David Garrard would look mighty fine in a Seahawks uniform: Fan’s take

Christmas has come early for this lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan. The Jacksonville Jaguars have released quarterback David Garrard just days before the regular season is to begin and just a couple hours after they named him as their starting quarterback.

He sure would look good in blue and green.

My entire life was ruined–just ruined!–a little over a month ago when Matt Hasselbeck left the Pacific Northwest to take snaps for the Tennessee Titans, and just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse for my beloved Seahawks, they went and signed Tarvaris Jackson. I’ve been in a padded cell and a straight jacket ever since.

So I was absolutely overjoyed to learn of Garrard’s fate this morning. Obviously, it’s a bummer for Garrard–although I’m not sure exactly how much love is lost there between Garrard and the Jaguars, so he may be just as happy as I am–but I’m feverishly praying to my totem pole that the Seahawks are one of the three teams allegedly asking about him.

What does Garrard have to offer Seattle? Well, for one, he’s not Tarvaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst. There’s a step in the right direction.

Second, he has the experience of playing 86 games so far, but he’s got plenty of tread left on the tires. He’s only 33 years old, has thrown for 16,003 yards, 89 scores, and only 54 picks. In 2007, he threw three interceptions in the entire season. He can also run, averaging around 300 rushing yards a year for the past three seasons, and scoring 17 touchdowns on the ground. His career quarterback rating is 85.8.

He led the Jaguars to the playoffs in 2005 and 2007 (a 1-1 record as a starter), and he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2009. I have also been a fan of the Indianapolis Colts for many years now, so I’ve seen first-hand–twice a year–what fits Garrard and the Jags can give other teams.

Jackson? Quarterback rating of 76.6 in his 36 career games, and he has never played a full season. The closest he came was 12 games four years ago. Whitehurst? Quarterback rating of 65.5 in his 8 career games, in which he has thrown a grand total of 99 passes.

Oh, and the Seahawks also have rookie quarterback Josh Portis, just in case this whole Jackson / Whitehurst train wreck doesn’t pan out.

Somebody pass me some Tylenol, please.

Third, the NFC West isn’t going to be a real tough division to win. If Seattle can add a quarterback who actually has a prayer of getting the ball to Sidney Rice, Mike Williams, and the rest of the crew, it probably won’t take much to get past the St. Louis Rams and return to the playoffs (as if 2010 wasn’t an indicator of this).

The only question that remains in my mind at this point is how much punter Jon Ryan wants for his No. 9 jersey.

The Seahawks may have to fight off some other teams for Garrard, though. The Oakland Raiders may be sniffing around, if rumors are to be believed. Hopefully, though, Garrard will be wise enough to see that Oakland is where quarterbacks go to kill their careers.

The Colts may be interested, given all the uncertainty surrounding Peyton Manning right now, but I don’t think Garrard is a good fit in Indy. Kerry Collins is just keeping Peyton’s seat warm for the short term, and Manning has some years left to play on his $592 bazillion contract. No, I think the Colts are smarter to keep their eye on the college quarterback crop in 2011 for a possible successor to Manning.

How about the San Francisco 49ers? They’re not exactly stocked at the quarterback position with Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, and Scott Tolzien. They might see some immediate use for Garrard. All the more reason for the Seahawks to pounce now to keep him away from a division rival.

Wherever Garrard lands, the folks in south Texas have to be grinning from brim to brim under their cowboy hats. The Houston Texans just became the overwhelming favorites to win the AFC South.


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