Geno Smith

QB Notes: Kaepernick, Romo, Fitzpatrick

October 9th, 2016 at 10:11am CST by Rory Parks

We learned earlier today that Brian Hoyer will remain the starter in Chicago if he continues to play well, regardless of Jay Cutler‘s health. Now let’s take a look at some other teams facing various types of quarterback dilemmas:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com chimes in on the Colin Kaepernick situation, reporting that the 49ers are indeed mulling a move to pull starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert in favor of Kaepernick. Although head coach Chip Kelly has not yet had conversations with his full staff regarding his quarterback conundrum, he has had informal, exploratory discussions about making a move. There are, of course, several factors that could influence Kelly’s decision, including Kaepernick’s contract situation–a restructured deal would make San Francisco more willing to put No. 7 on the field–and his health. Although Kaepernick is not yet back to his normal playing weight, his arm at least is back to full strength, and he appears more at ease with his teammates then he has in years past. He does not consistently outperform Gabbert in practice, but at this point, a change probably makes sense and could happen soon.
Despite a great deal of discussion to the contrary, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that there is “zero chance” the Cowboys will start Dak Prescott over a healthy Tony Romo. Romo remains on track to return for the team’s Week 8 matchup against Philadelphia, and the Cowboys believe a healthy Romo will help open up the offense. Although Prescott has played well and is viewed as the quarterback of the future, the Cowboys are running a constricted version of the offense for him, allowing him to be something of a game manager (he has attempted just seven passes that have traveled 20 yards or more in the air). So far all the talk that Romo would become Dallas’ answer to Wally Pipp, that does not appear to be the case.
In a separate piece, La Canfora writes that the Jets have seen enough of Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s turnover issues and that Gang Green is prepared to make a change if Fitz does not reverse the trend immediately. La Canfora says that Fitzpatrick is essentially playing for his job against Pittsburgh this week, and with Geno Smith showing some signs of life in practice, the team would not be averse to handing the reins to Smith if Fitzpatrick struggles against the Steelers (the Jets believe that neither Bryce Petty nor Christian Hackenberg is ready to become the next young quarterback to take the league by storm).
Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes that, if Robert Griffin III is able to play again this season, the Browns will give him a chance, regardless of how Cody Kessler is performing at that point (unless, of course, Kessler is playing at an Aaron Rodgers level). However, it is unlikely that RGIII will be healthy enough to return this year, so Cleveland will probably not have to make that decision.

Jets To Keep Four QBs

September 3rd, 2016 at 1:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets are likely to retain all four of their quarterbacks, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). That means roster spots will go to Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg.

As the starter, Fitzpatrick was a shoo-in all along. So was Hackenberg, whom the Jets chose in the second round of this year’s draft. Questions surrounded Smith and Petty, though cutting or trading the former would have left the Jets without an experienced backup. Petty, meanwhile, was a fourth-rounder just a year ago, so it’s not surprising that New York is hesitant to move on from him. He did leave the Jets’ preseason finale with a bruised shoulder, but head coach Todd Bowles said afterward that he didn’t suffer any structural damage.

Jets Receiving Trade Interest In Geno Smith?

August 29th, 2016 at 9:15am CST by Zachary Links

Does Geno Smith have trade value? Apparently, there are at least a couple of teams out there with at least a little bit of interest in the Jets quarterback. There is “soft interest around the league in Smith,” according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Teams have called the Jets to ask about their surplus players at a few different positions, including quarterback. Those types of calls are very common during this time of year when teams are trimming down from 90 to 75, then from 75 to 53. However, it’s interesting to note that some executives are intrigued by Smith despite his struggles in New York and his awful luck in 2015.

For his part, Smith said this summer that he will not rule out a future with the Jets in 2017 and beyond. The Jets, meanwhile, seem to have other plans at the position. Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the starter this season and the Jets are hoping that rookie Christian Hackenberg will be the go-to guy down the line. That leaves Bryce Petty and Smith to battle over the primary backup spot and some reports have indicated that Petty has looked better than Smith so far this summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Harrison, Jets, Revis, Petty, Bills

August 19th, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Forget the Olympics or the first presidential debate – could the NFL’s interview with Steelers linebacker James Harrison be the must-watch event of the year? If Harrison has his way, his interview with league investigators over PED claims will be live on TV for all to see.

“If it leads to the hands of that crook, I mean Roger Goodell, he can do whatever he wants,” Harrison said (via Sports Illustrated). “Whatever evidence they might have or reasoning for questioning for me is out of my control, I don’t know. I wouldn’t have a problem with it being filmed live. I’ve been prosecuted and persecuted publicly in the media by them for something I didn’t do, so I don’t see why we couldn’t have the media there and do a live interview.”

Extra Points: Geno, C. Jones, Pats, TEs

August 11th, 2016 at 8:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It has been exactly one year since former Jets linebacker IK Enemkpali radically changed the franchise’s course by breaking quarterback Geno Smith‘s jaw with a punch. Ryan Fitzpatrick, the prospective backup, took the Jets’ job and ran with it during Smith’s multiple-month absence, posting career-best numbers for a 10-win team. While Smith was the Jets’ de facto starter during Fitzpatrick’s months-long contract dispute with the team, he reverted to a reserve role after Fitzpatrick re-signed in July. Enemkpali, meanwhile, has been with AFC East rival Buffalo since it claimed him off waivers the day after his altercation with Smith. In hindsight, Smith is seemingly glad the incident occurred.

“When I look back on this when I’m 40, 50 years old, I’ll ask myself, ‘What time in my life made me a man?’ I think this was that time in my life,” the fourth-year man told Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “It was so easy to say, ‘Hey, this is not my fault. I’m the victim here, and this guy should be going to jail.’ Instead, I manned up. I owned it. I took responsibility for whatever actions I had in that altercation, and I chose to let that fuel me to become a better man and a better player.”

In the Jets’ preseason opener Thursday, Smith completed 8 of 14 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars.

Here’s more from around the sport:

Shortly after New England traded Chandler Jones to Arizona in March, the pass-rushing force called Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to thank him. “I didn’t get a chance to speak to him (the day of the trade) — he was on a flight or something,” Jones informed Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “But I called him the next day and said, ‘Hey, you could’ve traded me to any other team, so thank you for not trading me to a crappy team.’” Belichick laughed, according to Jones, who went on to tell Pelissero that the Pats aren’t “known for really paying guys over there.” Nevertheless, the contract-year defender found the trade “a tad shocking.”
There are a bunch of teams making calls looking for depth tight ends, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears. He expects that market to pick up over the next few weeks.
The Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League released former NFL running back Joe McKnight on Wednesday, according to Gerry Moddejonge of the Edmonton Journal. McKnight, whom the Jets chose in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, had some success in New York as a return man, but the former USC Trojan’s two fumbled punt returns in Edmonton helped cost him his CFL job. McKnight was in his first year playing in Canada and last saw NFL action as a member of the Chiefs in 2014, with whom he tore his Achilles.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Jets Notes: Marshall, Geno Smith, Clady

August 10th, 2016 at 12:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Business is booming in the NFL, but the players that help create billions of dollars in revenue still don’t have it as good as players in MLB and the NBA when it comes to guaranteed cash. The league’s current CBA doesn’t expire until after the 2020 season, but Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall would like to see the players’ union fight for serious contract reform in the next round of talks.

“I think it would be the biggest fight we’ve ever had to get that done,” Marshall told Manish Mehta of the Daily News.

Marshall also spoke specifically about DeAndre Hopkins‘ brief holdout and intimated that the Texans star didn’t go far enough by only staying away from the team for 24 hours. Marshall acknowledges that there “shouldn’t be any holdouts” but he sees them as a necessary evil as teams are often unwilling to discuss a new deal until they have to.

Here’s more on Gang Green:

Many would say that the writing is on the wall for quarterback Geno Smith, but the Jets’ former starter won’t rule out a future with the team in 2017 and beyond, NJ.com’s Connor Hughes writes. He also claims that he never considered asking for a trade, despite being parked squarely behind veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. “Because I’m not afraid of anything,” Smith said when pressed on the matter. “I know I can be out there and win games. I know I can be great. But right now, it’s time for me to practice patience.” Aside from Fitzpatrick, the Jets also have former Baylor QB Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg on the roster, as shown on their Roster Resource depth chart.
The Jets’ trade for offensive lineman Ryan Clady will prove to be a smart move, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com opines. By acquiring Clady from Denver, GM Mike Maccagnan bought low on a former Pro Bowler, giving them a very capable fill-in for the retired D’Brickashaw Ferguson. The Jets’ first choice was to sign free agent Kelechi Osemele, but Gang Green found a cheaper alternative in the soon-to-be 30-year-old.
Could the Jets carry all four quarterbacks on the roster in Week 1? Coach Todd Bowles claims that it’s a possibility.

AFC Notes: Brown, Steelers, Geno, Jets, Bills

July 29th, 2016 at 6:52pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While all-world receiver Antonio Brown is confident that the Steelers will address his contract before the beginning of the regular season, the team is unlikely to rip it up in favor of a new deal, reports Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The club could instead advance Brown $2MM in salary for the second straight year and then negotiate a new accord with him at season’s end. However, there is precedent for the Steelers giving Brown a new deal with two years left on it, as Fittipaldo notes. Pittsburgh handed Brown a five-year, $41MM contract after the 2011 season, his second in the NFL. Although Brown is underpaid on his current deal relative to his stellar production, Fittipaldo points out that, between what the Steelers signed him to in 2012 and will award him on his next contract, the 28-year-old will earn far more than many other members of the 2010 draft class (Dez Bryant, for instance).

Elsewhere around the AFC…

The Jets finally re-signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick earlier this week, leading to questions about fellow signal-caller’s Geno Smith roster status. It turns out that New York does not plan to move on from Smith this summer, general manager Mike Maccagnan said Friday (Twitter link via Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday). Asked if Smith will be on the Jets’ Week 1 roster, Maccagnan stated, “I would assume so. Right now, I know we like Geno Smith… Geno’s in our plans.” In addition to Smith, who has struggled since the Jets chose him in the second round of the 2013 draft, Gang Green has rookie second-rounder Christian Hackenberg and 2015 fourth-rounder Bryce Petty in reserve. With those two around and Smith’s lack of long-term security (he’ll be a free agent after the season), this is likely his final year with the franchise.
The Bills are “standing pat” with their quarterbacks, GM Doug Whaley said Friday (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News). Buffalo was reportedly in the hunt for free agent Nick Foles after the Rams released him Thursday, though Carucci quickly shot that down. Behind starter Tyrod Taylor, who’s a candidate for a contract extension, the Bills have EJ Manuel and rookie fourth-rounder Cardale Jones as options. Manuel’s career strongly resembles Smith’s: Both were high picks in 2013 (Manuel went in Round 1) and have since failed to established themselves as starting-caliber NFL QBs. Manuel, like Smith, is in a contract year and could be in his last season with the club that drafted him. The ex-Florida State Seminole appeared in seven games (two starts) in 2015 and went 52 of 84 with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Speaking of Carucci, the insider shared his thoughts on several Bills topics with PFR’s Zach Links on Friday.
The Titans added a household name to their receiving corps Friday, agreeing to a deal with Andre Johnson.

AFC Notes: McCoy, Geno, Raiders, Vegas, Bell

July 23rd, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

LeSean McCoy will be going into his second Bills season now in the clear of a potential suspension as a result of his alleged actions in a nightclub brawl with off-duty police officers this February in Philadelphia. The eighth-year running back is now well aware of how he’s viewed publicly after the incident but is brushing it off.

“The only opinions that people really get about players is what they see TV or what the media gives them,” McCoy said, via Aaron Kasinitz of PennLive.com. “If the media only paints a picture of a player as this or whatever that may be, then that’s what the people see. So I don’t really go back and forth about that.”

The 28-year-old running back did not face criminal charges for his alleged role in the brawl. He’s under contract with the Bills for four more seasons.

Here’s the latest from the AFC on the final Saturday before training camps commence.

During an interview with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Todd Bowles gave Geno Smith a reasonable endorsement as the fourth-year quarterback prepares to enter camp as the Jets’ de facto starter. “I think Geno can be a good starter, but he’s got to prove it in training camp like everybody else,” Bowles said. “It’s not just about the quarterback position. You got to have a team around that position to play ball, but he’s been in the system a year. He has a better grasp of it going into training camp and we’ll see what he does.” Bowles did not address the situation with Ryan Fitzpatrick, whom remains unsigned and could remain as such until deep into the preseason.
Jerry Jones‘ status as the league’s most influential owner — and most influential person, per USA Today — bodes well for the Raiders‘ chances at securing enough votes to move to Las Vegas, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Jones hasn’t been shy in voicing his interest in the NFL expanding into the Nevada market, and Thomas, pointing to Jones’ role in steering the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles, notes enough owners will fall in line should the Cowboys’ boss declare his full support for the Raiders’ prospective venture. “When I walked into my first meeting in the NFL, everybody said, ‘We’ve got to always protect the game. We can’t compromise it,’ ” Jones said during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “Well, we’re beyond that. We don’t compromise the game, in my view, by being in Las Vegas or being near wagering.” The Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee has until Sept. 30 to finalize a stadium financing plan, a step Oakland has not approached.
The Steelers being unable to rely on Le’Veon Bell should steer the franchise away from the talented running back, Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Before word of a four-game suspension leaked Friday, Bell stood in line to potentially secure a top-of-the-line running back contract due to his versatility. Now, that’s not as certain. The Steelers not paying Bell would leave more room for a seemingly long-overdue Antonio Brown extension, and Zeise writes the reliable wideout should receive that payday at the expense of Bell’s alleged errors in judgment.
The Colts will have to make a decision on Arthur Jones after his latest setback — a four-game suspension for a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy — since the former Ravens defensive end has not remotely delivered on the five-year, $33MM contract he signed before the 2014 season, Mike Wells of ESPN.com offers. Limited by ankle injuries prior to this suspension, Jones has played nine games in two seasons for the Colts. The oldest brother in a family that’s been scrutinized over the past year, with Chandler Jones and UFC fighter Jon Jones also running into trouble, Arthur Jones will lose $588K as a result of this suspension. But the Colts are uncertain about when his backup, Henry Anderson, will be back after a season-ending injury in Week 9 marred his offseason as well.

AFC East Notes: Geno, Fitz, Harris, Foster, Pats

July 18th, 2016 at 8:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets/Ryan Fitzpatrick saga could last well into training camp, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who adds that New York’s staff may need to see how Geno Smith performs in preseason contests before deciding if the club can cope without Fitzpatrick. Given that the Jets cleared some cap space by lowering Muhammad Wilkerson‘s 2016 charge (through an extension), some observers believed that Gang Green could now afford to offer Fitzpatrick the deal he’s sought, but it doesn’t sound like an agreement is close.

Meanwhile, while Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com opines that Jets management needs to set a deadline for talks with Fitzpatrick, wide receiver Brandon Marshall says he’s lost communication with the veteran quarterback. “To be honest, me and Fitz talk everyday, all the time, but I texted him the last two weeks three times and there’s no response,” said Marshall, per Ryan Mayer of CBS New York. “The only thing that he can do to make this right is to say he was on vacation, I was out of the country. It’s not like him. It’s scaring me right now.”

Let’s take a look at more from New York and the rest of the AFC East:

Although David Harris doesn’t have any guarantees left on his contract in 2017, the Jets figure to hang onto the veteran linebacker through the end of his deal, argues Brian Costello of the New York Post. Harris’ three-year deal, which he signed prior to 2015, contained $15MM guaranteed, but all of that total was made up of base salaries. As such, the club could release him after the upcoming season without any dead money accelerating onto their cap. But as Costello notes, Harris is viewed as a locker room leader, so as long as his play doesn’t fall off completely, it stands to figure that he’ll remain on the roster.
“I still feel like I’m a Pro Bowl player and I intend to show that,” said running back Arian Foster after agreeing to terms with the Dolphins earlier today, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Foster inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal that can max out at $3.5MM, and his presence in South Beach further complicates a running back unit that already boasted Jay Ajayi, Damien Williams, and rookie Kenyan Drake. Foster’s pact only contains $400K guaranteed, so if he can’t stay healthy during the preseason, Miami can cut ties without too much of a fiscal penalty.
Patriots safety Nate Ebner has been selected for the United States rugby team, agent Sean Stellato tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Head coach Bill Belichick has indicated that he supports Ebner’s Olympic bid, provided that he reports to the New England in shape and ready to go for the upcoming season. This offseason, the Patriots re-signed the special teams standout to a two-year, $2.4MM deal, presumably with the knowledge that he would go out for the U.S. rugby team. Ebner won’t Olympian with NFL experience, as former Lions running back Jahvid Best will be member of Saint Lucia’s track team.
Although the Bills used a fourth-round pick on him, rookie quarterback Cardale Jones won’t have much of an impact during the 2016 campaign, writes Joe Buscaglia of WKBW. Jones didn’t look NFL-ready during minicamps, so any hopes of him usurping backup EJ Manuel are no more, and given that Buffalo doesn’t need to keep three quarterbacks active on gameday, Jones figures to spend much of rookie year holding a clipboard.

AFC Notes: Wilkerson, Jets, Raiders, Titans

June 25th, 2016 at 10:34am CST by Ben Levine

Peyton Manning will surely be enjoying his first year of retirement, but the future Hall of Famer told reporters that he’ll still be keeping an eye on the 2016 campaign. Specifically, Manning will be watching his brother, his former teams, and a former teammate.

“I kinda look forward to this year being a fan of a lot of teams, people that I have connections with,” Manning told reporters Friday (via Conor Orr of NFL.com). “I’ll be pulling for Brock. Of course, I’m going to be a huge New York Giants fan, but I’ll be pulling for the Broncos and the Colts. I’ll be pulling for Adam Gase and Jim Caldwell, the head coach of the Lions. Coaches and players I’ve played with and competed with. Being a free agent, if you will, this year, to be able to pull for a lot of teams.

“I’ll be pulling hard for Brock (Osweiler), I know he’s going to have a great year.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…

ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini reviews some of the largest contracts handed out to defenders in recent years, and he concludes that teams rarely get “that bang for the buck” that they’re seeking. Ultimately, while the Jets may not be concerned about a potential drop in Muhammad Wilkerson‘s production, Cimini believes the team could be looking to avoid that “buyer-beware element.”
With Geno Smith‘s contract expiring at the end of the season, Brian Costello of the New York Post wonders if we’ll see the best out of the Jets quarterback in 2016.
Raiders defender Aldon Smith will be arraigned for violating his probation, reports CSNBayArea.com. The 26-year-old was already on probation in August of 2015, when he was charged with DUI, hit and run and vandalism. According to the website, these charges proved to be in violation of that previous probation.
One of the Titans “big questions” heading into the preseason will be which wideouts will ultimately make the squad, writes Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. The writer mentions Kendall Wright, Rishard Matthews, Dorial Green-Beckham and Tajae Sharpe as locks to make the roster, and the writer could envision the team keeping an additional three receivers on the final squad.

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