QB's almost always go #1 because QB is by far the most important position in any major sport. You can't compare all highly drafted QB's with Lawrence. He is literally the best QB prospect since Luck. Luck was the best prospect since Peyton Manning. Guys who are that highly touted actually work out very frequently, that's why they get so much hype. Of course Trevor wouldn't miraculously solve our problems but he'd give us a significant upgrade at the most important position and he'd be cheaper than Sam to boot. It's a no brainer to pick him.
I'm old enough to remember when everyone said Vinny Testaverde was the greatest QB prospect in the history of football. And Jeff George, too. Trevor might be great, or he might not. I don't buy this either-- QBs look better because the rules massively favor passing offense. The NFL is running college offensive systems because the rules favor the passing game and the CBA makes it more productive to practice non-contact drills like route running vs contact drills like run blocking. Marino or Uniitas playing under these rules would embarrass today's "elite QBs". Conversely the QBs of today would be on a stretcher after one drive under 1960's rules.
Read what I wrote again. I did not say Darnold is a terrible quarterback; I said "his record right now is that of a terrible QB." There is a significant difference. If Darnold is capable of having a Tannehill type resurgence elsewhere he may very well be capable of having it right here with different coaching. Of course, he could have already peaked - you know that as well as I do but you won't admit it. If what you see is what you get not a team in the league is giving up a first round draft choice for that.
So, we are talking about rolling the dice with Darnold, who through 3 years has regressed at qb, hasn't fixed his footwork, misses open receivers and shows accuracy issues? In addition we will have to pay him top money assuming he is going to fix them? Or we can draft a guy who is more talented, more accurate, a proven winner?
But Sam Darnold at $25 million in year 5 is a better situation that 4 years of the top QB prospect in almost a decade under team control on his rookie deal. And a clean slate of NFL play - all of which everyone says has damaged Darnold's confidence, forced him to regress, etc. If we're picking #1 - Darnold continued to play shitty for the rest of the year and is a big reason why. The league is much different now as you just alluded to. You don't marry yourself to a quarterback for 7-8 years at all costs. They chew up too much of your cap after year 4 and beyond if you have to re-sign them, to live with mediocre play and tie your franchise to it while they take up 15% of your cap and produce only 20 touchdowns a year.
I'm recommending trade Darnold NOW, before the trade deadline-- before his value drops any further. Let Flacco/Fales/Morgan get massacred the next few years until the Jets have a roster built where a QB prospect can come in and succeed. A real, honest-to-goodness rebuild. Not one of these quick flips like the last few that were never built to last.
And both can also be busts. It wasn't that long ago that nobody could write Darnold here without including FQB, some even HOF. Reality comes ugly.. The jury has returned no verdict on either.
That's a great statement but there are people here who believe that someone has to prove they are an FQB by actions. Results are the only thing that get a guy there. People were saying that before he was even drafted but he has done absolutely nothing to demonstrate it. What do you see that so many are missing?
Yes, there is always a chance they both could be busts. Darnolds inaccuracy and poor footwork, which he hasn't fixed in three years makes me believe he is on his way. Darnold had deficiencies coming out of USC that many experts saw. Lawrence doesnt have any that i know of or have heard. He's a much safer bet at this point
The thing is that when he was drafted nobody expected him to be ready to play; everyone knew he had footwork problems and his accuracy was subpar. The difference between then and now is that everyone expected the Jets to get a great QB coach to work with him. Jeremy Bates. Dowell Loggains. Who failed whom?
Good news is that even if we get the #1 overall and draft Lawrence, you can trot Darnold on the field and of he's showing anything under a new staff and hopefully upgraded supporting cast and hopefully flip him for a pick. Plenty of Ok QB's have been traded for relative high picks to desperate teams before.
Dont get your hopes too high on one player. We need multiple spots filled. If we get a tier 1 receiver maybe Sam can be saved.
Drafted in the 6th Round. My point exactly. You can find gems in late rounds, off the street... so I dont want to hear the Jets have no receivers. Everybody is not Antonio Brown or Julio Jones. But these players are great athletes or they would not have made it this far.
Yes but if you're Gase trying to save his job, you would put in Flacco. If Gates makes it to the end of the season with Darnold playing this poorly. That means he has the GM and Owner's blessing, ad Not saying he is the future, but rather what Gase might do to save his job.
You can never used the word bust for Darnold. He started 3 seasons in the NFL at minimum and will be in the league in some way or fashion for another 5 at least. See Fitz, Hoyer, McCown etc. That is not a bust, Ryan Leaf is a bust. I am a Jets fan for 50 years, I never get my hopes up.
Why not use Sanchez/Hackenberg or any other QBs since JWN left us as a bust BTW I nhad season tix since 65
I know that at this point I'd definitely rather have the warchest than Lawrence. Get Sam some help, hopefully a better coach that he meshes with, and take our chances. I think we have a little misfire, not a blown engine.
I agree but if the Jets get #1 overall & Lawrence is available Darnold's fate here will be sealed. He'll have no long term future here. The Jets would have to give up on a very recent top 3 pick QB before really finding out what they have in him. Honestly I don't know. All I know is I've seen far, far worse QBs around here and around the league. It doesn't look like properly evaluating Darnold was part of JD's 'master plan'. Incompetence? Negligence? By design? Take your pick. A team that's looking to trade for Darnold will be looking at his potential not what he's been on the dysfunctional Jets and what they feel he can do in their system. Teams try to get the best deal they can get. One of the few things Douglas has shown he's good at is getting good value in return so we'll see. That's if he's the one at the controls next offseason because if this team goes 0-16 all bets are off I think.
As I mentioned many times here - if you look at Eli Mannings stats the 1st 3 years in the league you would never know that he would be selected to the Pro Bowl the following year. Darnold is better than Eli Manning , in arm strength, mobility and the ability to make throws on the run. I see the potential with the right coach. Those that say he can't make the deep throw, that's complete BS. It's amazing that we can knock the coaching staff with Darnolds development yet want to jettison the guy , and only at 23.