Titans announce signing of quarterback Blaine Gabbert

One of the most pressing needs for the Titans this offseason was finding an upgrade at the backup quarterback position. Matt Cassel held those responsibilities last season, but the drop-off in the offense was simply too significant to continue down that path.

The Titans and Jon Robinson stayed out of the early free agency quarterback frenzy, but they now have their man. It’s the former 10th overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, Blaine Gabbert. Ian Rapoport reports that the deal was done late Monday night.

The Titans announced the signing this morning.

Gabbert was linked to the Titans throughout the 2011 draft process, but the team chose to go with Jake Locker instead. Gabbert landed with the Jaguars, where he famously flopped.

Since then however, Gabbert has turned into a serviceable backup. He delivered wins for the Cardinals over the Titans and Jaguars last year. Gabbert completed 55 percent of his passes in the five games that he started, throwing for 1,086 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions.

Is Gabbert the best backup quarterback in the league? No. Is he a clear-cut upgrade over Matt Cassel? Yes. The Titans got better in a spot that they had to get better in today.