Not since Joe Namath have the New York Jets had a franchise quarterback. So, naturally, fans of Gang Green might need a guide to get through.
By Robby Sabo
“Ryan Fitzpatrick is a choke artist.”
“Geno Smith just needs a chance with real weapons around him.”
“Fitzmagic.”
This is just a small sample of some of the many declarations that come from the mouth of the New York Jets fan on a daily basis. These statements are said loudly and, usually, quite boldly.
It’s all banter proclaimed about the Jets quarterback situation – one that’s been a situation for over four decades now.
Not since No. 12 – Joe Namath – has this organization felt what it’s like to employ a franchise quarterback. And this leaves the fan starving for one. They crave that one guy. They ache for that one knight in shining armor who can bring the organization its second Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Now, more than ever, they should crave possessing that guy.
With NFL rules and guidelines heavily skewing the game towards scoring, the man who touches the behind of the center rules the roost. Guys, and only guys with names such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and Joe Flacco, win Super Bowls these days.
Suddenly, thanks to the 51st overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Jets fans have the opportunity to spew more garbage from their mouths:
“Christian Hackenberg is our savior.”
“Sackenberg.”
With the addition of the Penn State product, New York’s quarterback situation is as foggy as ever.
Don’t fret, though. We’ll use this very small space of the internet to go through each QB candidate for the Jets in 2016 and wrap it up with one final conclusion at the end.
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Christian Hackenberg
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2016 Projected Role: Third Team
The new kid on the block is as polarizing a prospect as can be.
Some think he’s a total bust. Others believe he’s loaded with untapped potential due to crazy circumstances surrounding his three years in Happy Valley.
One thing’s for sure: Mike Maccagnan did not stake his reputation to the kid.
Rich Cimini of ESPN New York recently wrote an article titled “Mike Maccagnan Stakes Reputation To Polarizing QB Christian Hackenberg.”
That might be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.
Maccagnan has put his reputation on the line with the 51st overall pick in the draft? You’re joking, right?
I can understand a reputation being put on the line when trading up into the first or second slot for a QB – much like the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles did – but not with a second round selection.
What everybody needs to understand here is Maccagnan took a QB prospect; nothing more, nothing less.
The 6-4, 223 lbs. prototypical QB has a tremendous arm. He’s tough, stands in the pocket and is willing to take a beating. While he’s also shown positive leadership traits, his accuracy issues remain the biggest concern.
Bryce Petty
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2016 Projected Role: Second Team
Honestly, if Bryce Petty enters 2016 as the New York Jets backup quarterback, the starter better not get hurt.
Much like Hackenberg, Petty is a project. He comes from Baylor’s offense. This can only mean one thing: He’s not even close to being ready for the pro game.
In college Petty was able to chuck the ball all over the field from a spread look. Open wide receivers were the norm, not the occasion.
While he showed positive things last preseason – especially by way of attempting to go through progressions – on the field production will be the only ticket when trying to evaluate Petty.
Geno Smith
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2016 Projected Role: Cut
Unfortunately for Geno Smith, the writing is on the wall that he’ll be cut from the team.
The only logical solutions are down to a few. One is seeing Geno cut. Another would have Bryce Petty moving to the practice squad (and thus becoming available to all 31 other NFL franchises).
The third situation revolves around the Jets carrying four quarterbacks – a situation not likely to go down.
We lean towards Smith being cut thanks directly to the Hackenberg drafting. Maccagnan selecting Hackenberg signaled his unsettled feeling about his team’s overall QB situation.
It’s unfortunate for Geno, too. Despite much of the hate out there, he does have some incredibly positive attributes.
For one, he’s extremely tough. For a such a mobile guy at the position, he hangs tough in the pocket and delivers a strike with the best of them. With adequate arm strength, he can also deliver the ball on a dime.
Where he excels in physical tools, however, is where he fails between the ears.
Smith hasn’t been able to prove he can handle running an NFL offense. Yes, he’s also never had weapons such as Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker surrounding him. At the same time, during his two years as starter, he never got to the point in which having weapons actually mattered.
Geno never fully mastered how to breakdown and NFL defense and read it in real-time. Weapons don’t matter when this is the case.
And make no mistake about it, he was the starter heading into 2015. The Jets wanted to see what he could do with a full compliment.
His leadership qualities failed him during the IK Enemkpali scuffle as he lost whatever cred he had left with the new regime of Mikey Mac and Todd Bowles.
Ryan Fitzpatrick
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2016 Projected Role: Starter
The reason Geno Smith will be cut has everything to do with the return of Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Although the backup situation will be quite interesting, to say the least, it’s a move Maccagnan will probably have to make. The Jets want Fitzpatrick and Fitz wants New York.
It couldn’t be more evident. Fitz has been seen doing the town in every which way since the offseason started. Whether it’s getting called out by the Doggie at the reunion show or getting snapped on the subway en route to Madison Square Garden to watch the New York Rangers, this Harvard grad obviously has the Big Apple on his mind.
It won’t be easy, as the Jets currently have just $3.338 million in cap space, but it’s most definitely possible. Reworking the deals of Eric Decker and/or Buster Skrine is one way to get it done. Cutting veteran Breno Giacomini is another direction Fitz can fit in under the salary cap.
Fitz knows the system, is most comfortable with the offense, and provides the Jets the best chance of winning in 2016.
What second-year regime would ever want to go from 10-6 to a losing and rebuilding-like season in year two under a project QB?
Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles sure don’t want to experience that. Expect Fitzpatrick back and touching the backside of Nick Mangold come summertime.
If Jets fans have hate for the man who’s the single-season franchise record holder with 31 touchdown passes in a season, they might need to look in the mirror.
Final Conclusion
As a fan, remember one very important aspect to this game of NFL football: You don’t know anything.
Moreover, the suits who call themselves general managers don’t know as much as you believe they do.
Did you think Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots knew what Tom Brady was when they drafted him in the sixth-round all the way back in 2000? Of course not. Nobody knew.
If they knew he would ultimately become arguably the best who’s ever played the position, he would have gone with the first pick. The Pats simply selected a guy they saw upside in and believed in.
Think of the drafting of Christian Hackenberg as nothing more than that. Maccagnan likes the kid. He sees value in him in the second round and is banking on the fact he struggled through terrible circumstances at Happy Valley.
Does he think he’s the Jets future?
He honestly has no idea.
The same can be said for fourth-round draft pick Bryce Petty. While the Jets proclaim their love for Petty, that love doesn’t signal the second-year Baylor product will be a 10-year starter.
These NFL general managers don’t have magic balls in which they have the ability to plan out the next decade.
What they do is simply collect the best talent under a strict salary cap and allow the coaching staff to develop this talent.
Much like you and I, Maccagnan won’t know if Petty and/or Hackenberg can be a franchise QB of an NFL franchise for quite some time.
In this league, unless you have a franchise quarterback, you’re constantly doing everything in your power to obtain one. If this means drafting one every single season until one finally pans out, you do it.
Mikey Mac is collecting talent and hoping something sticks to the wall. Whether or not Hackenberg and/or Petty will is anybody’s best guess.
One thing’s for sure: The Jets cannot and will not enter 2016 without Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the team.
Unless something seriously unforeseen happens, Fitz will be back and the two youngsters will be holding the clipboard.