Jets Spotlight, QB GJ Kinne

This morning, we are spotlighting another member of the quarterbacks crew who in camp is battling with second year QB Greg McElroy for the third string quarterback job and that is former Tulsa quarterback GJ Kinne. He may not have familial ties to the New York football scene like Matt Simms but Kinne has ties to another former Jet quarterback; Chad Pennington. His father is

Sept 18, 2011; Tulsa, OK, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane quarterback GJ Kinne (4) runs with the ball against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

former Baylor linebacker Gary Joe Kinne who is currently the linebackers coach in Chicago.

He’s built at 6-1.5 tall and 225lbs.

The guy had some really solid numbers when he was at Tulsa. He had 9,469 yards passing, 81 touchdowns, and a 61.3 completion percentage (732 comp/1,195 attempts) for his college career. With his feet, Kinne had 1,365 yardsrushing and scored 15 touchdowns.

In his final year at Tulsa, he threw for 3,087 yards, 28 TDs, and 12 INTs for a 63.3 completion percentage (247 comp/390 attempts). He ran for 405 yards and scored three TDs.

Here is some tape that on Kinne to wet the pallet:

PROS: Kinne’s accuracy is impeccable. When you watch him throw, he throws a real tight spiral and he hits his target on envy pass. Kinne has real good vision down the field, especially when he’s on the move. He can make all the throws, the deep ball is pretty impressive. He has great mobility and can make the tough throws including the one across the body to a receiver over the middle. Kinne can sell the play action pass relatively well but he makes that throw with relative ease. The kid is also tough. He can hang tough in the pocket and still get the ball out and to his receiver.

CONS: Kinne on a few occasions has had a tendency to stare down a couple of his receivers and in the NFL, as Mark Sanchez can attest to, can easily lead to trouble. Sometimes, he has a problem selling the play action pass but Kinne’s arm makes up for a lot. When Kinne throws the ball, some of the time, the receivers are catching the ball right against their bodies. That’s not a bad thing persay, but when you get a a good corner, that tight of a window might not always be there so Kinne needs to lead the receivers just a little bit more.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Kinne is a really good quarterback. He can do anything you ask him to do as far as throwing the ball. If you watch the tape, he can run the ball as well. Kinne comes from an option system so that is kind of a mark against him but that arm will take him a lot of places. He definitely won’t challenge the number oneland two spots on the depth chart but Kinne will give McElroy a sure run for his money. McElroy is the incumbent but the incumbents don’t always win the job.