Justin Fields is not Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson. He might have been them if he had stayed another year in school but at this point nobody is going to blame a team for failing to take him with a top pick. He's not a sketchy prospect at all but there is not enough info on him for anybody to make a strong call about where he will be in two years time. If he gets taken by the right team with a strong plan and a lot of talent - e.g. Lamar Jackson by the Ravens, he might well be a star caliber QB along about 2023. If he gets taken by the wrong team, incapable of making that strong plan and with not enough talent - e.g. Sam Darnold by the Jets, he might well be at the bottom of the talent list at QB. The two biggest concerns I have about Fields in particular are 1) the context in which he was great in college. Very strong program not known for training NFL-caliber QB's, Junior growth season cut short by Covid-19. 2) Talent set that is probably better if the team conforms to his talents than if they try to fit him into a standard NFL offense like the WCO the Jets are moving to next season. I know some people will argue that the Jets should take Fields and then tailor the offense to his skills the way the Ravens did with Jackson. I think this is something you can do if you have a strong offensive staff and a lot of talent on that side of the ball. The Jets have a 1st time Offensive Coordinator and not a lot of talent on that side of the ball. This means Fields will shoulder an unusual amount of the burden as a rookie if the Jets go this way. Not a particularly good way to proceed in this media market with this fanbase and the other conditions listed above in play. Some people will argue that Fields has enough talent to shine in the WCO and it's just a matter of tailoring his skills to fit that offense. I guess this is a gutcheck call for the Jets. Do they think they can turn Justin Fields into a strong WCO QB? My take is that if the Jets can get major value for the #2, either in the form of a perennial All-Pro or several good picks in a trade down, they are much better off not trying to be the miracle worker with Fields. They don't have the proven openers to make a pick like Fields a really strong option and of course in NY there is no way in hell he is not on the field at the start of the season. We've ruined a bunch of QB's with not enough provenance that way and Justin Fields is more likely to be the next sacrificial lamb than the FQB we all want. The difference, BTW, to follow up on the first sentence of this post, is that Patrick Mahomes had lots of talent on O around him in KC, a great QB proven whisperer in Andy Reid and Reid had the wisdom and the power to keep his ass nailed to the bench year 1 until garbage time. Watson had DeAndre Hopkins, who nobody could cover at that point, and a system that flexed for him as a rookie to use his talents to their best extent before the injury.
I can easily believe that unfortunately. In fact, I was just thinking recently: "Why would any QB want to come to the Jets?" It's not just the most recent botching of Darnold, it's all the failed QBs over the decades - it's like a legacy of QB failure. It's depressing when I stop to think about it. But if I'm to remain a fan, I have to have hope that this time it will be different. And if it turns out not to be, I guess I'll be done. In this same vein however, does Justin Fields want to come here? Trevor Lawrence? Mac Jones? Whomever the Jets take, I sure hope they don't fuck this up again.
With the Darnold trade, picking a QB at 2 is basically a lock. The question becomes which of the two that are considered worthy of the pick will become the best. And a vet could start the first ~6 games if the rookie isn't ready on day 1. Our offense is still a work in progress, but there are potential building blocks in place now. More will be added in this draft and next offseason.
I guess the question I have to ask in response to this is: who is the QB whisperer that is going to get the rookie ready to play in less than half a season with the Jets talent base and not have the rookie fall flat on his face? I don't see that guy in the building at this point.
For me when a team is coming off a SB run and had a huge injury setback the following year they are primed for a big year next year and paid a big price to move up and draft a quality QB. Fields is going to be really good for them. He could even get them there again like Kap did. Wilson for me is the hot blonde at the prom. He passes the eye test and makes wow plays but is injury prone. Kinda like she’s hot but might cheat on you. LOL. No matter if we go fields or Wilson we get the same result because they both are awesome prospects and can win in different ways. But whoever goes to SF is way ahead so make sure that’s well noted.
We don't have a proven QB whisperer, but LaFleur is supposed to have a QB friendly system. It's essentially what Shanahan runs and we saw how they were a 4th quarter meltdown away from winning it all with Garoppolo. The plan could be bring the rookie along slowly, wait for the OL to gel, then have him play and get his feet wet. Not quite the Mahomes treatment, but given that we're not a playoff team, a vet who could start the season should know that it's only a matter of time until he's no longer the starter.
IMO. We need a vet in camp ASAP. Some one that can carry the fort. If it’s not a whisperer then let us get one pronto because the second pick is a QB
That's a bogus take imo. Just because you can't see what others of us see in Wilson, you disparage JD's judgment and professionalism? Sad.
I like Fields and Wilson both for different reasons. I can understand both side and I will support whichever player JD select. I kind of wish we draft Fields it would be neat to have a guy like him as our QB as it would exciting to have a guy with his athleticism and arm strength but my brain is telling me that Wilson is the guy that will lead us to many superbowls.
Pure speculation and inference based on him picking San Francisco as a team he thought would be a good fit in an interview a few months ago. I also always felt that Darnold thought he was going Cleveland on draft day and caught of guard when they picked Baker.
He probably does want to go to the 49'ers - what QB wouldn't? - but if Douglas & Co. do what they've promised to do, I think his "disappointment" will be short lived.
This is working under the assumption that you are correct with your assertion of these QB's coming out. I can't speak for others but I do not share your outlook In terms of projections for these same QB's. I think It's a foullacy to suggest Justin Fields Is too inexperienced to play well In the NFL entering his rookie year. I don't think he needs to be In the perfect scenario to be productive, I do think he (like all QBs) needs talent around him to suffice and thrive for whatever team he lands on. Plenty can happen before the season starts though. You are dismissing the talent before the talent can be properly established. Putting the cart before the horse scenario. I think that Is applicable to any QB though.
I don’t think Fields is Mahomes. Mahomes is a unicorn to me. He’s not Watson either. In fact I still have a hard time trying to find a comp for him. I brought up 2017 & 2018 in terms of the “feeling” of not taking the best player for us. With regards to tailoring the offense, I disagree. I don’t believe Fields requires the Lamar treatment. You are selling short his ability to win in the pocket.
