As the Jets prepare to reconvene on Monday for their first day of the offseason program, here’s where their quarterback situation stands — both in terms of veterans and the player they’re eyeing at No. 3.
- While it’s not certain if Baker Mayfield would win out in a Mayfield-or-Sam Darnold scenario, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes the Oklahoma-developed passer would be Gang Green’s preferred option over Josh Allen. The Jets will be prepared to go with Mayfield’s accuracy — back-to-back seasons with a 71 percent completion rate, albeit in the Sooners’ air raid attack — and his career winning games for the Big 12 school over the Wyoming product with the tantalizing upside. Although, at just 6-foot, Mayfield would be the shortest quarterback the Jets drafted since Jeff Blake in 1992, Cimini writes. Blake did end up having a 14-year career, despite only one of those seasons occurring with the Jets.
- If the Browns take Allen and the Giants draft Darnold, Cimini expects the Jets to stay with Mayfield if confronted with a Mayfield-or-Josh Rosen decision (Twitter link). While the Jets held a higher opinion of the latter going into the offseason, Mayfield may well have usurped the UCLA product as the draft nears.
- Lamar Jackson is not under consideration for the Jets at No. 3 overall, per Cimini (on Twitter). While Jackson has met with the Browns, it hasn’t been reported that he visited the Jets, Giants or Broncos. His known meetings have come with the Ravens, Chargers and Saints thus far. And the Patriots have interest in the Louisville standout.
- Todd Bowles expects Teddy Bridgewater to throw passes this spring, but it’s uncertain how much the recently signed QB will participate in the team portions of these voluntary workouts, Brian Costello of the New York Post notes. The Jets signed Bridgewater to an incentive-laden contract, doing so after the Vikings expressed concern about his knee this offseason. For now, Josh McCown is preparing to start for a second season in green.
- While both Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty could be on their way out of the Big Apple soon, Costello writes Petty is the likeliest to be given walking papers before camp commences. As for Hackenberg, there remains a contingent at Jets headquarters hoping he can be salvaged to some degree. However, once the new quarterback arrives, the 2016 second-round pick will be the fourth-string quarterback going into camp. The statuses of these incumbent backups could be determined by how Bridgewater looks in camp. Hackenberg has still yet to play in a regular-season game. Petty finished the past two seasons for the Jets, but has led them to one win in seven starts and last season finished with a 49 percent completion rate.
Based n the proverbial insider information. Means absolutely nothing. Mike Maccagnan isn’t sharing information with anyone in the media. Just more hype.
Can we get some confirmation on this?
You can’t confirm a negative
I’ll try to remind myself of that the next time my VISA bill arrives in the mail.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz. Nobody knows what they’ll do.
Bringing back McCown really made no sense espically for 10 million. Bridgwater, Whoever they take at 3 and 1 of Hakenberg/Petty would have been a find group of QBs. Forcing out both the latter guys for Mccown is not the way to go.
Its not even a guarantee that Bridgewater can play, making the McCown signing a safety net that allows whoever they draft to develop for however long they need to.
Dont be surprised if Bridgewater gets cut because he cant play or if McCown gets cut because Bridgewater CAN play. Petty is an easy one to part with. Hackenberg is a tough one to part with, considering he was a 2nd rounder that has never seen the field and apparently has all the physical tools. However, there is not that big of a case to keep him around either, considering McCown serves as a good insurance policy to Bridgewaters injury history.
Its not completely unheard of that a team has 4 QBs on a roster, so it is possible that they keep all of Bridgewater, McCown, (Draft), Hackenberg and then trim down after McCown and Bridgewaters 1 year contracts are up.
This may also seem like a longshot, but Hackenberg could end up on the practice squad but I think thats doubtful.
The Jets have a lot of options in front of them, lets see how it pans out.
They need a veteran bridge to the rookie, especially since you don’t entirely know the status of Bridgewater yet. It makes a lot more sense for them to sign a guy like McCown than to keep grasping at straws with Hackenberg or Petty.
If McCown is a stop gap then Hakenberg and Petty have to be absolutely horrible. Which could be true tho
Yeah I think by now Hackenberg and Petty are pretty much terrible…I definitely see what you mean because it’s tough giving up on young guys (especially in the case of Hackenberg) but I think at this point they need to bite the bullet and move on
Hackenberg was a horrible, horrible reach in the second round, and could be the poster boy for “Why Analytics Matter.”
Not that critics of analytics couldn’t find their own poster boy, as well, but Hackenberg really is the worst modern example of the “Wow, he really looks like a modern QB!” school of scouting.
Who knows what the hell the Jets are thinking when it comes to QB. Once again they give decent money to a long time journeyman backup QB after he has a career year(see Fitzpatrick). They are betting on these guys getting better when as the old baseball saying goes, you are what the back of your baseball card says you are. Why sign McCown, then Bridgewater, keep Petty and Hackenberg on the roster, especially when everyone knows they traded up to draft a QB? Trim the fat and cut Bridgewater and Petty. If you need, keep McCown to mentor the new 1st round QB, keep Hackenberg on his cheap rookie contract as a #3.
But then again this is the Jets, I can see them drafting a Punter in the 1st round and going for a QB from Quebec University in the 2nd round. Then wondering why they haven’t had a quality QB in 50years.
McCown is a better mentor than Bridgewater, that is why he was resigned. They should keep both of those guys along with the rookie, cut Petty, and trade Hackenberg.
If they can get even a conditional draft pick for Hackenberg, which is questionable. I’m not even sure he could get a Paxton Lynch or Laquon Treadwell in return, except maybe with a seventh rounder thrown in.
McCown is going to be a glorified QBs coach for all the young guys. Plus the Jets have a ton of cap space that they won’t use up this year so the $$$ is not an issue. Especially considering he will be a QB coach whenever he retires.(the Browns already asked him if he was interested in being there QB coach now)
Hackenburg really needs to go to Houston to be their backup. Bill O’ Brien made that guy look like a superstar, but every where else he’s been has been blah.