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With the Jacksonville Jaguars' switch to David Garrard as their starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, there is going to be considerable speculation over head coach Jack Del Rio's motives in making the change.

There is already some suspicion that Del Rio has seen enough of incumbent Byron Leftwich, the team's first-round choice in 2003, to have concluded that he's not the long-term solution at the position, nor the guy to take the Jaguars to a championship. The left ankle sprain with which Leftwich played last Sunday -- which Del Rio has suggested was a factor in the quarterback's performance during a 27-7 loss at Houston, after initially maintaining the injury was not a major component in the defeat -- might be viewed as the well-timed excuse that the coach needed to make a change at the top of the depth chart.

It seems Leftwich might have to tread gingerly these days on more than just the bad ankle, which flared up unexpectedly late last week. The sense is that if Garrard and plays well on Sunday, he could keep the job for a while.

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