Are you serious? Even with his shortcomings, he's still FAR better, and has a better proven track record than Rosen. And I was a big Rosen fan leading up to that draft. A late 1st round, minimum, or I would hang onto him.
I think they will figure things out and put together a little run at some point in the season. Sam is too good of a QB to get the #1 pick if he stays healthy. If he gets injured, yeah the Jets could go (0-16). The schedule is tough but they do play the Colts, Broncos, Dolphns twice, Browns, Chargers and Raiders. There are winnable games. They need to step up in the re-match against the Bills and when they play the Patriots too. We'll know more about the team in less than week, once they have played the Colts and Broncos.
Somewhere around there can definitely be a late first rounder, but assuming multiple high picks like I've seen others say is just laughable.
I agree with your assessment that there are winnable games, but as much as I hate losing, I'd rather they go 0-16 than do what they usually do: win a couple meaningless games and wind up with the #5 or 6 pick. If they're going to lose, then LOSE and get the damn #1 pick. And while I agree that they could win a few, as long as Gase is the HC, I just don't see it, especially if they lose this weekend and the next. This team is showing real signs of having quit on him already, another loss or two will cement that attitude.
Based on what? Teddy Bridgewater was 17-11 with a Pro Bowl appearance and with a Junior Varsity kicker on the roster he wins a playoff game in his second year against the defending NFC Champs off two SB appearances. He went for a third rounder after we signed him. Bradford had a similar career trajectory and had the words "untapped potential" associated with him as a former #1 overall pick. He went for a first + a fourth and that's only for a team in desperation mode that felt as though they had a SB calibre roster. Carson Palmer got two MVP votes in 2005 and was a 2x Pro Bowler when he was dealt for a first and a second round pick and it was consider a heist for the Bengals and one of the Raiders worst moves of the decade. What makes you think Sam is worth anything more?
Bridgewater was coming off what many considered a career-ending injury. There are more than a few teams that might be "desperate" for a competent, and potentially very good, QB. I doubt Darnold can garner a 1st and 2nd rounder, but certainly a low 1st, and possibly a mid-round pick.
He was but he had also already played in preseason for us and showed that his knee was healthy. I don't believe he had an injury designation when we dealt him even though he had his leg snapped in half two years earlier. I think a low first is the ceiling. Sam's looked OK. I don't think a lot of teams say well his circumstances suck but he's going to be great so let me offer a lot of picks for him. He has relatively low value right now and if we end up with the first overall pick we lose some leverage as well since teams will pretty much know we're going to deal him. I think you're right. A low 1 and a mid round pick is probably what we'll get. I'd go lower than a third though with an escalator as far as value goes. And the only way we deal him is if we can get Lawrence in my eyes. If we're picking second and Fields is the guy, I wouldn't move Darnold. Moreso because I'm not sold on Fields and we could probably still get a haul from that #2 pick.
Based on reality. Teddy Bridgewater was never the prospect Sam was/is. Teddy has limited arm strength. He doesn't have the size, mobility or play-making/creative ability that Sam does. Bradford was injured as much as he played, and they were serious injuries, not mono or whatever minor injury Sam had his rookie season. I don't think he was ever nearly the prospect that Sam was, either. Sam was very highly rated. He was considered by many to be the best QB in a strong QB draft class. He has shown flashes of greatness/brilliance. He's accurate, has great touch, is accurate on the move, is mobile, has size, has arm strength, has great character, is a hard worker, and smart. He is on 23, and other teams know how terrible the talent level around him has been, particularly on the OL and at the offensive skill positions. They also know what piss-poor coaching he has received and how he has already played in two different systems, yet he led the team on a 6-2 record to end last season. They know he has great talent and potential still, and with some work on his footwork, solid coaching, good protection in front of him, quality play calling and quality offensive skill players around him, that he can probably still play at a very high level. In addition, most, if not all the teams I mentioned could need a new starting QB next year or in 2022. You know as well as I the scarcity of quality QBs in the NFL, and how even mediocre QBs stay and get paid big money by desperate teams. Even with just 2-3 teams competing for Sam, the Jets would get better than a 2nd round pick. If 4-5 teams are involved, the bidding could, and probably would go higher. It's also a different time than when Palmer and Bradford were dealt. One also has to take into consideration the upcoming draft class. I've only heard of 2, maybe 3 QBs who are pretty highly rated. If the Jets are drafting #1 or #2 and take Lawrence or Fields, then that only leaves 1-2 highly rated QBs in the draft.
If the Jets lose to Denver, at home, on a short week, against a backup QB, then there is no certainty they win any games this year.
The QB class could be much deeper if Kellen Mond and KJ Costello play well. Brock Purdy had Heisman asperations at the beginning of the year before ISU shit the bed in week one. I understand the circumstances are somewhat different. But we can only compare quarterbacks to quarterbacks. Sam was a great prospect four years ago. Now he's damaged goods. Teams would rather get their own guy and indoctrinate them into the system than give up draft capital on a young QB that hasn't really improved and has been hit a ton to the point where he looks scared with a clean pocket. Teams aren't going to be competing for a guy with a lower quarterback rating than Ryan Fitzpatrick (with three rookie offensive lineman and a #1 receiver who is limping through games they lost by 3 to the same Bills team that ragdolled us).
Sorry, but you're letting your disappointment/dissatisfaction with Darnold cloud your assessment. First, not all teams want a rookie QB to build around. All the teams that are contending right now, but who might not have a good QB, or whose QB might be too old or injured, will be in the hunt for a QB with Sam's experience and potential. The Steelers would be one team, as would the Bucs, maybe the Saints and a few others. They would much prefer a young vet than a raw rookie unless that rookie were the next Andrew Luck, and even then some of those teams would pass. As far as Darnold's QB rating, that is so influenced by circumstances outside Darnold's control and teams know that. Forget the injuries and lack of talent, just having to work with Gase is enough to screw anyone up. Bottom line: if I were Douglas and I shopped Sam, if I didn't get at least a low #1 and a mid-round (or a higher pick next year), I'd hang onto him. I really see the Jets holding all the cards in this situation.
Hopefully, it won't come to Sam being traded. I wouldn't even if we draft Lawrence, at least not initially. I'd let them compete for the starting job, fix Sam, highlight him in preseason, and then seek to trade him, but in the right offense, good weapons around him, and his footwork fixed, Sam could conceivably beat out Lawrence. Still, if it does come down to trading Sam, we'll see what kind of interest he garners and what the Jets are able to get in return. Look at Tannehill. He was definitely damaged goods, and had had several serious injuries, and had played under Gase his whole career. Look at where he is now and how he is playing, and Sam is younger than Tannehill. I believe that teams would think that they can fix Sam. We see that all the time in the NFL. HC's and coordinators' egos make them believe they can fix players. I think it's preposterous to think that other teams would look at Sam as damaged good and not fixable.
This. If we finish worst in the league, or in the bottom 3, our third year QB wont have much value to anyone beyond a backup role. Its not like he put up big numbers his first two seasons. Even if Sam has a decent year and we finish bottom 3 Sam is going to be considered a bust as a starter.
Teams would prefer a rookie quarterback to one who is damaged goods like Sam is. Especially a kid who has shown nothing in terms of improving the fundamentals of the position since coming into the league. He also notoriously can't handle zero blitzes and has awful footwork. Teams can find young quarterbacks and fix that immediately in camp and over a redshirt first year rather than acquiring a player that it's baked into. See what the Chiefs did with Mahomes and what the Packers are doing with Jordan Love. The fact is that Sam is not the first quarterback to find himself in a bad situation in the NFL with a bad coach. The Bengals coach is an absolute clown and despite having an equally awful offensive line they ranked 19th in passing yards last year with no running game and their quarterbacks under siege. Burrow is under pressure this year immediately - in the same way Sam is and he looks much better and is moving the ball. He's not even moving the ball dude. All the bad play calls in the world doesn't completely stop the player from moving the ball better than we have. The only time we've moved down the field is when teams were willing to trade yards for clock.
I re-watched the 49er game and noted that there were often deeper receivers on several plays that had some space but Sam almost always choose the quickest outlet. Even when he had some time. I hate Gase schemes a lot. But Sam was part of the dink and dunk problem as well. I think he is still too afraid to hold the ball and too afraid to take chances. Then in garbage time he actually starts moving around the pocket and making plays. The "Jetsy" take is that he needs to confidence to play the whole game like its garbage time.
He was throwing the ball to the flat on 3rd and long before he hit his third step in the dropback. That's not on the coach unless Gase threatened his family if he didn't do it. Sam honestly looks scared of getting hit on the blind side. He had some clean pockets the past two weeks and he looks jittery. Our receivers suck but any NFL offense is going to get some receivers open if they have some time to navigate defenses. We weren't playing the 2014 Seahawks secondary last week...
I'm just wondering how those that watch this team cannot realize Sam's potential with some decent coaching. Did anyone catch that TD throw in the 4th Qtr of the 49'ers game that Sam made? There's very few in the league today that can make that sort of throw. You can't teach that. I can't see the Jets getting the #1. Only way I can root for that is knowing Gase is gone!!
