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.