I'm waiting for the first time Wilson makes a mindlessly dumb play and Payton tears him a new asshole on the sidelines with all the TV cameras zeroed in.
Yeah that's sure to happen! I'm sure I'll miss it though, I dont see myself still watching a Denver Broncos game when they are in last place and down 20+ points in the game
Will Joe Douglas become the first GM in NFL history to survive using the 2nd overall pick on the wrong QB?
That is why from a strictly Zach level I think that is really a best case scenario for him right now though. Sometimes you have to give guys a real chance to change and adapt. Something that will never really happen within the eternal clown show he was drafted into here. I'm personally a big fan of Payton, and think he did an underrated job in Denver last year making the best out of the trainwreck left in wake of of the stupidity we are currently letting infect our own team. Zach doesn't have to be "good" to clear the likely reality bar I laid out there. He really just needs to be put into better positions succeed more often, and which would lead to the better surface #'s people love to read more into then they should (like fluffy TD totals). Just like the direct example we have in a still in decline Russ - the upgrade from basement tier Hackett to somebody with a great mind like Payton can get you there. Give Zach 17 games and I'm confident he'd at least manage Hackett's 2022 Russ out of 2024 Zach Wilson. I think the real issue I have there, and especially if I was a Denver fan, is why *this* and zero apparent interest in Fields at a similar peanuts level cost?
Because Fields also stinks and you'd have to give up more for someone that either walks next year or you have to drastically overpay by picking up his option in a few weeks. Zach is awful, Payton isn't fixing him, at most he might be a serviceable backup. He lacks everything needed between the ears to be a consistent starting-caliber QB. Getting 6th while ditching a 7th is a win.
I was wrong about Zach Wilson. I really thought he was going to be a franchise QB and potentially the next Patrick Mahomes. Instead, he wasn’t good at all. Blame can be thrown around everywhere, but I think a lot does fall on the Jets. They had no veteran QB to help him learn his rookie year, they just threw him into the fire and he failed miserably. Year 2 and 3 Zach had terrible o-lines too. Still, Zach did himself no favors and when other QB’s stepped in, they clearly looked better. That can’t be denied. (Except for Boyle and Seimian) I wish him good luck in Denver, but this truly was a waste of 3 years. Very disappointing.
As do most high pick QB's that bust. Physical capabilities and mechanics are measured far more closely than intangible skills such as mental acuity, scheme knowledge, the ability to read and adjust to defenses, personal character traits, background and focus. Unfortunately Zach had none of the above. An almost inexplicable selection that I hoped would work out but it was apparent very quickly that it would not. That said, it is a brutal business and I hope he builds a career for himself elsewhere.
Its all about what you say regarding "apparent very quickly that it would not work out"--everything else can be excused but not seeing reality cannot. It was a travesty that he kept on being put out there--I think about Bart Scott and the guys on the post game show, guys who know the game, they're apoplectic regarding ZW being on the field. What a waste of time and resources.
Wilson was not even worth a 7th round pick, because the Jets have to pay portion of his salary. On the draft chart the jets net a 7th round pick value, but Jets pony up money to convince Broncos to do it.
Yup…of all the 2021 QBs now, he netted the lowest return in trade. I believe the Niners got a 4th (!!) for Trey Lance, the Bears got a conditional 6th that can become a 4th, the Pats got a 6th for Mac Jones, and now we get a 7th for 6th pick swap, so not even a straight up pick, AND we have to pay part of the salary. I don’t think any of the other teams had to pick up salary. And these QBs are all of the same draft class so contracts are the same in terms of years left. Pretty pathetic. I’m glad we moved on and at least got a little something back in terms of moving up a round and shedding some salary from the cap, but man…what a damn awful return on investment.
I was different. I went from skeptic to convert to pissed-off, habitual, Three-Card Monte victim. As in: How did I let them fucking fool me again?! I didn't think much of Zach Wilson's college career at all. One really good season against a bunch of slag. In fairness to Zach, he didn't leak COVID from a lab and blow up BYU's FBS schedule to hell. In fairness to the Jets, that COVID-affected year had just about everyone's minds all screwy. Then I started following the training camp buzz. And, because we're all just a bunch of battered wives who, deep down, really want to to believe the Jets are tender and sweet people who love us when they're not drinking, I relented and embraced the Jets' choice of Zach and accepted them back into my football home. Although, I wasn't yet prepared to let them near the children. That would take time. I knew we'd have some tough times together - and certainly did. But I could see flashes of potential in Zach - the foundation for a strong football relationship. Plus, he got a little dinged up. If I only remained strong for him and had patience. After all, I told myself, Peyton Manning went 3-13 and threw like a billion INTs his rookie season. On the other hand, what made that season even worse was watching Mac Jones look like the better pick, when I was 1000% sure he was a Day Two pick, at best. Give any QB a couple gazelles with sticky hands to throw to, a rhino with speed in the backfield and an OL stocked with All-Americans, he'll look like a future NFL star. The only perverse pleasure I take away from that draft is that I may have been fooled by Zack Wilson - briefly - but one decent rookie season still wasn't about to fool me with Mac Jones. The next season came around. I was semi-content. I loved the draft and we were working on our QB relationship, the Jets and I. I was encouraged that we were on the path to something sustainable. And then another QB injury setback. Fucking hell. Another! Again! But I still wanted to convince myself they were trying. Doing their part to save our relationship. I remained stoic and that paid off in the short term. We enjoyed a few pleasant QB weekends together. I almost found myself ready to smile again, pleased that we were progressing. THIS time would be different. . . . until the Jets came home drunk again, beat me to hell and gone with a nine iron, shat in my mouth and then tried to convince me that I was the problem. Me!! NO NO NO NO!!! Goddammitl! Motherfucking fuckfuckfuck!!! I can't BELIEVE I fell for it. Again. I blame myself. I was so willing to be duped into thinking the Jets loved me and that they could change. That our QB relationship was somehow salvageable! Don't touch me! Ever! Again! I'll be staying with my sister while I cool off and reassess whether or not I'll ever enjoy QB love again. I don't see how. I don't care how many Hall of Fame QBs you bring home. It'd be nice if you brought them home before they go loopy. I'll watch and root for them because I have to. For the kids' sake. What choice do I have?! So, no. I wasn't wrong about Zach and I wasn't wrong about the Jets. Glad to get that off my chest.
Well said, Jack! Agreed, knowing Mac Jones would be a flop does feel good, but it still is unfortunate Zach did too. Good point about Year 2. He was injured in pre-season and that really threw things off, similar to Sam’s mono year. The Jets made it through until that Patriots game and things have never been the same since. Truly unfortunate, but that’s life. I also agree I don’t think I will be able to buy into a young QB again whenever Rodgers retires. I’ll have to see it on the field, before I can ever believe in it again. We have been burned too many times.
I think this is a perfect situation for Zach. He goes from an shmoozer HC who wants to be best buddies with everybody to an ass-chewing HC that isn't going to hold back his disappointment in his QB. There's a high-probability that Zach performs as poorly there as he did in NY, it remains to be seen if he responds better to the tougher approach - maybe the result will be different, doubt it...
