East Notes: Jets, Gilmore, Giants, Redskins

Geno Smith is the Jets current starting quarterback, although the team would clearly prefer Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. Second-round pick Christian Hackenberg is the future at the position. So, where does that leave Bryce Petty?

As Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes, the team shouldn’t be giving up on the sophomore signal-caller. While the Jets have considered keeping four quarterbacks for 2016, Petty’s roster spot is no guarantee, and the writer doesn’t believe the organization should give up on the project so quickly.

For what it’s worth, Petty is ready for the challenge.

“You like competition,” Petty said. “So it’s one of those deals like, ‘Okay, they did draft a guy. Now it’s my chance to prove that they took the right guy the year before. … They made a good choice when they drafted me.”

Let’s check out some other notes from the NFL’s East divisions…

• The Jets willingness to play hard ball with Fitzpatrick and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson leads to the perception that the team is “not as committed to winning as they ought to be,” writes Steve Serby of the New York Post. The writer believes the real fear is that this sentiment will leak into the locker room, which could make for a toxic environment.
• The Bills don’t intend to pay Stephon Gilmore “Josh Norman cornerback money,” writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. If the defensive back is seeking a contract that nears Norman’s five-year, $75MM, the team will presumably let Gilmore walk following the season. On the flip side, the Bills may be willing to pay the former first-rounder $12.5MM a year.
• The Giants are a natural fit for former Ravens offensive lineman Eugene Monroe, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The team has an obvious hole on the offensive line, and Monroe’s track record proves that the organization shouldn’t be wary of the veteran’s presence.
• Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan has only held his position for 17 months, but the executive has already done an admirable job of turning around the organization. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports writes, the offseason acquisition of Josh Norman was McCloughan’s biggest move yet, and the GM is confident that the signing will ultimately prove to be worth it.