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Even though it’s an unconventional way . . .
of handling a young QB, they might as well give it a try and see what happens.
Talking about essentially redshirting QB Zach Wilson in his third year, as opposed to his first year, in the NFL.
He clearly should have sat as a rookie, and the Jets admitted as much late last season.
“For Zach, in hindsight, it probably would have benefitted him to sit back and learn a little bit and watch a veteran do it and just kind of grow in this league in the backseat watching, and getting better in practice and better through scout team,’’ former Jets OC Mike LaFleur said on January 6.
There was an argument they had nobody else. They had Mike White at the time. They had another option. If they didn’t want to go with him, they could have also signed a veteran with the intent of him being a “hold-the-fort” QB as Bill Parcells used to call it. They didn’t have to start Wilson. There were ways to avoid doing that.
But now they are going to “sit back and learn a little bit and watch a veteran do it and just kind of grow in this league in the backseat watching.”
Good for them. He’s only 23. Go for it! Ignore the noise.
There was a headline this week that Wilson “is in odd limbo as team pursues Aaron Rodgers.”
This shouldn’t be considered “odd limbo.” He’s not going to be their starter this year, so waiting for Rodgers to be traded to the Jets, isn’t holding up anything for him.
There is no grey area here. He’s not starting in Week 1, barring a rash of injuries at the position. Tim Boyle should be ahead of him at this point.
The Jets need to ignore the outside noise, keep Wilson away from the media as much as possible, and just forge ahead with their plan to give him this year to fix his mechanics and footwork.
If they don’t fix his footwork, his accuracy is going to continue to be a problem
“Footwork is the bedrock of accuracy,” said former NFL GM Bill Polian.
So let him sit behind Rodgers, who we assume will be there, and let the coaches try to fix his footwork. Give it a try.
“Zach has got all the talent in the world, and we have all the confidence in the world in him, it’s just like what I said — a reset. We’re going to grind with him, we are, and through hell or high water, we’re going to figure out how to get him to where we know he can be,” Robert Saleh said late last season.
“We’re not wavering. We believe in the young man. The biggest thing for Zach is, it’s not his talent. I want to make sure that we reconnect with Zach and regain his confidence and regain his confidence in himself, in us, in us in him, just all of us. Just to make sure that he is back on track — get his footwork down right, get his mechanics right, get his mind right. It’s not a talent thing for Zach. I don’t believe that. Like I said when I said, ‘reset,’ we’re going to work our tails off to help him. We’re committed to that.”
Ignore the outside and try to do this.
Give him a year or two to sit behind Rodgers, and fix his mechanics.
Hey, it might not work, but give it a try.
So honestly, I don’t think he’s in limbo right now.
He’s more in QB rehab.
April 12, 2023
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