NY Jets: Trevor Lawrence doesn’t fix everything, but he fixes a lot

The NY Jets’ problems can’t all be fixed by Trevor Lawrence, but he fixes the important ones.

For fans of the NY Jets, the piece of the puzzle that has been most elusive for decades is a franchise quarterback. After Joe Namath’s departure in 1976, there hasn’t been a single franchise player at the NFL’s most important position.

Is Trevor Lawrence the real deal? Maybe, maybe not. But the consensus is that he is a generational talent and a can’t-miss prospect. Despite what many would have you believe, that is not a label that’s thrown around every year.

There are multiple quarterback prospects in every draft. Sometimes there’s debate about two or three of them. But it is rare that there is one single quarterback that is the consensus top pick without any real evidence to the contrary beyond those wanting to be different or argumentative.

Lawrence is considered the best prospect since Andrew Luck in 2012, the last time there was little to no debate about who was going first.

2019 came close — Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow went at No. 1, but there wasn’t a can’t-miss feel to him. He parlayed a huge senior year into a major payday.

The point here isn’t whether or not the quarterback in question in a given year will be a bust — most of that will fall upon the team and not the player. The point is the credibility and stability offered by having a solid option at the most important position in sports.

Trevor Lawrence would provide the NY Jets with credibility and stability

The Jets, for years, have been in the news for the follies of its front office. Free agents have openly used the Jets to drive up their price, only to sign elsewhere. The free agents who have signed have been overpaid to do so (hello, Trumaine Johnson and C.J. Mosley).

How about a coach? Do you think the ineptitude that has been the Jets front office is attractive to a top-notch candidate? In 2019, several coaches interviewed and subsequently spurned the Jets’ offer. Matt Rhule is the most prominent example.

You get a Trevor Lawrence in here, and suddenly the job is attractive. To coaches, to players, to everyone. And don’t underestimate the lure of New York. Even if Lawrence is a bust, there’s a much more likely chance that a solid foundation can be laid before that happens.

There are those who want to build the team first and get the quarterback later, but in today’s NFL with rookie caps and an ever-changing salary structure, that’s not feasible — by the time you find the quarterback, your “core” will be unaffordable.

The most successful teams have two things in common: a top quarterback and a top coach that can develop said quarterback and the players drafted by the team. If Trevor Lawrence is even close to what the experts say he is, you get him and build around him.

When salary cap concerns inevitably arise, he will make the less-experienced players that the team will be forced to use better. Quarterback consistency cannot be overstated.

If you don’t believe this, look at Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady. With the exception of Brady, none have consistently won Super Bowls, but each has his team in a position to make a run every year no matter who’s in the supporting cast.

A top quarterback is a franchise’s only true chance at consistent contention. And consistent contention is a franchise’s only real chance to win championships.

Unless you want to continue to try and catch lightning in a bottle with 10-6 and a wild card appearance as the team’s ceiling.

No more mediocrity. It’s time to expect more.

It’s time for Trevor Lawrence.