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New Jersey – Chan Gailey was at a charity event today, and it’s no surprise he was asked a bunch of questions about the Jets’ unsettled quarterback situation . . .
New York Post headline – “Hackenberg more ready than you think: Jets coordinator.”
That headline certainly got my attention.
I should know better by now. The headline writers, especially at the tabloids, are given to embellishment.
“You try not to predispose a guy, put him in a box, so to speak,” Gailey said when asked if Christian Hackenberg would be ready this year. “You try to make sure you keep an open mind and give him an opportunity to show what he can do. Every quarterback has their ups and downs. He’s not by himself in that respect. I think he’s got a great deal of potential.
“He retained a great deal from the pro style of offense that Bill (O’Brien) had. He’s ahead in that respect, but he’s behind in seeing what’s going to happen to him defensively in the NFL.”
That doesn’t sound like a coach who feels the quarterback is ready to start, but maybe that is just me.
While Mr. Coffee made the final decision to pick Hackenberg, he leaned a great deal on Gailey, a good judge of quarterback talent, and a terrific QB tudor.
Gailey was a big part of the Jets’ pre-draft evaluation of Hackenberg, and checked off on the pick.
“I think his intelligence, his decision-making,” Gailey said in regards to what he liked about Hackenberg. “When he played in a pro-style offense as a freshman, he handled that extremely well. There were a lot of positives.”
But if he started this year, there would be a lot of negatives. He’s not instant coffee and the Jets know that. Gailey certain knows that. The Jets didn’t pick Hackenberg to start this year. We all know that. He needs a redshirt year or two.
Does Gailey think Ryan Fitzpatrick is coming back?
“I can’t worry about that stuff,” Gailey said. “I coach whoever walks in the door.”
He should be worried. Fitzpatrick gives the Jets the best chance to win.
And in my opinion, if Gailey knew for sure, early this off-season, that Fitzpatrick was going to sign elsewhere or quit, in my opinion, Gailey would have retired.
He’s going year-to-year now.
Honestly, he didn’t come back in 2016 to work with a young, inconsistent project at quarterback, whoever that might be, against perhaps the NFL’s toughest schedule. That is a dumpster fire waiting to happen. Gailey doesn’t need that at 64 nearing the end of his coaching career.
He came back to pick up where he left off with Fitzpatrick, who is truly a kindred spirit to the coach.
They think as one. They work amazingly well together. They have a great synchronicity as psychiatrist Carl Jung (or Sting) would put it.
With all that being said, I think Fitzpatrick will eventually re-sign for around $10 million per.
And Hackenberg will be on the bench this year.
May 16, 2016
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