Blaine Gabbert Drawing Praise From Teammates For ‘Taking Control Of The Team’

Blaine Gabbert will likely have to have a bit of a quarterback duel with former “future of the team” Colin Kaepernick, but things are going well for the former Missouri Tiger right now. Teammates on the San Francisco 49ers say they have been impressed with the way Blaine Gabbert has taken control of the team. The high praise for Gabbert seems to be at least an indication he has the inside track for starting quarterback should his teammates be given a vote.

“He’s definitely taking control. Whoever’s at quarterback needs to take control and be our leader out there. And he’s definitely doing that. He’s making good decisions on the field,” tight end Garrett Celek said last week, according to CSN Bay Area. Celek’s praise didn’t stop there when he was wasked whether or not he felt Gabbert was picking up new head coach Chip Kelly’s offensive scheme.

“I think he’s definitely developing more and more as the days go on. But, right now, we’re all in the same boat learning this offense.”

Celek added he felt Blaine Gabbert was a natural leader when he was asked by CSN. CBS Sports found another 49ers teammate who is willing to heap praise on Gabbert, further cementing him as the player teammates are keen on when it comes to figuring out who will be under center come the season’s start. Offensive lineman Zane Beadles, who just signed with San Francisco this offseason sees some very good things in the way Blaine Gabbert carries himself on and off the field.

“He carries himself very well in the locker room. He seems like a true professional. He’s always in there studying and he knows what we’re trying to accomplish and what he needs to do at the quarterback position. I’ve seen all good things from him.”

Gabbert does have a bit of an edge because his main competition has been limited in what he can do in practices so far this offseason. Colin Kaepernick just began throwing again this week so he may be able to wage a bit of a war for the quarterback position as he gets healthier. Gabbert will still have a bit of an inside track since he finished the 2015 season as the starter. Kaepernick likely hopes another change at quarterback could help.

Chip Kelly didn’t run the pistol offense Kaepernick played in college, but it was an offense that relied on the quarterback’s arm and legs. Despite Kaepernick being comfortable in an offense that calls for the quarterback keeper, there have still been plenty of reports surfacing that Kelly prefers Gabbert at this point in time. Blaine Gabbert does have the statistical advantage when looking at the two quarterbacks’ season a year ago. Colin Kaepernick was the incumbent starter, but he lost his job after completing just 59 percent of his passes and throwing five interceptions to just six touchdowns.

Blaine Gabbert took over the starting role in the second half of the season and completed 63.1 percent of his passes, threw 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. In the long run, Gabbert wasn’t really outshone when it came to mobility. While the former Nevada QB did run for more yards overall, Gabbert had a slightly better rate of success when he did carry the ball as he averaged 5.8 yards per carry compared to 5.6 for Colin. If Gabbert can manage to put up a performance in camp that keeps him on par or ahead of his competition, it seems as though the starting job will be his. It certainly appears as if Blaine Gabbert has gotten off to a good start by getting his teammates on his side well before the season starts.

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