Can Jets be confident Mike Maccagnan will find franchise QB? Updated 9:11 AM; Posted 6:30 AM By Connor Hughes NJ Advance Media for NJ.com It's priority No. 1, 2 and 3 for the Jets this offseason. Their lone must-accomplish task. It doesn't matter how much these players love Todd Bowles, the abundance of picks in this year's draft, or the boatload of money to spend in free agency. If they can't get a quarterback ... it's all meaningless. And finding that franchise-defining guy falls on the shoulders of general manager Mike Maccagnan. He can use those picks to draft one, or the money to sign one. It doesn't matter how if he gets the job done. Just one issue: There are genuine concerns he has that ability. Maccagnan's been involved in collegiate and pro scouting the last 24 years. He was a college scout with the Redskins (1994), then the team's pro scout (1995-2000), before latching on with the expansion Texans. He was Houston's coordinator of college scouting until 2010, assistant director of college scouting for a year, then got promoted to Director of college scouting. He held that role from 2011 through 2014. While Maccagnan didn't call the draft shots at any location, he was involved in the evaluation, and aided in the decision to select, ten quarterbacks. Not one of them developed into a franchise guy. In 1994, the Redskins drafted Heath Shuler in the first round, and Gus Freotte in the seventh. Shuler played just 29 games (he threw 15 touchdowns and 33 interceptions) before washing out of the league. Freotte was a journeyman backup. Washington later picked Todd Husak in the sixth round in 2000. He played just one game. Again, Maccagnan wasn't the one who pulled the trigger on those picks, but he's never been around a team that successfully drafted a franchise quarterback. And since Maccagnan arrived in New York, that's continued. The Texans drafted David Carr (No. 1 pick) in 2002, David Ragone (third round) and Drew Henson (sixth) in 2003, B.J. Symons (seventh) in 2004, Alex Brink in 2008 (seventh), T.J. Yates in 2011 (fifth round) and Tom Savage (fourth) in 2014. Not one was a franchise-altering guy. Carr, Yates and Savage found success as backups. Maccagnan traded up to draft Baylor's Bryce Petty in the fourth round in 2015. There's a good chance he's not on an NFL roster next year. Maccagnan also took Penn State's Christian Hackenberg in the second round in 2016. The Jets are, quite literally, afraid to put him on the field. In two years, he hasn't taken a snap. As for draft success stories: Maccagnan shied away from trading up for Jared Goff (Rams) or Carson Wentz (Eagles), and passed on Dak Prescott (Cowboys) in 2016. He didn't pull the trigger on Deshaun Watson with the sixth pick in 2017, and never realistically tried to trade back into the first for him. The Texans did, and got Watson with the No. 12 pick.
If picking a QB in the draft was easy, you would not see so many mistakes. We all know the story about Brady. Marino was the 27th pick. Aaron Rogers was the 24th pick. Drew Breese was a 2nd round pick. Jimmy G was a 2nd round pick. There have been some successful top picks but there also have been a lot of top pick losers. I can't see a free agent QB wanting to sign for the Jets that is worth pursuing. So the Jets will have to make a pick and hopefully it will be a good one. I guess what I am basically saying is we may need to do some praying for the Jets here to the football Gods.
Aside from all those reasons stated to worry, I'm worried that Macc isn't really putting any real emphasis on getting a QB this year. Seriously. Everyone talks like "He HAS to nail it by drafting/signing a QB this year!", but I haven't heard him make that commitment. I I've seen nothing from him that tells me he's focusing on offense at this point. Maybe he will, he keeps a tight lid on what he's thinking, but I wouldn't make any assumptions that he's going hard after a QB, let alone looking to trade up to get one.
I may be a Darksider, but I think there's objective reason to question this GM's ability to secure a solid QB for the franchise. He doesn't coach the players and can't control things like injuries, but he is where th buck stops on talent evaluation and player acquisition. Thusfar, I'm not impressed at all with his moves both for a QB and for the moves he has not made at the position. He can't control what free agents are available, the starting position the team has in the draft nor the demands other teams make for trades either for vet players or in the draft, but 3 years in, we have every right to question whether he can find and secure a franchise QB. I'm sorry, but the Hack debacle speaks volumes and until he can rectify that, I will remain extremely skeptical.
Very well put. I didn't write Mac off yet but I don't have a big confidence in him either. This year will be telling for both Mac and Bowles. Either they will solve the QB problem and keep team in the play off race or both are gone. At least that's what I am hoping for.
I think the one of the more troubling parts of this is that Mac thought he had the young core in place with Hack and Petty last year. And because of that decided not to take a QB last draft. You gotta keep drafting QB's until you hit on one. Did he think he hit with the two on roster?
I don’t have much confidence in Mac either only because of what I’ve seen in his time as GM of the NYJs. Looking back at his entire career is meaningless though, we have no idea what if any role he played in drafting any of the QBs that have failed in his previous stops. It’s enough having selected Petty & Hack while passing on Mahomes & Watson to not have any confidence that Mac can ultimately select the right QB.
Actually, let me refine this a bit. Looking back, I think the Jets had a whole plan layed out for Hackenberg to assume the QB1 role this year, and he failed spectaularly. During the 2017 training camp, Hackenberg received the majority of practice reps and started the most preseason games. They were practically begging Hack to take the job. McCown was the veteran safety valve and Petty was third banana afterthought. But after a horrible game against the Lions where he basically froze up and then threw two pick sixes in the Giants preseason game, they had to give the job to McCown with Petty as backup. So basically Hack crapped the bed, all over the Jets offensive plans.
Fair point with regards to looking into his past, however, what he learned in the past could be the basis for what he is using presently to evaluate players or in this case QBs. Obviously the previous regimes he worked for got the QB selection wrong, so its not too far fetched to believe he's using the same parameters. Something else to keep in mind, he selected Petty and Hack based on the OC he had in place at the time, very few QBs will develope in the NFL with a high turnover in the OC department with a defensive minded HC. That's why it's imperative that the offensive system stay the same, which is usually done with an offensive minded HC or hiring OC that run similar schemes if a defensive minded HC is at the helm. If TB loses Morton, he better hire someone that runs a west coast offense to replace him for the sake of the development of the young QBs they draft.
What gives you the impression it's not his emphasis? We know for a fact he traveled in season to see some of the top QB prospects play. I can say for certainty he was at UCLA vs. USC and i am 90% sure i recall him talking about other games. People can say anything they want this time of year such as Saban stating he won't leave Miami to coach Alabama. We will have a better idea what Mac is thinking come St Patricks day when free agency is a couple days old and we will know for certain by the end of Friday night of draft weekend and more likely early Thursdays night. This is the off-season mac proves if his grand plan is shaping up or if he is bound for mediocrity. Though i have my doubts, at this time we can either bitch about something we can't change or hope things are coming together and his lack of comment is a case of keeping his cards close to the vest.
I really don't think the Jets are going to draft a QB on the 6. My guess is that they re-sign Joshie for 2 years and try to pluck a QB from the 2nd tier - Maybe a guy like Rudolf or Falk. History, and everything that's been said by both sides, points to this as of now.
Mike Mac s record at drafting QB s is not good but his record at drafting other positions sadly aint very good either
If you aren't questioning Maccagnan's Quarterback track record, you can't possibly be paying close enough attention.
Sorry to shatter your dreams but MCC & Bowels are TYPICAL hires just go backwards & see who he drafted during his sting with us
