The kid showed we might have something with him, and for once I'd like to see us not go about screwing things up. Let Fitz, Geno, Flynn go ahead and play. I know many of us were thinking we would be going to the playoffs on the back of this off-season. Only problem is that you can't "fix" your franchise with free agency. I feel like Mac and Bowles understand this. On the same note I see our free agency binge as more of a correction measure for the level of talent we had and a flare to the NFL that there is a change in the air and the NY Jets can be a real destination for FA. How do I figure that? If you look at the contracts they were all for the most part smartly done and can be walked away from in two years without sending us into cap hell. That shows forward thinking imho by the front office. Something we were sorely lacking during the Rex/Mr. T/Idzick tenure. Secondly, we have a rookie coach and ton of question marks other than the d line. Our o line is aging , we have no QB, our LB core is a mish mosh of eh. It's going to take a bit to get the overall talent level on this roster to a point where the free agents will really matter. Again I point back to the fact that these contracts will mostly be up in 2 seasons. What having, even an aging, Revis, Harris, Brick(restructure), Colon and Cro, for two years will do is push the depth chart. This in turn will allow for "next man up" to finally start working for us. How? because guys like Maudlin, Mcdougle, Petty, Dozier, Owusu, etc. won't be thrown to the dogs. If they can play, they will play, but if not they will learn. Sanchez, Milliner, Pryor, Couples, Smith, Hill(shouldn't have even been drafted there), and the entire Idzick 2014 draft should have all started their careers on the bench.
where he was picked means nothing to me. It's all about potential. If Bryce Petty came out 4 years ago, when this "dual threat" read option running QB nonsense was the norm, he would have been a top 10 pick. In fact, if i were drafting this year I would have graded him above every QB in the draft. So to argue him vs. Eli and the number one pick thing doesn't mean anything. Big, pocket passers, with good IQ and strong arms, aren't as sought after as the dual threat guys. As for playing him and waiting a few years. I don't believe that, real life experience is best, whether on the field or in the cubicle. Sure you don't want to set someone up for failure, but in a no pressure situation, especially at the end of the season when you are playing for nothing I thjink is a great environment to mature and take more steps forward. I guess we will just agree to disagree here.
^ I don't think there's any hard and fast rule on when a rookie Qb is or is not ready. It depends on the player. When Petty was first drafted, there was a lot of discussion here on this subject, pro and con. I do note that Bowles commented on his improved play from week one, and of course in such case we are talking about him taking the field, albeit against 2nd and 3rd teamers of the opponent. But I also think he needs more time based on all comments. Petty's situation this year will depend as much on what the Jets see in and do with the other three Qb's. By the second half of the season, if they all three suck/get injured, he might well get put out there. Otherwise I doubt it.
I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. I am all for letting Petty hit the field this year under these circumstances: 1. He does not start. 2. He only mops up a game in 4th quarter. There is no substitute for live experience. Just - HOW we feed that to this kid is a sticky problem. I think Bill Walsh showed all the world how he did it with Joe, a 3rd rounder himself. Now, I am not anointing Petty as the next Joe Montana of course; but as a prospect, I tend to think that this kid has better brains than most Jets QB prospects [except Chad, who is another favorite of mine.] and has rocket of an arm to go with that. [This is where Chad failed.]
