Jacksonville, Fl. – Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan said the team had tried their hardest to trade for quarterback Tim Tebow from Denver, but in the end Tebow didn’t want to go to Florida.

The Florida Times-Union interviewed Khan this week and the Jaguars owner said the team was willing to sacrifice a third round pick and eat $3 million dollars to land Tebow’s services.

Khan told reporters at the NFL:’s annual meetings,

“That would have been the worst thing for Jacksonville and the worst thing for him. He didn’t want to come, obviously. … Any one of the 53 players we have, have to be committed to Jacksonville, making us be the best team we are. The question was: Did he want to come? And if the decision had been taken out (of his hands) and we got him, that would not be good for him, or for us.”

Tebow originally said the decision was out of his hands.  He said,

“Ultimately, I really didn’t have any[Choice] because the Broncos had all that power. I was just kind of watching and waiting—kind of like everybody else. It was an interesting day.”

Broncos vice president John Elway said he did have a choice saying,

“We did. There was more (offered) from Jacksonville, but we looked at it and it was close enough and we were in contact with Tim throughout the day and talked to him. He knew what was going on the whole time, so the reports that he was not involved are not accurate,”

Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey said the team did a lot to try to get Tebow to come to Jacksonville, He said,

“Don’t believe everything you hear or read in the media. It’s hard not to want a guy like that. We wouldn’t have tried to trade for him if we didn’t feel like we didn’t want to have him here. There were a lot of things that went into this thing to try to get Tim to come here. In the long run, it did not work out. But if you do not want a player, you don’t even get involved.”

The Jaguars and Jets were the top two choices for Tebow.  In the end he told people that in New York he had a better chance to start.  Jacksonville told him they had no promises for where he would wind up on their roster.

Khan said,

“We were not going to say coming in, ‘He’s slotted at whatever’. We have two quarterbacks now (Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne) that we’re committed to. He would have to compete with them.”

David Garrard appears to be the answer in Miami. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, the question was, “What quarterback do you sign when all your other choices have gone elsewhere?”

That’s not a slam on Garrard, who signed a one-year contract with the Dolphins on Monday and was told he’d be able to compete for the starting job. The nine-year veteran who has spent his entire pro career with the Jacksonville Jaguars could end up being a great pickup for the team if fully recovered from back surgery last October.

After all, this is a guy who threw 18 touchdown passes and only three interceptions in 2007, passed for more than 3,500 yards in 2008 and 2009 and also made the Pro Bowl in 2009.

But it’s just not the splashy move the Dolphins were looking to make at quarterback this off-season. They pursued the top free agents at the position — Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn — and were spurned by both.

They brought in Alex Smith, another free agent who appeared to be in limbo with the 49ers during the Manning saga. But Smith’s job seems to be secure in San Francisco once again.

The Dolphins won’t be getting a highly coveted quarterback with the eighth pick in the draft either. Not with the Indianapolis Colts seemingly locked in on Stanford’s Andrew Luck at No. 1 and the Washington Redskins moving up to No. 2, presumably to pick Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.

Basically there just weren’t enough big name quarterbacks to go around. So the Dolphins turned to Garrard, a guy they initially pursued last season when they lost then-starter Chad Henne to a shoulder injury. But Garrard, who was cut by the Jaguars five days before the season started, opted to get his back fixed instead.

Matt Moore ended up starting the rest of the season for the Dolphins and did pretty well, going 6-6 while completing 60.5% of his passes for 2,497 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

So maybe the Dolphins will be fine with a little healthy competition among Garrard, Moore and anyone else they might pick up (they might draft someone and, don’t forget, Tim Tebow might soon be available).

“It’s going to be a great competition, and I’m all about that,” Garrard said. “I’m going to do my best to make sure it’s me on opening day.”

RELATED:

Alex Smith interviews in Miami … Is Tebow next?

Plenty of stars available in NFL besides Peyton Manning

Courtship of Manning by NFL teams has other QBs scrambling

CINCINNATI – The Bengals on Monday announced two moves to help bolster the team’s secondary in 2012.

Cincinnati re-signed safety Reggie Nelson and signed cornerback Jason Allen. Both were unrestricted free agents.

Nelson led the Bengals in interceptions last season with four and continues to be one of the hardest hitting safeties in the NFL. Cincinnati acquired Nelson (the 21st overall pick in 2007 out of Florida) from the Jaguars in September 2010. He started every game for the Bengals last season.

Several teams, including the New York Jets, were interested in Nelson this offseason. However, it was his relationship with head coach Marvin Lewis and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer that led to his decision to re-sign with the Bengals, according to reports.

Allen, a former first round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2006, played in all 18 games with Houston Texans in 2011 Ironically, it was the Texans who eliminated the Bengals from the playoffs last season. He joined Houston during the 2010 season and had seven interceptions over 23 total regular season games with the Texans, tops on the team for that span and also tied for second among all AFC cornerbacks.

News about Allen’s signing broke Saturday night, but the Bengals did not confirm the move until Monday.

“These signings are obviously a huge plus for our secondary,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “Reggie and Jason are physical players who have had success and are entering the prime years of their careers. Reggie helped us get to the playoffs last year, and Jason helped Houston get there and advance beyond us. They are good players who have the opportunity to keep improving.”

On Saturday, the Bengals signed veteran guard Travelle Wharton, who spent his first eight NFL seasons with Carolina.

In other Bengals news on Monday, the team visited with the following free agents: Tight end Joelle Dressen, cornerback Terrance Newman, running back Benjarvus Green-Ellis and defensive end Derrick Harvey.

Mike McGlynn, who played in seven games with four starts on the Bengals’ offensive line last season, signed with the Indianapolis Colts on Monday.

By
Erik Matuszewski
-

Tue Mar 20 04:00:54 GMT 2012

Former Jacksonville Jaguars
quarterback David Garrard signed with the Miami Dolphins, who
missed out on free agents Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn.

Garrard, who was out of the National Football League in
2011 after being cut by the Jaguars, said last night on his
Twitter page he “couldn’t be happier” about his new team.

Garrard, 34, may compete with Matt Moore for the starting
quarterback job in Miami next season. The Dolphins had Manning,
Flynn and Alex Smith in for visits, though Manning is headed for
the Denver Broncos, ESPN reported, and Flynn signed with the
Seattle Seahawks. The Dolphins may still consider signing Smith,
who spent the past six NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers,
the Associated Press said.

In nine seasons in Jacksonville, Garrard passed for 16,003
yards, with 89 touchdowns and 54 interceptions. He was the
Jaguars’ starter from 2005-10 and was released five days before
the first game of the 2011 regular season.

The Dolphins reached out to Garrard when Chad Henne
suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, but Garrard underwent
back surgery in October.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Erik Matuszewski in New York at
matuszewski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net

ESPN is reporting that former East Carolina and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Davis Garrard is headed to the Miami Dolphins.

After failing to land Peyton Manning, the Dolphins courted David Garrard, Matt Flynn and Alex Smith to name a few.

Garrard sat out out all of the 2011 season after being cut by the Jaguars.

Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Even with former Miami Dolphins starter Chad Henne in the mix, the Jacksonville Jaguars don’t anticipate a quarterback competition.

Henne signed a two-year contract worth nearly $6.75 million with the Jaguars on Wednesday, giving the team a capable backup to Blaine Gabbert.

”All I know right now is I’m going to go in there and compete,” Henne said Thursday. ”I know I have an opportunity to compete, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

The Jaguars were looking to upgrade the No. 2 spot after Luke McCown failed to impress general manager Gene Smith in four games and two starts last season.

Nonetheless, new coach Mike Mularkey created a minor buzz Thursday when he spoke about Henne’s role. Henne threw 31 touchdown passes and 37 interceptions in 36 games in Miami. He was decent in four games last season before needing season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder and missing the final 12 games.

”He’s coming in as a backup, competing for a starting job,” Mularkey said. ”Everybody comes in here to compete for a starting job. I hope that’s the way it’s always going to be. We don’t want anybody here that’s very comfortable and wants to be in a backup role, and never will.

”Chad knows his role and Blaine and I had a conversation this morning that we are all on the same page of why he’s here. Like I said earlier, we’re very happy that he’s here. He’s going to help Blaine in his development and he’s going to help our football team.”

That might not be the strongest vote of confidence for Gabbert. Then again, the former Missouri star might need a little extra motivation.

Gabbert completed 50.8 percent of his passes for 2,214 yards, with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a rookie last season. It was well below expectations after the Jaguars selected Gabbert with the 10th overall pick.

The plan wasn’t to have Gabbert start any games in 2011, especially since the NFL lockout wiped out most of the offseason, which is especially important for rookies. But with fellow newcomers Cam Newton (Carolina) and Andy Dalton (Cincinnati) playing well from Day 1, Gabbert’s season probably looked worse than it really was.

However, Gabbert played without a No. 1 receiver, worked behind a shuffled and often inconsistent line, had countless passes dropped and had a lame-duck coaching staff.

Nonetheless, there were times he looked scared in the pocket, seemed to feel phantom pressure and was very inaccurate on some short throws.

Despite his shortcomings, the Jaguars stuck with Gabbert through a 5-11 season that included two wins against woeful Indianapolis and a victory over equally inept Tampa Bay.

Now, though, the Jaguars have an option.

”Obviously Blaine has been there for the past year and they are definitely going to give him a good chance, which is expectedly so,” Henne said. ”I’m there to blend in, help him out and help the Jaguars win games.”

The Jaguars gave Gabbert and Henne some help.

Former Dallas receiver Laurent Robinson signed a five-year, $32.5 million contract Wednesday to be the team’s No. 1 receiver. Some believe the Jaguars overpaid for Robinson, who played for Atlanta, St. Louis and San Diego – and was even cut by Dallas – before his breakout season with the Cowboys in 2011.

Robinson caught 54 passes for 858 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He played for Mularkey in Atlanta, worked with receivers coach Jerry Sullivan during the lockout and dazzled new owner Shahid Khan in college at Illinois State.

He wanted to stay in Dallas, where he was the No. 3 receiver, but said the Cowboys didn’t have the salary cap space.

”They could only do so much,” Robinson said. ”They didn’t really have the cap space to make a significant run. It all worked out here in Jacksonville, so I’m just excited to be a Jaguar.”

Henne wasn’t as eager to stay in Miami. Not that many would blame him. Even though the Jaguars would like to avoid a quarterback competition, everyone knows what will happen if Gabbert continues to struggle.

”There was some talks (with Miami), but I think they are on the Peyton Manning street right now, so they are going to wait a while,” Henne said. ”In my position, there wasn’t much time to wait. I kind of wanted a new start, a fresh start and find a team where I feel comfortable. I just want to be on a team that wants to win games.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Even with former Miami Dolphins starter Chad Henne in the mix, the Jacksonville Jaguars don’t anticipate a quarterback competition.

Henne signed a two-year contract worth nearly $6.75 million with the Jaguars on Wednesday, giving the team a capable backup to Blaine Gabbert.

“All I know right now is I’m going to go in there and compete,” Henne said Thursday. “I know I have an opportunity to compete, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

The Jaguars were looking to upgrade the No. 2 spot after Luke McCown failed to impress general manager Gene Smith in four games and two starts last season.

Nonetheless, new coach Mike Mularkey created a minor buzz Thursday when he spoke about Henne’s role. Henne threw 31 touchdown passes and 37 interceptions in 36 games in Miami. He was decent in four games last season before needing season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder and missing the final 12 games.

“He’s coming in as a backup, competing for a starting job,” Mularkey said. “Everybody comes in here to compete for a starting job. I hope that’s the way it’s always going to be. We don’t want anybody here that’s very comfortable and wants to be in a backup role, and never will.

“Chad knows his role and Blaine and I had a conversation this morning that we are all on the same page of why he’s here. Like I said earlier, we’re very happy that he’s here. He’s going to help Blaine in his development and he’s going to help our football team.”

That might not be the strongest vote of confidence for Gabbert. Then again, the former Missouri star might need a little extra motivation.

Gabbert completed 50.8 per cent of his passes for 2,214 yards, with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a rookie last season. It was well below expectations after the Jaguars selected Gabbert with the 10th overall pick.

The plan wasn’t to have Gabbert start any games in 2011, especially since the NFL lockout wiped out most of the off-season, which is especially important for rookies. But with fellow newcomers Cam Newton (Carolina) and Andy Dalton (Cincinnati) playing well from Day 1, Gabbert’s season probably looked worse than it really was.

However, Gabbert played without a No. 1 receiver, worked behind a shuffled and often inconsistent line, had countless passes dropped and had a lame-duck coaching staff.

Nonetheless, there were times he looked scared in the pocket, seemed to feel phantom pressure and was very inaccurate on some short throws.

Despite his shortcomings, the Jaguars stuck with Gabbert through a 5-11 season that included two wins against woeful Indianapolis and a victory over equally inept Tampa Bay.

Now, though, the Jaguars have an option.

“Obviously Blaine has been there for the past year and they are definitely going to give him a good chance, which is expectedly so,” Henne said. “I’m there to blend in, help him out and help the Jaguars win games.”

The Jaguars gave Gabbert and Henne some help.

Former Dallas receiver Laurent Robinson signed a five-year, $32.5 million contract Wednesday to be the team’s No. 1 receiver. Some believe the Jaguars overpaid for Robinson, who played for Atlanta, St. Louis and San Diego — and was even cut by Dallas — before his breakout season with the Cowboys in 2011.

Robinson caught 54 passes for 858 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He played for Mularkey in Atlanta, worked with receivers coach Jerry Sullivan during the lockout and dazzled new owner Shahid Khan in college at Illinois State.

He wanted to stay in Dallas, where he was the No. 3 receiver, but said the Cowboys didn’t have the salary cap space.

“They could only do so much,” Robinson said. “They didn’t really have the cap space to make a significant run. It all worked out here in Jacksonville, so I’m just excited to be a Jaguar.”

Henne wasn’t as eager to stay in Miami. Not that many would blame him. Even though the Jaguars would like to avoid a quarterback competition, everyone knows what will happen if Gabbert continues to struggle.

“There was some talks (with Miami), but I think they are on the Peyton Manning street right now, so they are going to wait a while,” Henne said. “In my position, there wasn’t much time to wait. I kind of wanted a new start, a fresh start and find a team where I feel comfortable. I just want to be on a team that wants to win games.”