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Jets QB drama: Sam Darnold would 'embrace' competition from rookie
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. ā A look at whatās happening around the New York Jets:
1. Darnold vs. Wilson? Former Jets quarterback Josh McCown couldnāt help but laugh at how the narrative surrounding Sam Darnold has changed. Noting the fickle nature of the NFL, McCown told ESPN this week, āThree years ago, it was āSuck for Sam.ā Now itās, āSucked for Sam.'ā
The past three seasons have stunk for everybody connected with the Jets, and thatās one of the reasons Darnold could be replaced by a rookie, presumably BYUās Zach Wilson. McCown, who became a mentor to Darnold in 2018 and has remained close with him, believes the Jets would be wise to keep him. He feels Darnold would thrive in a stable, quarterback-friendly environment, something he hasnāt had.
āThis is the situation you want to come into, what they set up now,ā McCown said. āYou have a head coach and a GM that are aligned. You have picks, you have cap space and youāve put yourself in a position to make a run at genuine, long-term success. Unfortunately, thatās not the situation that Sam came into.ā
Right now, Darnold is in limbo, the subject of trade rumors. McCown said he hasnāt sensed any frustration from Darnold, but he knows it canāt be easy.
ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini and ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller discuss Zach Wilsonās pro day and the teamās QB decision. Ā» Listen here
āTo be on the cusp of [an organizational reboot] and have them go, āYeah, thatās not going to be for you, thatās going to be for somebody elseā ā no doubt, itās hard,ā McCown said. āBut I have not felt any negativity from him at all. Heās always positive and always has a great mindset. That speaks to his character and what heās about.ā
Darnoldās trade market appears to be drying up, fueling speculation the Jets could keep him and pair him with a rookie. That could be awkward, but McCown sees the upside in that scenario.
āCan it be done? Absolutely,ā McCown said. āIn my mind, if you canāt get the value now for him, thatās absolutely how you go about it. I wouldnāt even call it a competition. I would just say, āWeāre going to go with Sam as the guy and bring Zach along.ā If Sam knocks it out of the park, weāll re-evaluate where we are a year from now.
āSam would embrace it and be helpful, but heād also go out and work hard and try to make the most of the opportunity to play this year ā and put it back on them and make them have to make a tough decision at the end of the year. I think, if that happens, really and truly, everybody wins.ā
2. Mini-mock 1.o: Yep, itās that time.
With the No. 2 pick, Iām predicting Wilson to the Jets ā hardly a bombshell and the chalk pick at this point. At No. 23, itās Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome II, who would fill a big need and has the ball skills to excel in their Cover 3 scheme. Heād be the fourth corner off the board in my mock. Some mocks have the Jets taking a running back, but that would be a surprise this early.
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Mike Tannenbaum explains why Zach Wilson is the better choice at quarterback for the Jets over Sam Darnold.
3. Zach attack: One of the reasons the Jets like Wilson is because heās an ideal scheme fit. Theyāre installing the Shanahan version of the West Coast offense, which stresses play-action and a moving pocket. A quarterback must be able to throw on the run, and Wilson does that very well.
On designed rollouts in 2020, Wilson completed 69.4% (25 of 36) of pass attempts for 320 yards, five touchdowns with zero interceptions and zero sacks, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Keep in mind, weāre talking about high-percentage passes for the most part, but this provides context: His 96.4 QBR on designed rollouts was the third-highest mark among quarterbacks with 25 such dropbacks over the past three seasons.
Wilson also crushed it as a play-action passer, completing 74% (96-of-129) with 19 touchdowns with zero interceptions.
Based strictly on scheme, Wilson is the right guy for the Jets. But we know thereās more to it than that.
4. Draft trivia: In franchise history, which Jets draft pick (non-kicker) has the most career games played? Answer below.
5. Earn it! You may have noticed a trend among the Jetsā free-agent signings: Eight of the 12 additions have relatively large incentive packages included in their deals. For instance: Defensive end Carl Lawson, who has a three-year contract, can pocket an additional $800,000 per year based on sack incentives.
ā¢ Mock drafts: Kiper Ā» | McShay Ā» ā¢ Rankings: Kiper Ā» | McShay Ā» ā¢ 13 QBs in the class, five key stats Ā» ā¢ Kiperās March mailbag: 15 questions Ā» Full ranking Ā» | Pick order Ā» | More Ā»
There has been a shift in organizational philosophy over the past couple of years.
Salary-cap/contract expert Jason Fitzgerald of OvertheCap.com did some research and discovered the Jets have made 32 signings between 2019 and 2021 with incentives and/or escalators ā a significant increase from previous years. There were eight in 2017-18, mostly modest amounts. He traces the change to senior director of football administration Dave Socie, who arrived in 2018 after several years in the league office.
āThis year, in particular, [the incentives] are big, relative to the size of the deals,ā said Fitzgerald, mentioning running back Tevin Coleman, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, defensive end Vinny Curry and safety Lamarcus Joyner. Fitzgerald said the incentive packages are āclearly being used to entice the veteran player.ā
Coleman, Curry and Joyner signed one-year deals. Rankins has a two-year contract with the chance to earn an additional $4 million in performance incentives and $2 million in performance escalators.
In case youāre wondering, the incentives donāt count on the cap unless theyāre earned. Smart.
6. See ya! The Jets, who began with 19 unrestricted free agents, have retained one so far ā safety Marcus Maye, who signed his franchise-tag tender ($10.6 million). They havenāt re-signed any others, which says everything you need to know about how coach Robert Saleh feels about what he inherited. They did re-sign wide receiver Vyncint Smith and running back Josh Adams, but they were in the restricted category and received modest deals less than the RFA tender.
7. Philly jinx: As everybody knows, the Jetsā ā17th opponentā in the new 17-game schedule is the Philadelphia Eagles. Figures, right? The Eagles are the only team the Jets have never beaten ā ever. Theyāre 0-11, including five straight losses in which they failed to score 20 points.
In his first seven seasons after signing with the Jets in 1998, Curtis Martin averaged 383 touches and 1,698 yards from scrimmage and totaled 58 touchdowns.Ā Warren Zinn/USA Today Sports
8. Not-so-sweet 16: As a franchise, the Jets probably wonāt miss the 16-game season. I mean, itās not like they produced a bunch of glittering seasons and statistical milestones during the 43-year run of 16-game seasons. In fact, the Jets and Chicago Bears were the only teams that didnāt have a 4,000-yard passer in a season. Joe Namath passed for 4,007 in 1967, when the season was 14 games. Since then, 197 quarterbacks have eclipsed 4,000 in a season.
In a not-so-fond farewell to the 16-game season, letās take a moment to recognize the Jetsā statistical bests during that era:
Most wins: 12-4 (1998).
Most passing yards: 3,905, Ryan Fitzpatrick (2015).
Most rushing yards: 1,697, Curtis Martin (2004). Martin was responsible for seven of the teamās 17 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Most receiving yards: 1,502, Brandon Marshall (2015). The team had 14 1,000-yard receiving seasons, including five by Don Maynard, who accomplished all five in 14-game seasons.
Most touchdowns: 15, Thomas Jones (2008).
9. Be like Nick: Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey is a self-described film junkie. He likes to study top centers, and one of his favorites is former Jets Pro Bowler Nick Mangold. He also admires Travis Frederick and Maurkice Pouncey, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively.
āThose are the three I watch the most,ā Humphrey said at his pro day. āAll three of them are tough, physical players, good leaders for their team, so they are the kinds of guys Iām drawn to the most.ā
10. Trivia answer: Linebacker James Farrior, 230 games. He was the No. 8 overall pick in 1997, coach Bill Parcellsā first draft. He played five seasons with the Jets, 10 with the Steelers.
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