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49ers Training Camp: Early Stock Watch for San Francisco

By Peter Panacy

Jun 8, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) warms up with teammates during minicamp at the San Francisco 49ers Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 8, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) warms up with teammates during minicamp at the San Francisco 49ers Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) runs onto the field with his team before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Lions win 32-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) runs onto the field with his team before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Lions win 32-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert

If Colin Kaepernick’s stock is falling, that should mean Blaine Gabbert’s is rising, correct?

Not exactly.

Gabbert may have a perceived edge in the starting quarterback competition thus far, and it’s entirely possible Kaepernick could play better than Gabbert during the preseason and still lose out on the No. 1 gig.

For now, we know this — Gabbert has had some good moments only to be matched by some bad ones as well.

Here are a couple of assessments on Gabbert, courtesy of Grant Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

From Day 2:

"First, the good. Threw 20 of his 23 passes while playing with the starters and launched a perfect deep pass down the left side line to Jerome Simpson who caught the ball in the end zone. This was the best pass of the day. Now, the not so good. Gabbert threw one pick and completed just 14 of 23 passes during team drills. On third down, he completed only one pass and threw short of the first-down marker three times even though it was a 7-on-7 drill and there was no pass rush. At least he practices the way he plays."

From Day 3:

"Completed 17 of his 26 passes during team drills, including a deep touchdown pass to Torrey Smith. This was the second day in a row Gabbert threw a deep TD pass."

At points, Gabbert appears poised to make some great throws, including the one to wide receiver Jerome Simpson referenced earlier in the slideshow.

But we also see Gabbert making simple mistakes — ones which could easily cost him the starting job if they continue. And Cohn’s evaluation of Gabbert’s third-down attempts bring back memories not exactly favorable in 49ers fans’ minds.

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Yeah, Gabbert wasn’t particularly good on third downs last year. At least not in terms of reaching the first-down marker.

So while Gabbert may still have the edge in the quarterback competition, for whatever reason fans want to believe, the hold can’t exactly be considered a strong one.

For that, Gabbert’s stock remains about even.

Stock: Even

Next: 10 Roster-Bubble Players to Watch in 49ers Training Camp

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.