Tough question. I can't truly answer it, because I don't know how Petty and Hack have been practicing and where they are in their development. That could greatly influence me one way or the other. I also don't know where Watson will be ranked/valued.. That will have a big effect on what my decision would be. If I were the GM and not just a fan, I'm sure I would look at things a bit differently, but I am a fan, and am somewhat biased. I like Watson, and have seen him play a lot, but I can't say that he's a better prospect than Petty, and I really like Petty. The advantage Watson has is that he has played in more of an NFL style offense at a very high level program on the national stage and has done very well. I'm going to attempt to answer this question as if I am the GM. If I didn't take Watson, then neither Petty nor Hack nor developed and Watson became a star in the NFL elsewhere, then I'd never live it down and I would soon be out of a job. OTOH, if I take Watson, he has to become the de facto starter based on being taken in the top 10 in the draft. Then, if Watson struggles and Petty or Hack blow him away in TC or go on to be quality starters for another team, and Watson doesn't develop, I'd get killed for taking Watson, and probably lose my job. If I take Watson and he becomes a successful starter, then Hack at a minimum becomes a wasted pick, but I couldn't worry about that. Having taken Hack would then definitely be a mistake, but one that would be forgiven because the Jets would finally have their QB in Watson. Petty could function as the backup for a season or two, but then I'm sure he would want to go to another team to have a chance to start. I think Petty would probably get a pretty good return in a trade at that point. Based on what I know at this point, as a fan and with my limited knowledge of all the facts, I will go out on a limb and say that IF Petty has been looking good in practice and plays really well in the next 4 games, no, I probably wouldn't take Watson. The thing is, if Watson is truly rated that highly, then he's likely to get taken by the Browns or the Niners anyway. If he is still there, the Jets would likely get several offers from QB needy teams wanting to trade up to take him. If Myles Garrett was still there, I'd tell those teams to get lost and sprint to the podium to take him. If not, I likely would take one of the offers, and look to take an OT, OLB, or CB with the lower 1st round pick. The only other player I might take there would be Fournette. I have a positive gut feeling about Petty. I like the way he throws the ball and I'm really rooting for him. If Petty struggles in the next 4 games however, and I have any doubts, then if Watson is there at #5 and rated that highly, then I probably would take him. At this point I wouldn't let Hack influence my decision one way or the other.
He's presently a 4-3 DE, but is projected by many as a 3-4 OLB. He's a stud pass rusher that should solve our pass rush issues. IMO only a QB, stud RB, stud OLB, stud LT or stud WR are worth taking in the top 5.
Good answer. I also like Watson a lot and I would take him no matter what Petty or Hack does. You may be right about them developing into good QB's, but I feel if Petty and Hackenberg had what it takes, why aren't they on the field? The skills of a journeyman like Fitzpatrick should not be a very high bar to overcome. Granted they may develop into good QB's but as you have repeatedly said, it may take time. Then again, what is the upside of QB's like Petty or Hackenberg? I feel their upside is more on the level of Dalton, or Tannehill which is good but not enough. On the other hand, if I'm right about Watson, and he turns into another Wilson or Prescott, then I'm in GM heaven for about 15 years or so. That's a gamble I'd be willing to take with a player like Watson. Conversely, if I'm wrong, then I'm looking for work again, but that would be my fate if I don't win in either case.
I don't know enough about Watson to say he should be a cinch pick, but if he's that good, I don't see him falling to the Jets. Is he good enough to start right out of the box, or will he need to "sit and watch" (god I HATE that approach!)? IF he's good enough to start, then MAYBE IF the Jets could trade up to get him, okay, but I don't see the Jets taking him. So that means we go with Petty/Hack and maybe someone like Glennon, et. al. in the mix. In that scenario, I think getting a stud RB makes the most sense - he takes a big load off the QB, and helps the OL by them not having to pass protect and get their beat in every play. I think this is actually the best approach based on what I've heard there are no "slam dunk. can't miss" QBs in this draft, so going with what we have and making their job easier makes the most sense to me. I would then look to pick up a stud pass rusher in FA with the (hopefully) large cap created with the cuts they should make.
Yup, we won the practice Super Bowl three years in a row! This makes a lot of sense if you're not sold on Watson. One thing is for sure, the Jets will be drafting pretty high this year, so Watson falling to them is a real possibility. On the other hand, if you are sold on Watson, it's an opportunity and moving up to take him, shouldn't cost the farm.
Thanks. When both Petty and Hack were drafted, Mac made a point of saying several times that they were not going to make the same mistakes that previous regimes did and rush Petty or Hack onto the field. They were going to go slow and conservatively with them. Petty is on the field now, and Hack isn't on the field for good reasons. I don't believe it taking so long for Petty to see the field has anything to do with his potential. Petty hasn't been on the field until now because: 1)The Jets were trying to "win now" and had no intention of giving Petty a shot as evidenced by their bringing Fitz back and keeping Geno; 2)Don't forget also that Petty was hurt in preseason and missed 2 months of practice; 3)Bowles is a moron and was in denial about the season being over or was trying to save his job. SImilarly, they never intended for Hack to see the field this season. This was a redshirt year for him. They knew he needed to overhaul his mechanics/footwork and possibly even his throwing motion to improve his accuracy. They knew they didn't have time to do that during the season and said that they were going to wait until after the season was over. So Hack was never even a consideration to play this year, and wouldn't have done well even if they gave him a chance. That doesn't mean that he can't or won't fix his mechanics and become a very good QB, it's just going to take a year or two. I think the upside of both Petty and Hack is higher than Dalton, and much higher than Tannehill. I think Petty has about as much upside as Watson does, and if Hack can fix his mechanics, then he does as well.
Stud pass rushers don't make it into FA unless they're head cases with off field issues or perhaps coming off of a major injury.
Well Reggie White was a FA as I remember. But your're right - STUD FA's, at any position, are hard to find. Still, I lean towards using that first - hopefully Top 5 - pick for Fournette, and finding a stud pass rusher in Round 2+ is less likely IMO than finding a better one via FA.
I sure hope you're right. I think Petty has an important game coming up tomorrow. He really needs to show something playing against the second worst team in the league.
Resign Geno and have him, Petty, and Hack battle it out. If one of them emerges and looks like an actual franchise quarterback, then we're set. If not, you draft one of the stud QB's in 2018. We use this year's draft to draft a stud LOB, CB, and possibly center. We can probably also get a good TE or RB in the 2nd - 4th rounds. There are some intriguing QB's in this year's draft, but no ones a stud compared to 2018's class. For what it's worth, I think Geno can actually be a good QB and he hasn't had adequate time and chances to develop. He had to start as a rookie when he was supposed to sit out the year and learn the system. He never had weapons like Marshall or Decker. Give him a chance and he could finally take the next step. He's still young too
Unfortunately, probably not. At this point, he's the #1 rated prospect in the draft. I doubt that Cleveland would pass on him to take a QB since this isn't a great class for QBs. They conceivably could take Watson, but we'll probably be picking around #4 or #5, and SF, Jacksonville or Chicago would undoubtedly take him before we could.
I wouldn't draft a QB in ANY round this year... I'd rather go get a vet like Glennon and have him battle with Bryce and Hack..
Matt Barkley looks like he's finally come along, he'll be a name that gets linked provided he finishes the season strong.
No more then 3 in camp, please. We have at least 2 guys that will need all the reps they can get. Besides, that 4th QB might have a legit shot at an NFL career on any other roster.
