New York Jets: Another Option at Quarterback

The picture above shows the story of the New York Jets QB story of 2014. Taj Boyd was drafted apparently to displace incumbent third stringer Matt Simms. Boyd turned out to be a disaster and he couldn’t do enough to replace Simms. Michael Vick was bought in to “mentor” and back up incumbent starter Geno Smith. Smith failed to develop, and was ultimately replaced by a lackluster version of Michael Vick. To put it mildly, the QB position has been a disaster for the New York Jets this season!

Flash back to camp, where many analysts proclaimed the Jets had a pair of QB’s that many teams would be envious of!! It looked promising, we were told that Geno Smith had worked hard in the offseason, he had a firm grasp of the system and was ready to take the next step in his development. We were told Michael Vick was being brought in to “mentor” Smith, that he was healthy and more than capable of taking over the starting spot should Smith get hurt. Simms had practice squad eligibility and he’d remain there in case of emergency. As we all know by now, none of that worked out! The plan disintegrated right before our eyes!!

Nov 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) is chased out of the pocket under pressure by Buffalo Bills defensive tackle

Marcell Dareus

(99) during the second half at Ford Field. Bills beat the Jets 38-3. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

The news out of New York is that the Jets have gone back to Geno Smith as the starter. Vick was injured making a tackle after he threw an interception against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, and Geno played some garbage time in the fourth quarter. The announcement has brought a lot of controversy among fans and the NY media. Personally I think it’s the right move at this point in the season. Vick has proven he’s not an option for the 2015 New York Jets and quite likely is headed for retirement. Sadly there just isn’t much left in Vick’s gas tank. Let Smith finish out these meaningless games and hope he can up his level of play. Smith has been dismal for the most part this season, but he is still very young, and the final snaps of the this season might help out with his development. Smith is a cheap enough backup, so I suspect he will return to the team in 2015, so why not let him sink or swim at this point?

Nov 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick (1) sits on the bench after being pulled from the game during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Vick is out, Smith is in, and Simms apparently has no future with the franchise. So, is this all that can be done now to improve the outlook on next season? I think not. Its become pretty clear to me that the 2015 starter is not currently on the roster. Both Vick and Simms will likely be gone before the start of the 2015 season. The Jets can’t afford to bank on the Smith developing to be the starter. The off-season will likely bring the team a veteran signal corner, as well as a QB via the draft. Many are already calling for the Jets to draft a QB in the first round of next year’s draft, and short of that happening, finding a QB to develop later in the draft. While I think the Jets best bet would be to bring in a free agent to start 2015, I also believe they will draft a QB as well, maybe even a first round prospect. Either way, that’s in the future, we still have games to be played out before this disastrous season ends. Isn’t there something we can do right now? I think so, and it might just prove out to be a move for the future as well.

Aug 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA;Denver Broncos quarterback

Zac Dysert

(2) avoids the tackled of Dallas Cowboys defensive end

Caesar Rayford

(95) in the game at AT&T Stadium. Denver beat Dallas 27-3. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Today I’d like to propose that the Jets go out and sign Zac Dysert off of the Denver Broncos practice squad. Zac has spent both 2013 and 2014 in Denver on their practice squad learning from Peyton Manning and being coached along by Denver’s QB coach Greg Knapp. Zac is a small school guy having played his college football at the Miami University of Ohio. The Broncos coaching staff seems to be high on his development, and Manning himself has gave him some nice accolades in Denver’s media this season. He was drafted in the 7th round by Denver in 2013, and his pre draft report was one of a promising developmental talent.

Zac Dysert isn’t a household name, and I’m certain some of my critics will think I’ve lost my mind by suggesting the move. The way I see it though, is that the Jets have absolutely nothing to lose by signing him. What could it possibly hurt? John Elway seems to know talent at QB (he did boot Tebow out of town), and if he thinks he’s worth keeping, it just might be a good thing to check into. The Jets would have to put him on the active roster for the remainder of 2014, but surely there is someone on our own roster we could cut to make room. It’s something we can do now, that might just pay off down the line. Its a low risk move, and with any luck the Jets might get a viable back up at the very least. Zac stands at 6’3″ and weighs in at 221 pounds, at 24, he’s young enough to develop.