If healthy Teddy Bridgewater should start, and here's why ....

[Green Jets & Ham]

First, because a healthy Bridgewater gives you as good a chance, if not better, to win games.

Second, because he's only 25, and that means he still has big-time trade value if he can prove he's healthy and can win games with a mediocre Jets team.

For example, imagine you are the Jaguars GM and you have a legit SB contender from top to bottom, but the QB (Bortles) is subpar.

Suddenly the Jets call and say you can have a 25 years old Bridgewater, who is healthy and winning games for us, and you can have him for your LATE 2.

How do you pass that deal up when its the only thing thats holding your team back from making a real run at the Super Bowl?

For a LATE 2 .... really ... if Bortles is undermining everything you built, and Bridgewater is still only 25, and now you can see he is healthy and winning?

I WOULDN'T

If I'm the Jags GM, I make that deal, and I'm as stingy as it comes with draft picks.

Thats why, IMO, if Bridgewater is healthy, KNOWING Darnold is the future, I start Bridgewater and not McCown.

This is our ONLY CHANCE to get back that 2019 2nd RD Pick we gave up for Darnold.

 

[jets82]

Great point and makes sense. My only argument and it’s a long shot one but what if Darnold shows enough to start from game one, then what? Now I know this won’t or probably shouldn’t happen with McCown who knows the system back and forth in his sleep and if Bridgewater is healthy, he should be significantly better or more rounded then Darnold as well but what if???

 

[TebowCan'tThrow]

No way should McCown start. And yes I agree Teddy B should start if he is ready unless Darnold smokes him in TC. Another s scenario is Teddy B looks like a star then I don't think you trade him. The Jets have never had a star QB since Namath so it would be our luck we trade him and he wins a SB while Darnold ends up needing Tommy John.

 

[Xmarco]

When Eli plays like the old guy we know he is our co-habitants might look to trade too...

 

[NewMFS62]

When Eli plays like the old guy we know he is our co-habitants might look to trade too...

I would rather give birth to a flaming porcupine than help them.
The cost would start with the first born of every person in that organization (OK, so I want Kate Mara) and then really get serious.
I would take so many draft picks for so many years that it would make the Nets-Celtics travesty (sigh) look mild.

Later

 

[mydogisajetsfan]

The Jets are in a conundrum. On the one hand they cannot afford to have another season of 'growth'. That was last season. They either win at least seven games or there will be another GM and coach leading the team. That would set this franchise back a few more years. On the other hand, if they are led by Teddy, even into the playoffs, it means we will have a new QB next year (Darnold) and that's a setback. Put another way, if Darnold plays for the sake of getting him experience, the record may force a regime change.

That's a delicate balancing act for McBowles.

 

[Bigmoe]

We know Josh is not long term but maybe a good teacher.
We know Teddy can play and win at this level when healthy.
We don't know if that is true of Darnold at this level.
The Jets should be extremley prudent with the QB position.

 

[TebowCan'tThrow]

The Jets are in a conundrum. On the one hand they cannot afford to have another season of 'growth'. That was last season. They either win at least seven games or there will be another GM and coach leading the team. That would set this franchise back a few more years. On the other hand, if they are led by Teddy, even into the playoffs, it means we will have a new QB next year (Darnold) and that's a setback. Put another way, if Darnold plays for the sake of getting him experience, the record may force a regime change.

That's a delicate balancing act for McBowles.

If only Mac was smart enough to have signed Teddy for two years. Just another screw up IMO.

 

[Jet Blast]

I like the idea of Teddy starting.

Even if he didn't outplay McCown, but was his equal and healthy, you start Teddy. He is 14 years younger than McCown and was a rising star before his injury. But, you DO NOT TRADE TEDDY this season. He is a free agent next year and has a suspect knee. No one will give us a 2 for him. Furthermore, McCown is injury prone. What if we start McCown and he is injured early in the season... and it is still before the coaching staff thinks Darnold is ready to start? Then you have Teddy as insurance. Whatever you do, you don't trade Teddy this year.

We have a (rare) good QB situation with Teddy as a Jet.

 

[LIJETFAN]

If only Mac was smart enough to have signed Teddy for two years. Just another screw up IMO.

Three quick points on this - I don't think it's fair to criticize Mac for signing Bridgewater to a one year deal, given his health was still a major question mark. He's been out of football for almost 2 years. They can always offer to extend his contract if he performs well and he looks healthy.

Second point - I don't believe that Mac and Bowles are on the hot seat. Christopher Johnson likes them both, and this is the best the organization has looked in a very long time. The Tannenbaum Rex early years were great, good chemistry there, with Woody being, well Woody. Here, from the top down, the organization is on the same page, executing a long term plan to build this team into a winner for a long time. Since Johnson took over, this is a different organization. I think Mac & Bowles are both safe, and I think if everyone stays healthy, the Jets might surprise some people this year.

Last point - I agree with BigMoe that the Jets should be prudent with QB position. I am excited about Darnold and his future, but you never know what can happen. The Jets would be wise to keep as many talented players on the roster at that position as they can. And if Bridgewater pans out, great. They can extend his contract and probably should. Then suddenly you go from the worst QB situation in the league to one of the best if Darnold is who we think he is.

 

[TonyFtLaud]

When Eli plays like the old guy we know he is our co-habitants might look to trade too...

Hate to say it but..
Eli is actually looking very good this off season. He spent the off-season working out at Duke and was very impressive. Looked better, more healthy than he has in a couple of years.

 

[TonyFtLaud]

If Darnold impresses during camp and preseason and Teddy proves healthy, I would expect to see him traded. Someone will go down with an injury, happens every year. As far as Jacksonville trading for Teddy, I think they go with Bortles, he finished the season strong and was playing the entire season with a wrist injury on his throwing arm , he played well in the playoffs, rushing vs the Bills and leading some long scoring drives vs Pitt.Teddy would be downgrade and there will still be a question mark around his knee.
The Colt's could very well be a potential trade partner for Teddy . Luck has still not began throwing , reports are he won't be ready to throw until late July or August and if he experiences pain, another surgery may be necessary. Given the recent trades between the two teams, it would seem to be a no brainier.

 

[Bruce Harper]

If Darnold does not clearly win the job in camp I am good with starting Teddy for 4 or 5 games and seeing where it goes. That would serve the dual purposes of giving Darnold a little more time to get acclimated and possibly raising Teddy's trade value. I don't see a lot of upside in starting McCown, though, unless Darnold clearly isn't ready and Teddy's knee is no good.

 

[jets82]

If Darnold does not clearly win the job in camp I am good with starting Teddy for 4 or 5 games and seeing where it goes. That would serve the dual purposes of giving Darnold a little more time to get acclimated and possibly raising Teddy's trade value. I don't see a lot of upside in starting McCown, though, unless Darnold clearly isn't ready and Teddy's knee is no good.

I can go with this.

 

[isired]

Before you criticize Macc for only doing a (very protected) year, keep in mind that if Teddy looked like he was a safe bet to be healthy this year, he doesn't get out of Minn. I'd say right now even though he's looking good in shorts, nobody is betting the ranch that he's healthy in 2018.

 

[butterscotch]

If only Mac was smart enough to have signed Teddy for two years. Just another screw up IMO.

Now that is so true Teddy may be our answer not the D man.......we shall see