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Perhaps a grain of salt is needed.
Jordan Palmer was interviewed by ESPN’s NFL Live and said, “I’ve said this a bunch, Sam is one of the best young quarterbacks in this league.”
Perhaps, but Palmer is paid by Darnold to tutor him when the QB isn’t working with the Jets. They work together in California.
So he’s on Darnold’s payroll, so you need to keep his quotes in perspective.
“He has everything,” Palmer said about Darnold. “You talk to smart coaches around the league, Sam is one of those guys that they put in a different category. It’s just going to be a matter of time for him.”
The Jets certainly hope so, and we will find out a lot this year. Bill Parcells always felt the third years is when you really find out about prospects.
Not sure though, we can put him in a “different category,”yet.
He has great tools, but a lot of work to do. He must improve at reading defenses and going through through his progressions – not lock on to his primary receiver as much. And a big challenge for him is that there will be no offseason workouts this year. Now it’s official, the first on-field work will be when the Jets start training camp in late July. The NFL decided yesterday there will be no mini-camps and OTA’s.
“I feel like this offseason with the disarray and how crazy it’s been, he’s been so consistent every day doing the same things and just being methodical with his work, communicating with his teammates,” Palmer said. “He’s heading into Year 2 with this system and with Sam, I don’t think it’s big, major changes. I think he has to continue to stay the course and he’s done that.”
It’s good for Darnold that he’s staying in the same system two years in a row. That will be huge for him. Switching systems from his first to second year was bad for him.
However, not having the spring camps was really bad for him, but what can you do? There was a pandemic. But it could impact his maturation process. These spring camps do matter, otherwise they wouldn’t have them. They are great for developing timing and chemistry in the passing game.
“Last offseason, he had an unbelievable offseason,” Palmer said. “He laid out a plan with his coaching staff and he checked every box. Then the mono thing hit, there was a new coaching staff, so with Sam, I don’t think that he has to make any drastic changes to what he’s doing. I think it’s just going to be a matter of time until things click. People are healthy, guys know the system and he’ll explode.”
That is the plan, that he will explode this year. His second season in Gase’s system, a reworked offensive line thanks to the draft and free agency, new speedy weapons in Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims, the return of promising TE Chris Herndon, and a physical runner added in the draft in Lamical Perine. The Jets need a more physical running game than last year.
This is a huge year for Darnold, not just because it’s his all-important third year, but he needs a big year to position himself for one of those lottery ticket QB contracts, which often happen with a second deal. Not saying he will get after his third season (ask Jamal Adams about trying to do that), but he needs a big third season to start heading into that $35-40 million-a-year discussion.
June 3, 2020
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