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The Loyal Vet

David Garrard was drafted back in 2002 to be the apparent successor to Mark Brunell.  The following year, Jags coach Tom Coughlin was fired and the new GM of the team, James Harris, had different plans on how the team was to move forward.  They proceeded to draft QB Byron Leftwich, thus relegating Garrard to backup duties once again, and though David would have been within reason to gripe about the decision, he chose to be professional about it and stayed quiet.  He had a chance to leave the team after the '04 season, but realizing that the NFL is a marathon and not a sprint, he opted to stay loyal and stick with the Jags as a backup instead of pursuing a chance to start elsewhere. 

Leftwich and his paper-maché ankle were never able to stay on the field, and Garrard seized upon the opportunities that were provided.  His hard work and loyalty finally paid off as he outplayed Byron to the point that Del Rio ended up handing the team over to Garrard for good in '07.  Consequentially, Leftwich was issued the obligatory pink slip right before the season began.  Garrard then proceeded to lead the Jags to an 11-5 record (though ironically he missed a few games in the middle of the season with a sprained ankle) and a playoff berth.  In the process, he tied an NFL record by only throwing three INTs the whole year on 325 attempts.  

2009 Fantasy Outlook

The Jaguars have been run-first philosophers since the franchise inception, but Garrard has been able to produce quality fantasy numbers in his two years as the QB1.  He managed 19 total TDs and over 2,500 yards while missing four games in '07, and followed that up with an even better '08 throwing for 3,600+ yards and 17 total TDs.  These numbers are more impressive after a quick glance at his WR depth chart over those years.  Reggie Williams is a bust, Matt Jones is a bum, a bust, and a coke-head, and Dennis Northcutt is not even average.  The Jag front office, however, was successful in luring Torry Holt after he was cut by St Louis, and third year WR Mike Walker has been turning heads in training camp this year.  

One thing to note relative to his '08 passing yards; the Jags were playing from behind for much of the season due to the implosion of their offensive line (see Jacksonville Team Page for more on this) The Jags don't figure to lose five O-Linemen in '09, so the yardage numbers should dip.  That said, Garrard has not only earned the trust of Jag coaches, but also should be considered a fringe fantasy starter for the upcoming draft, and if not, one of the first backups drafted.