Darnold's last chance in 2020?
... the problem is that Darnold isn't developing in a vacuum. He's entering a crucial year in 2020, and if the Jets don't see development out of their starter, he might not get a fourth chance to impress. Both the coach and general manager who drafted Darnold, remember, are out of the organization. Douglas isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but after a bizarre 2019 campaign, it wouldn't be shocking if the Jets moved on from Gase if the team struggles again. A new coach might want to start fresh with a new quarterback.
My concern is that Darnold might only be as good as the people around him, and his development could depend more on players such as Becton, Mims and Perriman becoming instant contributors. Darnold can play a role in making them better, but he hasn't been able to do that with the likes of Anderson or Bell. It's also fair to question whether Gase is truly effective at developing young quarterbacks, given that all of his work as a pro before Darnold has really been with veterans, outside of serving as Tim Tebow's quarterbacks coach.
Compare that to the Browns, who went out of their way to add talent for Mayfield over the past two years. During the brief moments when they've each been at their respective zenith as pros, Darnold has looked better than Mayfield, the one quarterback who was chosen ahead of him in 2018. Given their respective supporting casts, though, Mayfield has a better chance of producing above-average efficiency in 2020 than Darnold.
For Darnold to break through in 2020, he needs something to really go his way. He needs that brutal schedule to lighten up thanks to injuries, or for Bell to have a big year as a runner. He needs one of Perriman, Mims or Herndon to emerge as a star target. There's still upside in Darnold's profile, and at his best, he still looks like that prototypical quarterback prospect. I just don't think he's going to be able to deliver on his own.
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... the problem is that Darnold isn't developing in a vacuum. He's entering a crucial year in 2020, and if the Jets don't see development out of their starter, he might not get a fourth chance to impress. Both the coach and general manager who drafted Darnold, remember, are out of the organization. Douglas isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but after a bizarre 2019 campaign, it wouldn't be shocking if the Jets moved on from Gase if the team struggles again. A new coach might want to start fresh with a new quarterback.
My concern is that Darnold might only be as good as the people around him, and his development could depend more on players such as Becton, Mims and Perriman becoming instant contributors. Darnold can play a role in making them better, but he hasn't been able to do that with the likes of Anderson or Bell. It's also fair to question whether Gase is truly effective at developing young quarterbacks, given that all of his work as a pro before Darnold has really been with veterans, outside of serving as Tim Tebow's quarterbacks coach.
Compare that to the Browns, who went out of their way to add talent for Mayfield over the past two years. During the brief moments when they've each been at their respective zenith as pros, Darnold has looked better than Mayfield, the one quarterback who was chosen ahead of him in 2018. Given their respective supporting casts, though, Mayfield has a better chance of producing above-average efficiency in 2020 than Darnold.
For Darnold to break through in 2020, he needs something to really go his way. He needs that brutal schedule to lighten up thanks to injuries, or for Bell to have a big year as a runner. He needs one of Perriman, Mims or Herndon to emerge as a star target. There's still upside in Darnold's profile, and at his best, he still looks like that prototypical quarterback prospect. I just don't think he's going to be able to deliver on his own.
Is this Sam Darnold's last chance? A progress report on the Jets QB and what to expect in 2020
Dig into the numbers, and the odds are stacked against Darnold. But considering his age and skill set, there's reason for optimism.