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JAGUARS HEAD COACH JACK DEL RIO
(on the meeting earlier today and how he gets the team past the release of David Garrard)
We had a good meeting and its Titans week. We are getting geared up for a divisional rival and our home opener.
(on if the team will be able to put it behind them quickly)
Absolutely.
(on how Luke McCown's arm strength looked during camp)
He has had a nice camp for us and we are excited to get going here as a football team.
(on if he is concerned with his accuracy on deep throws)
No, I wouldn't say that that's how we are looking at the situation. We want to play to the strengths of our players and we think he is the right guy to move our offense right now and he is not going to try to do it all by himself. He has good players around him and we expect him to play good football Sunday.
(on if it was a mistake to have David Garrard at the luncheon yesterday right before he was released)
Well as a former player I can just tell you that I have never been comfortable with the idea of a player practicing or doing anything like that and then being released, I am not a fan of that. I was a player once and had it happen and I didn't like it. There are times when the timing works out that way and it's not ideal and I think that was clearly a situation where that was the case. It wasn't ideal, but the decision had to be made, the decision was made, and we moved forward as a football team to get ready for the 2011 season.
(on why they waited so late to release David Garrard)
I think we laid all this stuff out yesterday and addressed all kinds of questions on this subject. The bottom line is we took our time with what we think is an important position and an important decision and it happened to go to the 11th hour. It's not always the way you would like it to go, but like I said, as a football team we made the call we believe is the right call and as a football team that was yesterday and today we are onto the Titans.
(on if the division is wide open due to the likelihood of three teams starting new quarterbacks)
I think it's wide open every year. I think you restart every year. All of the teams in the league are 0-0 and we happen to open with a divisional opponent here at home and it's a big game for everybody, openers are big everywhere. Like I said, every year is a new beginning, a fresh start, new opportunities, so we are focused right now on just our preparation and getting ourselves ready. We are fortunate that we are coming out with fairly healthy team coming out of camp and getting ourselves geared up and ready to roll.
(on how close Blaine Gabbert is to being ready to help you and play in the NFL)
Well he can play in the NFL now, he has got NFL talent and he is a talented young man that came in and had a nice five-week period here where he has taken in a lot, learned a lot, and worked through quite a bit. We just feel at this point he is our backup and he is prepared and he knows that he is one play away from being able to go in anyhow, but right now Luke (McCown) gives us the best chance.
(on if Dwight Lowery is in the starting mix and if it would be safety or corner)
Yes he is a guy that will be considered as a starter at some point. Obviously, he is being brought up to speed and he does bring flexibility in that he has played in this league at both corner and safety.
(on his impressions on some of the changes that the Titans have made)
I think obviously one constant is Chris Johnson; he is a terrific player and does a heck of a job. They have a veteran quarterback now to direct them that's a proven decision maker that is a former Pro-Bowl guy several times over in the league. They always have a good offensive line and they have some good skill people. They are very formidable up front offensively, and defensively I know Jerry Gray going way back. We exchanged helmets back in college. I still have that University of Texas helmet somewhere. I have known Jerry a long time, he does a good job and I know those guys are getting themselves ready as well. They have a couple of new faces plugged in there. It's a good football team coming out of camp. I think right now we are both just trying to get ready for the season to unfold and getting ready to get started here Sunday and looking forward to it.
(on what Mike Munchak can expect for his first game as a head coach)
I like Mike as a person, but I'm not going sit here and try to give an opponent any thoughts on what he might want to be expecting or looking forward to or not. We are just gearing up, getting ready to go to battle.
(on what he thinks of Mike Munchak as a head coach)
Well we are getting ready to find out. He's got a blank slate right now starting 0-0.
(on any comparisons between Blaine Gabbert and Jakes Locker)
I wouldn't care to do that. I think that was all done during the draft preparation leading up, and obviously they got their guy and we got a guy we like and we got our guy. Obviously, they are both well thought of, talented football players and it appears both with start the year in a backup role. Both will have bright futures in the league.
(on if he and Jerry Gray swapped helmets at a USC vs. Texas game)
No, we didn't play Texas. That was at an all-star game way back when.
