With Sam Darnold gone, which veteran FA QBs make sense for the Jets?

Jets GM Joe Douglas hinted the crew could add a veteran quarterback to help in the progress of a rookie.

Sam Darnold is long gone. Almost three decades right after drafting him, the Jets have traded the younger quarterback to the Carolina Panthers for a selection of picks over the future two drafts.

This clears the way for the group to pick BYU quarterback Zach Wilson at No. 2 all round.

Nothing at all will be formal till the night time of Thursday, April 29 (the draft’s first spherical), but the unwanted fat girl is seemingly warming up the vocal cords.

The Jets are wanting to undertake a entire restart with a new head coach in Robert Saleh. If Wilson does in fact occur to Florham Park, he’ll very likely occur in as the presumed starter.

But while it’s tricky to acquire on the purpose of an NFL starting up quarterback at these kinds of a younger age, it’s a sheer struggle without the need of notable mentorship. It would make feeling to commence the developmental method with a rookie signal-caller.

Consequently, with the likelihood the Jets will draft Wilson, Jets standard manager Joe Douglas may possibly be wanting to take care of that probable situation.

Douglas doesn’t rule out introducing a vet QB, but claims he’s thrilled about Morgan and White. (Appears like posturing. They cannot go into the calendar year with three inexperienced QBs.) #Jets

— Loaded Cimini (@RichCimini) April six, 2021

Even though the Jets have by now signed a selection of offensive weapons — vast receivers Corey Davis and Keelan Cole alongside with working back again Tevin Coleman — to inevitably help in the progress of a rookie and will very likely draft much more, a veteran quarterback with starting up experience to back again that first-calendar year participant up could be a genuine prerequisite.

The Mike Maccagnan routine took this route right after drafting Darnold — the group retained veteran Josh McCown to press the then-rookie quarterback in education camp and eventually mentor him as he produced.

No matter whether the Jets draft Wilson (who’s most very likely heading to be the decide) or any of the other prime quarterback prospective customers, a veteran by his side could prove effective.

The selections? Nicely, there are a few.

Alex Smith

For this dialogue, the favorite could be longtime quarterback Alex Smith, who’s most unquestionably on his way to retirement at 36 and coming off a gruesome leg personal injury that just happened in 2018 and retained him out of football till this earlier season.

Smith has naturally viewed it all in this league — from awful evenings to phenomenal achievements.

There was the time when the San Francisco 49ers crowd chanted “We want Carr,” referring to then-49ers backup David Carr when Smith struggled in the course of a Sunday night time activity with San Francisco in 2010.

There was also the time when he led the 49ers to the NFC Championship activity in the course of the 2011 season right after throwing a activity-winning touchdown go to restricted conclude Vernon Davis in opposition to the Saints in the postseason.

The point is: a rookie ordinarily possesses a ton of issues, so using a veteran like Smith who has a major selection of responses would be a excellent in good shape.

Blake Bortles

Even with leading the Jaguars to the postseason in 2017, it’s clear Blake Bortles — the 2014 No. three all round decide — is a backup in this league. He has not started a activity due to the fact 2018 and didn’t look in a solitary matchup for both Denver or the Los Angeles Rams final calendar year.

But specified his experience (78 profession appearances, seventy three commences), he would certainly be a top-quality mentor-kind quarterback in comparison to present Jets backup James Morgan (2020 fourth-spherical collection).

Bortles would on top of that be a low-priced acquisition on the industry — right after all, he’s thrown just two passes due to the fact the conclusion of the 2018 marketing campaign.

Josh McCown

A reunion in Florham Park? Josh McCown heading the “full circle” route to return to the Jets and be a mentor for the second consecutive very long-term quarterback project?

He would be a improved possibility for this kind of purpose than some of the other free of charge-agent veterans, but it’s unclear if he’d be eager to shell out yet another calendar year in the league. McCown has bounced all over from NFL crew to NFL crew (he’s been with a dozen unique ones due to the fact 2002) and has by now retired after (following the 2018 season ahead of shelling out time with the Eagles and Texans the final two decades).

McCown would not contend for a starting up job (he’ll be forty two decades previous by the time education camp commences), and in spite of the simple fact Joe Douglas wasn’t all over when he was final with the group, bringing him in wouldn’t be a horrific strategy.