NFL Draft 2011: How Long Will Blaine Gabbert Have to Wait in Jacksonville?

Call it a steal, a good maneuver or a sneaky pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars to pick up Blaine Gabbert with the 10th overall pick. But even with the trade up to get the former Missouri quarterback, are the Jags serious about playing him this year?

According to Jack Del Rio, David Garrard is still the starting QB in Jacksonville, where they're coming off their third straight season with a .500 or below record, which begs the question of when we'll see Gabbert on the field in a regular season contest.

It seems that Jacksonville was rather desperate for a QB, seeing as it moved up to 10th to grab one. But this isn't a desperate pick, this is Gabbert, perhaps the best QB in the class despite being the third one taken Thursday night.

But the fact Garrard is only 33 makes me wonder if this a "waiting in the wings" moment, or if there will be serious competition once camp starts.

Del Rio wants Gabbert to "push" Garrard, so I ask if it's to push Garrard to work harder, or to push him off a cliff. Either way, this won't be a long waiting process for Gabbert like the one Aaron Rodgers had to endure. After all, Garrard isn't Brett Favre.

I'm wondering if Del Rio was on the hot seat to make this pick. He doesn't have much time to turn this team into something better than it currently is. Many were surprised he even remained on the job in Jacksonville.

With that said, Del Rio may be pressured to switch it up and stick Gabbert in there right off the bat. He's had three average-to-bad seasons in a row, all with Garrard as the starter.

Garrard is 39-37 overall as a starter; nothing that's an eye-sore, but certainly not a number of an elite QB. Gabbert has the potential to be one, but how soon will he be able to prove it in a meaningful game?

Cam Newton was taken first overall last night. He is without a doubt not only the future, but the present in Carolina. Jake Locker, taken eighth overall, should get the reigns straight out of the gate in Tennessee.

Even Christian Ponder, picked two spots after Gabbert, should start right away with Favre gone and Tavaris Jackson likely leaving Minnesota. Then there's Gabbert.

With Garrard having to be forked out $8 million this year, Jacksonville will love if there's a rookie wage scale in the new CBA. Otherwise, it would have a problem paying the two for longer than a year. But this won't last that long.

I have a feeling Garrard will start the season off, but with the first sign of trouble, be pulled for the rookie. And we'll find out if Gabbert is the steal most people think, or the Big 12 quarterback with only 16 touchdowns and nine picks last season.

Del Rio has too much heat under him not to make the change if the Jags begin to struggle under Garrard in 2011. While Garrard has been good to Jacksonville, the Jags may be, in a way, starting over again.

Del Rio hopes he won't have been to the chopping block when the Jags do just that. And in order to do that, he will feel the need to throw Gabbert out there early. So look for a changing of the guard sooner, rather than later.