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What does Geno Smith think of Jets possibly drafting Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston?
Geno Smith at Jets House 1/31/15
Quarterback Geno Smith meets the media at Jets House on Saturday in New York City. (Dom Cosentino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
Dom Cosentino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Dom Cosentino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
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on January 31, 2015 at 3:47 PM, updated January 31, 2015 at 4:08 PM
NEW YORK — Geno Smith knows this is a "vital" offseason for him, and that there's no guarantee the Jets will enter 2015 with him as their starting quarterback, as was the case last year.
There's no telling what the Jets might do. New head coach Todd Bowles has thus far been non-committal about Smith, but the Jets' other options include rolling the dice on an underwhelming crop of free agents or getting another quarterback through the draft.
Ah, yes. The draft. The Jets have the No. 6 pick, and Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston are both possibilities for them at that spot. And if the Jets were to grab either one of them?
"It's competition," Smith said when asked that question directly at a Jets House fan event at Lugo Cucina Italiana in Manhattan on Saturday. "No matter who it is, there's always going to be competition, and I look forward to it."
Even if they were to select a quarterback in the first round, a heavy investment that would figure to make that quarterback the heir apparent to be the starter, perhaps even as soon as next season?
"Doesn't matter to me," Smith said.
Smith may well be the Jets' best option in 2015. The free agent quarterback class includes a bunch of names like Matt Moore, Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, Shaun Hill, and someone named Mark Sanchez—a guy Jets fans probably remember. And the draft has no other projected first rounders after Mariota and Winston, though it's certainly possible for the Jets to make a find—UCLA's Brett Hundley, Colorado State's Garrett Grayson, Baylor's Bryce Petty, to name three—in one of the later rounds.
Smith finished 2014 with a Total QBR of 35.4, and only Jaguars rookie Blake Bortles (21.9) was lower among qualified NFL starters. The Jets finished 4-12—their worst mark since 2007—and Smith was even benched for three games in November. But there's a new regime now; head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik—the men who drafted Smith and gave him a second year to develop even after the Jets signed Michael Vick last offseason—have been fired. Which means Bowles and new GM Mike Maccagnan have nothing invested specifically in Smith.
"That's really not any of my concern," Smith said. "The only thing I can focus on is when we get the the opportunity to get back into camp and start working out with the guys and learn as much of the playbook as I can."
Smith did run a spread-style system in college at West Virginia, and Bowles's offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey, has used the spread in the past in the NFL. The West Coast system Smith ran for two seasons under offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg often seemed unnecessarily complex, especially when it came to personnel combinations.
But when asked if the coaching change was something of a breath of fresh air for him, Smith stopped well short of saying yes.
"I wouldn't say that," Smith said. "I just look forward to working with the coaches and really getting to know them, and really trying my best to try and help lead this team."
Geno Smith at Jets House 1/31/15
Quarterback Geno Smith meets the media at Jets House on Saturday in New York City. (Dom Cosentino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
Dom Cosentino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Dom Cosentino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on January 31, 2015 at 3:47 PM, updated January 31, 2015 at 4:08 PM
NEW YORK — Geno Smith knows this is a "vital" offseason for him, and that there's no guarantee the Jets will enter 2015 with him as their starting quarterback, as was the case last year.
There's no telling what the Jets might do. New head coach Todd Bowles has thus far been non-committal about Smith, but the Jets' other options include rolling the dice on an underwhelming crop of free agents or getting another quarterback through the draft.
Ah, yes. The draft. The Jets have the No. 6 pick, and Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston are both possibilities for them at that spot. And if the Jets were to grab either one of them?
"It's competition," Smith said when asked that question directly at a Jets House fan event at Lugo Cucina Italiana in Manhattan on Saturday. "No matter who it is, there's always going to be competition, and I look forward to it."
Even if they were to select a quarterback in the first round, a heavy investment that would figure to make that quarterback the heir apparent to be the starter, perhaps even as soon as next season?
"Doesn't matter to me," Smith said.
Smith may well be the Jets' best option in 2015. The free agent quarterback class includes a bunch of names like Matt Moore, Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, Shaun Hill, and someone named Mark Sanchez—a guy Jets fans probably remember. And the draft has no other projected first rounders after Mariota and Winston, though it's certainly possible for the Jets to make a find—UCLA's Brett Hundley, Colorado State's Garrett Grayson, Baylor's Bryce Petty, to name three—in one of the later rounds.
Smith finished 2014 with a Total QBR of 35.4, and only Jaguars rookie Blake Bortles (21.9) was lower among qualified NFL starters. The Jets finished 4-12—their worst mark since 2007—and Smith was even benched for three games in November. But there's a new regime now; head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik—the men who drafted Smith and gave him a second year to develop even after the Jets signed Michael Vick last offseason—have been fired. Which means Bowles and new GM Mike Maccagnan have nothing invested specifically in Smith.
"That's really not any of my concern," Smith said. "The only thing I can focus on is when we get the the opportunity to get back into camp and start working out with the guys and learn as much of the playbook as I can."
Smith did run a spread-style system in college at West Virginia, and Bowles's offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey, has used the spread in the past in the NFL. The West Coast system Smith ran for two seasons under offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg often seemed unnecessarily complex, especially when it came to personnel combinations.
But when asked if the coaching change was something of a breath of fresh air for him, Smith stopped well short of saying yes.
"I wouldn't say that," Smith said. "I just look forward to working with the coaches and really getting to know them, and really trying my best to try and help lead this team."
