Time to move on to Plan B at quarterback for the Jets

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has signed a historic deal with the Minnesota Vikings, resulting in heartbreak for New York Jets fans everywhere. It’s time for the Jets to move on to Plan B. Plan Baker Mayfield.

Former Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins was a top target for the New York Jets in free agency. Cousins offered the Jets an immediate fix at the quarterback position, which has been a position of need for quite some time now. Now that Cousins has signed with the Vikings, it looks like the Jets will have to find a franchise quarterback the old fashioned way; through the draft. Even though they have agreed to terms with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on a one-year deal, they should still draft another quarterback to be their franchise player under center.

The last time the Jets hit on a quarterback that lasted for a very long time in the draft was back in 2000, when they drafted Chad Pennington. Looking back, drafting Pennington wasn’t a major win since his career was riddled with injuries. Now, the Jets are in a position they’ve never been in before. Sitting at the sixth spot in this year’s draft, with four promising quarterback prospects coming out of college.

There’s no clear order in which Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield will go in the draft, but one thing is for certain. If the Jets draft a quarterback, bringing back Josh McCown was a smart idea. McCown is a textbook example of a pro’s pro. He can serve as a great example of how to be a leader and greatly aid a rookie in learning the ropes.

Broadway Baker could be the offensive spark-plug the Jets have long been seeking

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The ideal quarterback for the Jets at No. 6 would be Baker Mayfield from Oklahoma. He may not be the biggest or the best quarterback in the draft, but his passion, drive, and energy set him aside from the rest. Mayfield could provide the Jets offense with a much-needed spark since they’ve been rather flat in past years.

In terms of the intangibles, I like to compare Mayfield to Jamal Adams, who has made a huge impact on the Jets defense. If Mayfield can bring a similar energy to the offense, the effects could resonate throughout the entire unit. As for playing on the big stage that is New York, we know that Mayfield is anything but camera-shy. Broadway Baker has a nice ring to it.

Now that Cousins is off the Jets’ radar, much attention shifts to Teddy Bridgewater and if he can bounce back on a one-year “prove it” deal. Although Bridgewater is not the answer the Jets are looking for, he still has way too many question marks. First, he must come back strong from a major injury, which is no easy feat. Second, even before the injury, there was still room for improvement before he could be considered a legitimate franchise quarterback.

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Bridgewater has some potential, although, with three viable options, the quarterback situation could be a good fit for Mayfield so he’s not be rushed and earns his way to being a starter. That way, when Mayfield is ready, he’ll take the city that never sleeps by storm.