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Waterloo, N.Y. – The New York Daily News had an interesting headline to a Jets article today.
The headline read, “Although Smith didn’t get the start, it’s no secret that first-year GM John Idzik hopes his second-round pick wins the job.”
I had never heard that before.
Since I don’t know the source of the information, I’m not going to be too critical of the report. That would be unfair.
But if it’s true, I just don’t know why Idzik, or anyone, would feel that way right now.
Let the competition play out over the course of the summer in the remaining practices, and the first three preseason games, and then pick a starter.
Why would anybody want Geno Smith to start before he’s ready to start?
Maybe he is ready – we will see over the course of the summer.
But so far in camp, he doesn’t look ready.
A problem that plagued him in college, continues to be an issue – he holds the ball too long.
That isn’t a new problem. It was an issue at West Virginia.
Look, I do think that Smith can be good in time, but I view him as a major project.
Not only does he need to learn to get rid of the ball fast, but must learn to read defenses better, play under center (his college offense was shut-gun) and get stronger.
I don’t know what the rush is.
Unless some in the Jets brass, and in their fan base, are willing to write off the 2013 season, and say, “Let’s develop a quarterback this year.”
I see that as a 5-11 formula with the Jets’ schedule.
I don’t know why a season ticket holder, paying good money for personal seat licenses and for their tickets, would want to sit there, and watch a young, inconsistent quarterback learn on the job. Is that entertaining to watch?
Once again, I’m not hating on Smith, I’m just dealing with the reality that he is a developmental prospect (with outstanding raw skills).
Remember, while he does have a fabulous arm, there are a myriad of reasons he was as second round pick. He didn’t slip through the cracks. He was picked where he should have been picked.
So why would Idzik WANT his second round rookie quarterback to start immediately? For what reason?
And why would Rex want that, unless you believe the Gary Myers’ Theorem, that starting a rookie quarterback will give Rex a built-in excuse to have a mediocre record and keep his job.
If I were running the Jets, I would start Greg McElroy, and view him as a hold-the-fort quarterback (as Bill Parcells used to call it), until Smith is ready.
Maybe McElroy is better than a hold-the-fort player, but let’s just make him the hold-the-fort guy for argument’s sake.
What a perfect player to hold the job down until Geno is ready – a smart, game-manager who reads defenses well and doesn’t turn the ball over a lot, a guy who would compliment the Jets’ defense and special teams well.
But if Rex refuses to play McElroy, than just let Smith and Mark Sanchez battle it out all the way into the third preseason game, and start the guy who gives you the best chance to win based their work in the mini-camps, the class room, training camp and preseason.
For the life of me, I don’t know why anyone in the building would be hoping that Smith wins the job.
They should just be hoping somebody emerges that gives them a good chance to win on Sunday’s.
That is what this choice should be all about.
Nothing else.
August 8, 2013
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