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As people grasp at straws for angles these days, it’s tends to make people read into statements more than we should.
“We want competition at every position,” Todd Bowles said today “Ryan (Fitzpatrick) is going to compete, as well as Geno is going to compete, and we hope to add somebody else to compete with them, along with (Matt) Simms.”
The fact that Bowles said, “We hope to add somebody to compete with them,” has led to speculation today connecting to the Jets to Marcus Mariota.
I don’t know about that. If anything, what Bowles is doing is trying to create the thinking that the Jets are interested in Mariota.
At the owner’s meeting, at his presser, there was question that I felt led to a strategic media moment for the rookie coach.
He was asked about something his old boss said. Bruce Arians made a comment about how tough the transition is for college spread quarterbacks like Mariota to the NFL.
After the question, there was a pregnant pause from the coach.
He knows how smart his former boss is when it comes to offense and quarterbacks. So he didn’t want to be dismissive. Plus he knows Bruce is right.
Yet, obviously, he wasn’t going to promote this angle, considering the Jets would love to be blown away with a mega-offer for the pick.
So after the delay, he started his answer.
“Uh . . . . . . I don’t know. Depends on the quarterback. Until you sit those guys down mentally and do though the process with them and a chalkboard talk, and see what they see and kind of understand what they see, go through the footwork process. I have to reserve that comment.”
Smart answer.
Honestly, he doesn’t have to reserve anything. He knows how tough the transition is.
And the chalkboard work before the draft isn’t going to change that. Mariota can be coached to understand concepts, but that doesn’t mean with the real bullets start flying, he’s going to be able to function effectively his first year or two in the NFL. This guy has a ton of work to do on footwork, mechanics, playing under center, progressive sans – the whole enchilada. Good work on the chalkboard doesn’t change that.
Bowles knows that.
He’s a very smart football man.
But it doesn’t do the Jets any good to push that narrative.
Especially if they are looking to sell the pick for a boatload of draft picks.
As we have discussed before on this site – Woody Johnson showed some ankle on this topic at the NFL owner’s meeting. When Johnson said the said that Geno Smith was further along as a player than Mariota, he was spot-on, and gave us a glimpse into the Jets’ thinking.
Not that Smith is a great quarterback at this stage, but after two years of valuable starting experience, he is much further along than Mariota on the NFL level. Mariota is a project. The Jets can’t use the 2015 to develop a quarterback on the job, as I like to say, use the season as a petri dish. They need to win this year.
And since they aren’t likely to have a franchise quarterback this year, the Jets need to win with great defense, a great running game, great special teams and a quarterback who manages the game.
Smith or Ryan Fitzpatrick are much-better equipped to manage an NFL game in 2015 than Mariota, who is so wet behind the ears.
April 2, 2015
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