Why the rush to judgement? Why not see if the guy was ready before making the commitment to a) not bring in a veteran and b) appoint him, almost sight unseen, the starter?
Hey, I'm not arguing that the Jets shouldn't have had a veteran QB. I can understand why they didn't since they had Knapp, and with his dying right before the start of TC, it was too late to sign one. I wanted them to sign CJ Beathard early on since he knew the system. I was surprised that they didn't, but Saleh knew what they were capable of and obviously didn't want either Beathard or Mullens. He wanted to coach up the young players the Jets had, or at least that's what he said. I can understand thinking it was a mistake, but if so, it could be chalked up to overconfidence in their coaching ability, misjudging how ready Zach was to start, or just rookie HC enthusiasm/naivete. Until evidence is provided to prove that Saleh wanted to sign one of them or some other veteran QB like Flacco, and that it was JD who refused to do that, I don't think it's reasonable to blame JD for that. The Jets had a plan. They knew it was going to be a rough year, and they dedicated it to developing the young players and seeing who could help them going forward. Knapp was a HUGE part of the plan, the backbone really. When he died, it blew it all to hell. At that point, they did probably need a veteran for certain, but it was too late to sign one, and JD tried not to use any draft capital in trading for one. When Zach got injured, and White was exposed, that changed everything. He had to go out and get a vet at that point to try to keep the young offensive players developing and the team happy. Beck wasn't in-house when JD traded for Flacco. I can't imagine Foles being cheaper than Flacco. JD may have contacted Foles' agent and Foles may have wanted some guarantee to start or may not have wanted to either leave the team he's on or play for a rebuilding team like the Jets. We have no information one way or the other. We DO still have a ton of cap space and dps. I'm pretty sure that we'll have even more cap space by the time FA starts. McGovern could be released or traded and there are others who could be released or traded or not re-signed. JD could also trade down in the 1st round and add an additional 2nd or 2nd and 3rd.
The "judgement" was made when they drafted him in the No. 2 slot. As they say, experience is the best teacher. Look around. With very few exceptions, highly drafted QBs start on Day 1 or shortly after. Some notable ones who didn't like Rogers and Mahomes had accomplished veterans already on the roster for a few years. The Jets had no one. Herm Edwards once described rookies as guys trying to figure it out. Wilson is trying to figure it out. If he's smart, he'll succeed, he just needs time. Even if the Jets had brought in a veteran, with all the new pieces brought in to the offense this year, the chances a veteran would have done any better than Wilson are not good, IMHO. If the choices are between sitting and watching a veteran lose, or going out there and learning first hand what it takes to win, the latter seems the better choice.
While I agree with this in theory, I think what were really learning is that Wilson was never a bonafide #2 pick. So far the reality looks like his worth shoulda been a mid first rounder, or lower.
In the NFL of 2013 he would have been a 2nd rounder at best and that's including the fact that E.J. Manuel and Geno Smith were the first QB's off the board. The NFL QB craze of recent years is a horribly misguided development that pays off for just a few teams and sinks most of the teams jumping into the pool. The reason is that there are very few QB's that are ready to go right off the bat and yet teams that invest heavily in a young QB feel the need to profit immediately, even if the odds are greater that they will grievously hurt themselves instead. The Jets keep diving head first into the shallow end of the talent pool and suffering repeated broken necks in the process.
I know you keep likening us to the Lions but to me it really feels like the 00 Browns. Repeated high picks and repeated QB busts. This didn't change until they stopped drafting QBs and built a solid roster first. The Jets problem is we haven't been ready for a FQB yet. We keep bringing in first rounders and trying to develop them in crap offenses. Making the same mistake over and over again.
The 2002 Lions were trying to develop Joey Harrington. They kept drafting WR after WR in the 1st round because he "needed weapons". They used 3 straight top 10 picks on WR's and Harrington still sucked. That's what it took to get them to accept the reality that they had been trying to justify a bad QB pick for half a decade. By then it was too late and the Lions were on the path they have largely followed since then. What was the real problem? The owners sucked and still do.
You have really no basis to back up your claim. It's your opinion and simply that. I mean how can you possible know where Wilson would have been drafted 8 years ago? I was just having a little fun, which is a scarce as hens teeth around here these days. By all means carry on with the doom and gloom
You're a homer who spends most of their time reinforcing the misery by making loud quacking noises as you try to shore up Jets fans spirits in what is clearly a lost season, the sixth in a row, in a lost era verging on the next lost era. If you decided to get a job in Jets Marketing I'm sure they'd have one for you. This assuming you don't already work for them.
In this case, I don't think it mattered. Saleh made the decision to move on from Darnold. Where Wilson was taken is of little consequence. If you draft a QB in Rd. 1, you pretty much have to trot him out there to see what you've got. Most experts say it takes 4 years for a pro QB to become fully at ease in the position. Three years down the road, you have to decide whether to make a big money commitment, so the sooner you find out about him the better for your organization.
I'm a homer? That's a good one. The only one "reinforcing the misery" is you with your repeated posts stating the same thing over and over. It feels like your mission is to make everyone feel as shitty as you do. But again, keep posting the same stuff over and over. I'm sure there are new members that's haven't read all of it yet.
Something tells me Zach won't get that long to prove himself. In fact, the rookie contract structure makes it easier to move on quicker than it was 15 years ago.
I wish I could believe that but I think ZW is the perfect example of a sunk cost that nobody will admit as such until the enablers who picked him are shown the door.
We'll see. If Zach shows little to no progress in 2022, he should not be anointed as the starter in 2023.
I truly understand the negative opinions of Zach Wilson so far. He's put up dismal numbers and has been inconsistent with his decisions and in the accuracy of his throws. At times it's been hard to watch. But to not acknowledge the improvements he's made and the level of athleticism he has displayed is simply short sighted. He's a talented rookie quarterback who has earned the chance to succeed. Where he takes it is on his shoulders... and I think he's got the skill, athleticism & attitude to make it work. That's my hot take...
