Sometimes, things just have to be done.
And sometimes, that's true even if the timing's not perfect.
If there has been a theme among fans and observers since the Jaguars' stunning move Tuesday to release starting quarterback David Garrard, it has centered on that. Timing.
As in—
Why now? Why five days before the regular-season opener?
It's a fair question, because the move indeed gives the appearance of indecision, something not often associated with winning in the NFL, but know this:
The Jaguars – from Head Coach Jack Del Rio to Owner Wayne Weaver to General Manager Gene Smith -- know it doesn't look great. They know it doesn't give off good vibes as the regular-season opener – a very winnable, important game against division rival Tennessee – approaches.
But know this, too:
As ungreat as it looks, they had little question it was the right move, and even though they knew it would be questioned, they made it.
And by the time it came time to make it, it was the only move.
Those who wonder why this wasn't done early in training camp ask that with the premise that the Jaguars long have known that Garrard was not the right guy to be the quarterback in 2011. That may be the public perception among some, but it was not the feeling among the Jaguars. Not after last season. Not when the lockout began. Not after they drafted Blaine Gabbert No. 10 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.
It wasn't even the feeling when training camp opened in late July.
The feeling then was certainly that Gabbert was the future, but that Garrard served them better for the present. Garrard wasn't an elite-level NFL quarterback, but he had four years in this offensive system, four years as a starter, nine years in the NFL. He had won before, and while he had been inconsistent, he had had big games in key situations.
He wasn't an ideal option, but entering camp, he was the best option.
It was after that that it changed.
