Gabbert’s Career Arc Could Have a Similar Look to a Recent 49ers QB
Raise your hand if you know who will be the starting quarterback will be in week one for the San Francisco 49ers. Hello readers: my name is Kevin and I am a 49ers fan. I grew up in Marin County but have since moved to the east coast. I vaguely remember the Montana days, but my fondest memories are of Steve Young. As recently as a year ago, I truly believed that Colin Kaepernick was the franchise quarterback who could still lead San Francisco to where he had them inside the 10 just 3 years previously, but I certainly have questions now.
Will Kaepernick be on the team in week one or will they finally find a trade partner for him? Can Blaine Gabbert be a decent starting QB in coach Chip Kelly’s system? While other question marks abound, the passing game still seems like the biggest question mark. Carlos Hyde is an absolute beast and the perfect back for Kelly’s system. The offensive line was already starting to play better, especially in the run game toward the end of last year and then added one of the top guards in the draft as well as some talent at tackle. Additionally, free agent acquisition Zane Beadles adds depth and competition to the inside, and the line will bring back a healthy Daniel Kilgore. They have unproven talent at WR and TE, but none of that matters if the QB does not play well.
AROUND COVER32
QB Rankings: Which QBs are under the most pressure?
2016 Preview: Predictions for the NFC South division
2016 Preview: This year’s top five DPOY candidates
Kick Returns: Devin Hester hates new touchback rule
Latest 49ers News: 49ers: Kelly’s Lack of Defense A Cause For Concern
Latest 49ers News: New 49ers O.C. Modkins Key to Balancing the Offense
There will be plenty of speculation on both Gabbert and Kaepernick, and I have my doubts about Blaine Gabbert based on what I’ve seen of him in his career, but I can see some strong similarities to the man who preceded Kap. Yes, Blaine Gabbert to me looks a bit like Alex Smith and perhaps getting him with the right coach and the right system will finally yield some positive results.
Just looking at the raw numbers, there are some similarities. In their first two years, playing on bad teams, Alex Smith started 23 games and had 3,765 yards on 56.1% passing with 17 TDs and 27 interceptions. Injuries would derail his next two seasons, and in ’09 and ’10 he wasn’t the exclusive QB, but he started to improve. However, it was obvious that several years with a new offensive coordinator every year hurt his development. Finally, Harbaugh arrived. Well in Gabbert’s first two years he threw for 3,876 yard on 53.8% passing with 21 TDs and 17 Ints. They both improved their accuracy dramatically in year 2 but Gabbert overall had a lower accuracy in both years but a better TD-Int ratio.
Alex Smith was 27 when everything came together for him under Harbaugh and Gabbert will be 27 this October. If Gabbert is at least as efficient as a game manager as Alex Smith was the team will improve, because they have the run game and talent on defense. Do they have the All-Pros on D they had back in ’11-13? Maybe not, but I never predicted they would be in the NFC Championship Game. I don’t think Gabbert will be a Pro Bowler this year, but I think that he has a good chance to flourish under Chip Kelly. If you’re a 49ers fan hoping for some hope this season, perhaps that is just enough.
Next time I take a look at how based on the successes of passers like Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez in Kelly’s system, why I think it could help Gabbert turn things around.
The post Gabbert’s Career Arc Could Have a Similar Look to a Recent 49ers QB appeared first on Cover32.
