t find some magic, but it won’t be as electric as his Auburn days (believe me, there are plenty Pro players waiting to go up against such a QB).

On the other hand, I think he is a good catalyst for players. He’s got an infectious, optimistic attitude which should help with his leadership role and can fire up less than stellar teammates to exceed their perceived potential. All in all, a big question mark, but worth the gamble…at a later pick…for a team not as desperate to find a new QB to play immediately.

by 18forPrez on Feb 17, 2011 1:30 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, no QB really stands out in this draft

as a consensus #1. They all have drawbacks, and big ones. Glabbert though seems to have the fewest question marks, less than Locker, Newton, and Mallett…
Titans need a Qb tho, no doubt. if they coull trade down that would be the best scenario for them

by dezznutz1001 on Feb 17, 2011 12:01 PM EST reply actions

Why is having the top 2 CBs gone a nightmare?

CB is not a position of need for the Titans. The only need in our secondary is SS.

What I consider a nightmare about this scenario is that Locker, Mallet, and Newton are all still available. I will stab my eyes out if we draft any of them.

by hartley on Feb 17, 2011 1:04 PM EST reply actions

Because those two players actually are top tier players

I’m a BPA kind of guy, and drafting either Peterson or Amukamara would give the Titans a lethal conerback trio with Finnegan and Verner. Then, they could draft either Colin Kaepernick or Jake Locker in the second round. I love that scenario much more than taking the overrated Gabbert, but that’s the move I had to make.