Best Landing Spot for Blaine Gabbert

Blaine Gabbert is fighting to be the first quarterback selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. His rise up draft boards has put him in the position to be selected early. However, is there a downside to rising to far up the draft board? A lot of times quarterbacks are successful because of where they land and conversely fail because of their surroundings. I always like to argue that JaMarcus Russell might have been a successful quarterback if he landed with a stable organization. The same could be said for Alex Smith, who has been subjected to an unordinary amount of offensive systems and coaches. The rest of this article I am going to take a look at what teams might be the best fit for a player like Blaine Gabbert. I would love to see some feedback. Let me know if you think Russell's career might have looked different if he landed with a different organization.

3. Washington Redskins- The Redskins football team is not oozing with talent but they do have one of the better offensive minds running the show. Coach Shanahan has a history of developing quarterbacks and getting the most out of the available talent. The concerns I have is that the offensive line is not great and the receiving corps leaves a lot to be desired. The offensive line has some nice pieces such as Trent Williams but more talent is needed. Overall, Gabbert to the Redskins would bring him the opportunity to learn under Mike Shanahan. He would also be part of an organization that isn't afraid to spend money in an attempt to win.

2. Buffalo Bills- A lot of people might think I am crazy for including the Bills on the list of good fits for Gabbert. However, this might be an attractive landing spot for several reasons including the presence of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Gabbert is anything but NFL ready and the opportunity to sit behind a quarterback like Fitzpatrick will give him the time to learn and develop. Fitzpatrick has often been described as a good teammate and smart football player both qualities that will make him a great mentor. Nobody should overlook the fact that Chan Gailey is the head coach because he has a good history of developing young quarterbacks. Gabbert's athletic ability will be utilized by Gailey's offensive mind.

1. San Francisco 49ers- This is no doubt the best landing spot for a young quarterback looking to land in a positive situation. The 49ers just spent big bucks and committed to Coach Harbaugh who is responsible for the development of college quarterback Andrew Luck. Harbaugh is a former NFL quarterback that has a good feel for the position. His offensive system will be friendly to a young quarterback looking to develop as it employs a heavy running attack coupled with play action. If Gabbert lands in San Francisco he also needs to thank Mike Singletary who used two 1^st round selections to sure up the offensive line. The line features promising young players like Mike Iupati, Joe Staley, and Anthony Davis. Nothing is concrete but it is looking more and more likely that Alex Smith will be returning for another season in San Francisco. Smith would be a good mentor and tale of caution for a young quarterback. You also can not overlook the other surrounding talent including a strong running game featuring Frank Gore.