There is such a thing though as being willing to take risks and understanding the importance of the QB position, but not having your head so far up Mariota's ass like you and some of the other posters on here
Having Andrew Luck presented, or hoping that a proven guy becomes available in a trade or something is that option. When that happens who knows. Maybe Mac & Co. have the vision to see something in MM, pull the trigger, and it works. That's what I'm hoping for
If Bowles is any kind of HC at all and Mac any kind of talent evaluator, what are the chances in the foreseeable future that an Andrew Luck will fall to the Jets in the draft or they'll be able to trade up and draft such a QB? They are slim and none. If there's an Andrew Luck clone, the #1 team in the draft is gonna take him, they're not gonna trade down even for 10 first round picks. How often does a top shelf QB become available via trade? Never, unless he has character or legal concerns or has some fatal aspect to his play. Namath, Favre, and Manning are the only top quality QBs that have become available ever that I remember, and they were older with diminishing skills, and Namath and Manning had injury concerns. They passed up the chance last year to find a franchise QB. They'd better not do it again as IMO the Jets ONLY realistic opportunity to get a topflight QB prospect in the immediate future is in THIS draft with either Mariota or Winston.
Who's to say that the light wouldn't of come on at some point of his rookie, second or third year had he started right away. There are countless number of HOF QBs that started as rookies and struggled early. The article doesn't disprove my point. We can't say for certain Rodgers developed into the player he is now mostly because he sat.
I tend to think you can still win at a high level and contend with a TOP15 QB. Thr chances of drafting a once in a generation QB are slim, could MM be that guy? Who knows, but I tend to think he and Winston are more of "potential top 15 guys" than generational QB's. If thats the case (who knows how the Jets have MM and JW rated) let's draft dynamic playmakers to surround our current Roster with. Cooper, White. Fowler or trade back and stockpile picks in a deep WR, OLB, and RB draft.
The reason MM won't be there at 6 IMO is that drafting a WB high in the first isn't as cost prohibitive as it used to be. When we picked Sanchez and the Rams picked Bradford they got enormous contracts based on their draft spot and position....this isn't the case anymore. You can miss on a 1st rd QB and not put yourself in cap hell for 5 yrs. someone above us will take MM.
As an addition, this is also the reason why if MM is there at 6 and you see any reasonable potential that he could be successful in the NFL (more than other potentially draft able QBs in the later rds that is) then you take him. Taking him and giving him a present day NFL entry level contract is not cap crippling if you swing and miss and the QB position is too important to pass up the opportunity to solidify it for years to come
The Jets 4-12 record is for one reason, poor play at the QB position. Even a top 15 QB is a vast improvement over what the Jets have now. Think Eli and Ben, both with 2 SB's as top 15. I don't think any of us favoring MM or JW in this draft are saying they are generational, but they do have the potential to be top 15 and that's what this team desperately needs.
The Question is; do the Jets have a top 15 QB on their roster right now IF we add more dynamic playmakers and improve the OL? I'm far from a Geno supporter, but add Cooper/White to our WR core, Add duke Johnson to our backs, and add another top G/T to our line and I think we are closer than drafting MM or JW. The jets have historically NEVER surrounded their QB's with eleite level, dynamic playmakers. Combine that with always reaching for the QB= 4-12. Great weapons can cover up many warts that the QB has and a great QB can cover up for the lack of weapons. To me, it's eaiser to stockpile weapons than find that generational QB.
Smith was 8-8 his first year with hardly any weapons. Then they gave him Decker, Amaro, Harvin and Johnson and he went 4-12. So the "weapons" argument doesn't have much basis in statistics.
Because even consistently good QBs are so hard to find, most teams wind up taking the route you advocate, i.e., building up the rest of the team, and trying to stockpile weapons, and the results are mixed at best. Just because one takes a QB doesn't mean that one isn't still trying to build up the rest of the team, including adding weapons for the QB. It's NOT an either/or proposition. The Jets have never historically surrounded their QBs with elite level, dynamic playmakers because they've had horribly clueless owners, GMs, scouting depts. and CSs. Sheit rolls down hill.
That 8-8 season could have easily been 4-12 and the 4-12 season could have easily been 8-8. Just remember how many close games we won and how's many close games we lost the last two years. The jets have basically had one WR and a cast of Clyde gates's the past 3 years. I wouldn't call hamstring Eric Decker, Harvin for 6 games, Dropsie Amaro, and a past his prime CJ as "weapons". Point is, drafting MM Dosent improve the Jets this year. We all know there is a steep learning curve for "prospect and that's exactly what MM is. Cooper is a polished WR right now. White is a Dez Bryant clone and Fowler reminds me of T Suggs. Drafting MM=more of the same IMO
Except all of Geno's stats improved in his second season. He's not good, but you can't simply use wins as a judge of Qb play.
How is this at all relevant to what I said? I was simply responding to westidog's ridiculous argument that adding weapons to a team doesn't help that team.
