Posts tagged with “ny jets 2014 depth chart”

Do The Jets Have a Backup Plan?

Tuesday, 29 April, 2014

Follow@cimini

NFL talk has actually calmed down quite a bit. Typically it is an oversaturated area from the sports media even in the off-season. Qualms about possible draft picks and off-season player movement are endless debates.

One of the hot media topic teams continues to be the New York Jets. They’ve had an bevy of key personnel decisions made the last several years that have gone awry. The latest appears to be the signing of Mike Vick.

To the Jets credit, Vick was likely the top viable free agent quarterback for them to sign. With young prospect Geno Smith looking like a shaky starter, the Jets needed to bring in another candidate. But Mike Vick?

Some Jets fans would argue that they should have went through the NFL Draft for their new talent. Don’t rule it out yet Jets fans as the draft is just a few weeks away.

Is the team stunting it’s possible forward growth if Vick is named the starter? I believe so. Vick has had his opportunities in this league, and frankly does not have the durability to be a full time starter. As blessed as he is with freakish athletic ability, he does not have an edge in the health department.

The risks he takes scrambling and taking a beating by prolonging plays have caught up to him. He has had every imaginable physical ailment possible as a quarterback. Ranging from hamstring injuries, ribs, shoulders, and the whole nine.

He is a battered quarterback not only physically but mentally. Chip Kelly disregarded Vick the second Vick suffered yet another injury. Could have Vick been a better quarterback than Nick Foles for the duration of last season? It’s likely a 50/50 debate.

Where Chip Kelly gets the kudos as a first year coach, is the realization that it was time to move on from Vick. By keeping Foles as the starter, Kelly moved forward with the team’s future. It’s the same scenario you see coaches do with rookie quarterbacks replacing an unheralded starter.

The Jets just can’t seem to put their foot forward at the quarterback position. Without a shadow of a doubt they held on to Mark Sanchez far too long as a starting quarterback. The quick use of Geno Smith looks like a foreseeable mistake that will haunt the rest of his career.

Why can’t the Jets make the proper moves at quarterback to reclaim a reputable team?

You can’t platoon players at quarterback like the Vikings tried a year ago. Mike Vick is who he is. He may start the season with two to three solid games, but it’s going to fade quick. He is comparable to an old pitcher that starts the season strong but can’t keep hold up past a certain point.

Hopefully the Jets front office has a backup plan to the backup plan. Lets see what they do on draft day.