Honest question... How many QB's in that draft class were 4 year starters? Would Zach have benefited from staying at BYU another year?
It certainly looks like Zach's time as a Jet is over. Good for him. Bad for whichever young QB the Jets pick to replace him. They have no clue how to do this, and haven't for decades. Yes, maybe Zach isn't good enough to be a starter in the NFL - although I don't think you can make that judgment based on his experience under this dysfunctional organization - but I don't think any of the proven great QBs would've become great here either. With their "defense first" philosophy, and an apparent belief in a "QB Fairy" that delivers finished and polished great QBs to teams without them having to do anything more than wish really, really hard for one, they're never going to find their Marino, Elway, P. Manning, Mahomes. It's a tragic irony that the team that gave the NFL Joe Namath can't find another great QB. So they had better hope that Rodgers works out, and that they can find a young, already developed vet who is immune to their dysfunctional offensive "philosophy" if they ever hope to make it to the playoffs again. let alone win a SB. As for all the idiots here who are piling on Zach with ignorant "analyses" like he would never succeed because he comes from a blue eyed, blond, family, or that he didn't work hard, you got your wish. You'd better hope that the saying "Be careful what you wish for" doesn't bear fruit for you.
None to my knowledge. Lawrence was 3, Fields was 2, Mac Jones was 1.5, Lance 1-ish at FCS level. After all the Covid extra year stuff is done this season and next in college, the four year starter is almost nearly going to be extinct. If they’re good enough to be a 3-year starter by their junior year they’re probably going pro. And if they’re not, they probably wouldn’t make it as the starter for 3 years.
Nobody wished for anything--rather people rationally judged he was bad by his performance through two years of data. I don't know why you couldn't interpret it--and I'm amazed you're still on this horse.
Multiple things can be true at the same time too. Surely the Jets don’t know how to develop prospects but Wilson got a pretty fair deal here. They brought in a very QB friendly system that has realized success with QB’s across a broad spectrum. The offensive line wasn’t great his first two years by any stretch but they were decent enough for him to be better than he was. He had pro receivers, he had a professional running game and he was abysmal. That’s a lot more than what can be said for Darnold.
This is a tragedy... These kids are NOT ready. Not even remotely close. I don't care if they can throw a football through a brick wall, see Tony Richardson this year, they are NOT ready. They can't read defenses, they can't adjust the scheme to match... They simply can't. I'm on record that Richardson specifically, but most drafted like him, won't last their 5 year contract. I also said Richardson wouldn't last the season. I don't think he made it through the first quarter. These supposed "physically gifted" QB's that get drafted find out that their "physical gifts" don't mean jack in the NFL. In college they can out run, out throw and out juke 95% of the other kids however, when guys like Quinnen Williams are FASTER than they are they don't have much of a shot. At least, if they spend upwards of 3 or 4 SOLID STARTING YEARS in school they go through enough game experience where they figure some of these things out. Or, at the very least, there's a big enough playing sample size for NFL teams to determine if they will translate to the next level. But they come in, some with winning records others not, go "off" at the combine and then, all of a sudden, they are the next big thing. They get drafted, paid a "little" and thrown to the wolves. Insult to injury, these teams are all now LOOKING for that rookie QB to come in, be cheap and start right away, so that they can build a fast SB winner. And, they'll "burn through" as many kids as they can to do it. All the while doing that, they are screwing the fans out of a quality product and, worse, screwing all the other teammates who put their heart, soul and lives into the game. You simply can't win in the NFL without, at the very least, competent QB play. They don't all have to be Pat Mahomes. Look at what's going on in San Francisco. That kid, Purdy, played FOUR FULL years at Iowa State. For the most part, he runs that San Francisco offense about as flawlessly as it can be run. He is so much like Joe Montana it's not funny. (speaking physically) Not the most physically gifted guy but he gets "it" where he needs to...between the ears. Watch him play. He reads defenses like a book...he did it as a rookie and he's picked up where he left off and continues. At no point in time, regardless of how much time he started, did Trey Lance look even remotely close to how Purdy looks. I say that because I'm kind of sick of people ragging on the kid because he's got a loaded team. Well, Trey Lance had the same loaded team and couldn't do jack. But this is what I'm talking about. It's why the Tulane QB, Mike Pratt, looks intriguing. 4 year starter, lots of good experience, among other things, and can be had in the mid-rounds. TRY and do what the 49'ers just lucked upon. Find a 4 year starter, in college, in the mid-rounds and use those higher picks on the other areas that are a bit "easier" to scout! BUILD a roster like San Francisco! Jalen Hurts...FOUR year starter, drafted 53rd overall in the 2nd round. Lamar Jackson, yes, drafted in the first round but "essentially" a THREE year starter. Started the 2nd game of his Sophomore year on through his senior year. That's another strong point. These kids that actually get through to their senior year...MATURE a bit. Football is only half the equation. Let's face it, how many times have you been living your lives and commented on that "idiot kid" driving like a fool or doing something stupid and come to find out they are 21...22...23/24 years old. Isn't that how old Zach Wilson is? These kids aren't staying in school long enough to mature, in general, let alone get in enough playing time. Personally, if I were running the NFL, much like their mandate that a kid has to be out of High School "X" number of years before they can enter the NFL, I'd institute a mandate that a kid must complete at LEAST 3 years of lower tier post high school football as well. Whether that be in college or some place like the XFL/USFL/UFL/Canada I don't care. But to bring these kids in, especially QB's, to an NFL team with the expectation that an entire organization, city/community is on their shoulders is ridiculous. Just musing here.
Across 3 different staffs all using premium picks to draft their QB, yet all of them got it wrong. They all went the same route - draft the guy at the top of the draft, have no real threat of an actual QB competition they had to win in order to start and just throw them to the wolves. The last time they actually went the other way with a 1st round QB was Chad and got it right. Nobody's fault that injuries derailed his career. I recall JD promising Darmold's parents he was going to find the right players to 'protect' their son, not only did he not find those players to protect Sam, he's completely failed in finding players to 'protect' the next guy...
He never told them that the right players to protect their son would be on the Jets. He must have had a lot of faith in that Panthers O-line. Sadly, they were probably better than any of the O-lines he's put together during his time here.
By the way, Wilson should be playing today. Bill Belichick is hard for him to play against though so that’s probably why he’s sitting out
And I don’t understand why when the leadership selects a raw talented QB far from ready to be a starter they are not smart enough to even recognize that, sitting him behind a vet for at least one to two years, instead of completely destroying him by making him a starter when he wasn’t remotely ready. This kid was not ready, nor he was developed properly, and this is not the first time for this incompetent organization. We have done it with the last four. There isn’t a chance in hell under this regime that another QB will fair better. So two years of data under this regime is as much an indictment on the incompetent evaluation, development and capability of this coaching staff and GM from top to bottom as it is on Zach. There is a far better chance of Zach succeeding under a better leadership than this leadership succeeding anywhere.
I think this has got to be the end. JD and RS will never have any credibility if he's on the team next season...
I wasn’t a big Anthony Richardson guy out of college either but he definitely looked like he belonged. So that’s a bad example IMO. You should’ve went Trey Lance or someone else. I agree though. I prefer a ton of experience with moderate NFL skills than super NFL skills with limited experience.
You had me until this last paragraph. Let me be very clear, before the draft I was one of the loudest detractors of Zach Wilson. Why? Because prior to his last season at BYU he was a nobody. He wasn’t on NFL radars as a top prospect, in fact he was close to being benched by BYU. When you watch film of him you realize he had very poor competition, no pressure from crowds, and he didn’t do much but throw to receivers he could see were open. He wasn’t running a pro style offense with anticipation and understanding of what the D was doing. He used his athleticism as a weapon, and my concern was his athleticism was not NFL compatible. He’s diminutive in frame, therefore his speed was more dangerous to himself than it would be to an NFL defense because he would constantly take hits he wasn’t physically built for. So while everyone was Gaga over an off platform throw at his pro day, I knew his success in the NFL would have to come from intelligence in the pocket, which he exhibited none of in college. Add to that the fact we couldn’t even interview him in person, only via Zoom. You’re drafting a kid that WASN’T named Captain of his team, you need to dig deep on that prospect in person to determine if there was a personality flaw that or a lack of football knowledge contributing to that. You can’t rely on Zoom interviews to sus that out. There were so many red flags on Zach’s ability to translate to the NFL that he may as well have dressed like an elf on the shelf. All of that is fact. It was then, it is now. The fact that I saw it earlier than you doesn’t make me an ill intentioned fan, doesn’t mean I hate the kid, doesn’t mean I’m a bad person. It means I recognized something much earlier than you did, and rather than being bitter about it you oughtta learn to not be so damn stubborn in your own insistence.
Richardson made some plays and put up halfway decent numbers by running around like a berserker. If he tried to play normally, he'd probably have performed like Zach. The Colts should re-sign Minshew and sit Richardson another year if necessary before starting him again and only after he's learned how to play quarterback.
For sure. If you're going to draft a QB because he had a breakout last season, you do it with a guy like Burrow whose breakout season involved him tearing up the highest level of college football and winning the national championship game and the Heisman. Not some random BYU quarterback.
Watching Darnold and Wentz both kicking ass so far today. Makes me shake my head thinking about the utter shit the Jets trotted out there all year when they actually chose to not have either of these guys on the roster. Not only chose, but chose to do so at appalling expense.
They lost credibility a long time ago. I don't think there's anything they can do now to make them have less credibility than they already do. The Jets owe Wilson money for next season and nobody is going to trade for him. He'll be on the team in 2024.
My ending comment wasn't directed at posters like yourself who actually back up their assessments with well reasoned arguments, as you did above. However, I'm not bitter, I'm just over all the baseless, over the top negativity aimed against Zach. Whether he was ready or not, he didn't ask to be drafted #2 overall, nor start Day 1, nor not sit a year, and as far as I or anyone else knows he worked hard to improve, and in fact did improve whether his detractors admit it or not. So for them to keep hurling insults at him, and then denying that's exactly what they're doing is B.S.. I have long ago admitted I erred in believing he'd succeed as a FQB. And after his experience here, he likely won't ever become more than a decent backup. I'm okay with admitting that. After all I don't have the resources or knowledge of a professional NFL player evaluator (although to my knowledge no one on this board does either). But my assessment wasn't based on his WOW throw at his pro day, but having watched pretty much all of the available film on him, and reading/watching assessments from experienced people who all thought he had the goods. The major qualm I had about the Jets drafting him was that I knew they had never successfully developed a young QB, and had just screwed up Darnold. But Douglas insisted - promised in fact - that the Jets were going to "carry him", not the other way around. And then he did the exact opposite. Yes, I still think he can be a good QB, but not with the Jets. And I will be royally pissed if the Patriots get him and prove that true. I think all of your concerns back then were certainly valid, I just didn't - and still don't - agree with all of them. That's okay, that's what this board is about. But those posters who "justify" their opposition to Zach with snark and nonsense I have no more patience for.
