eight years after the jaguars moved up six spots in the 2011 nfl picks for tonight draft to pick blaine gabbert, former coach jack del rio shed some light on the fateful draft night trade — a transaction that was a shocker, even to him.
“i’d no idea we were going to draft blaine gabbert. no idea,” del rio said tuesday, through espn jacksonville 690. “in fact, i left to go get something to eat since our pick wasn’t for more at the draft. i’m sitting there filling my plate thinking,’oh great, we have a few more hours until we select.’ then, i look up and watch’the jaguars are on the clock.’ i’m like’what the sterile is happening?'”
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you read that correctly. former jaguars general director gene smith made the move without giving his mind trainer any sign.
had the movement for gabbert functioned, this might’ve been a funnier story. however, the missouri product lasted just three seasons in jacksonville, throwing 22 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in 28 games.
del rio maintained he saw these struggles coming for gabbert.
“my son and i had ranked all of the quarterbacks and we liked blaine,” del rio said. “we enjoyed himbut he had been in the nick foles range (2012 third-round pick) — such as third or fourth round. he was not a first rounder, he wasn’t a man to trade and go up to get him. so that wasn’t part of coaching, that wasn’t a part of me. that was my first sign that my time there was running short.”
del rio was fired then 2011 season and smith had been gone one year later. gabbert stays the only one of the trio still in the nfl, since he signed with the tampa bay buccaneers at march after starting three games for the titans last season.
later in the meeting, del rio hinted that he could compose a tell-all novel about his time in jacksonville. therefore, if you’re clamoring for more stories like this, then you could be in luck.