David Garrard's Early Struggles Aren't Entirely His Fault

Two years ago, David Garrard had his best season as an NFL quarterback. He started 12 games, tossed 18 touchdowns to just three interceptions, and completed 64 percent of his pass attempts. And according to Football Outsiders, he was the league's third-best quarterback in terms of total value (behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning).

It confirmed head coach Jack Del Rio's decision to release 2003 first-round pick and one-time franchise quarterback Byron Leftwich, and it also led to the club giving Garrard a six-year, $60 million extension last offseason.

But 2008 didn't go well for Garrard or the Jags. The offensive line was decimated by injuries during the preseason and it only got worse from there. Garrard threw 15 touchdowns and 13 picks, was sacked 42 times, and was just the 15th-ranked quarterback in terms of total value.

Five wins later, Del Rio was suddenly on the ol' hot seat, and there was speculation that Jacksonville might take a quarterback with their first-round pick.

They didn't -- offensive tackle Eugene Monroe was still on the board and the team drafted him -- but through the first week of camp Garrard has been inconsistent. Via the Florida Times Union's Michael Wright:

So far at camp, Garrard hasn't looked especially sharp in drills. Tyron Brackenridge stepped in front of an errant Garrard throw for an interception during Friday's morning workout that would've gone for a touchdown. ...

"Mechanically, he's been very sound, making good decisions," Del Rio said. "It's about building that trust with him and the receivers, getting on the same page."

It's way too early to panic, and as Del Rio told Wright, a lot of the early struggles have to do with Garrard developing a rapport with the new pass-catchers. Giving him time in the pocket won't hurt, either.

"We have to play better around him," Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter told Wright. "We have to protect him better. We have to make more plays for him and around him. We're trying to get Dave, based on certain coverage looks and matchups, to throw the ball and trust the other guys to do their jobs. But sometimes a quarterback has a tendency to try to overthink it and not do only his job, but other people's jobs, too. That's dangerous. We always talk about how the quarterback gets too much credit when things go well, but he can get too much blame when things don't go well."

There's little reason to panic (for now, at least); Garrard has proven that he can succeed as a starter, and there were mitigating circumstances last season. But if the Jags start slow and Garrard slower, freaking out can be expected. Todd Bouman and Paul Smith are currently behind Garrard on the depth chart, which makes Leftwich seem like Earl Morrell or Don Strock by comparison.