If you watch football talk shows we all know the New York Jets are always a topic of discussion. The Jets have a charismatic coach and a terrible football team, yeah I said, the Jets suck. For the Jets this has become the new normal.
The Jets drafted QB Geno Smith in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Smith was on most draft expert’s big boards as a first round talent, so with the Jets having a gaping hole at QB this seemed to be a steal. Smith played at West Virginia, a team that didn’t have many pro principles in their offense, but Smith’s arm talent trumped those doubts. As much as we didn’t like Mark Sanchez, the Jets never did a great job in putting above average talent around him. The bright lights and being a main media hub doesn’t help your QB get through struggling times either. So for a guy who slipped into the 2nd round he didn’t get the easiest position to flourish. New York is known more for ruining quarterbacks than helping them become household names. Chad Pennington isn’t walking through that door Jets fans.
Smith’s first two years so far have been nothing short of a rollercoaster. The offensive line has been spotty at times and his offensive weaponry wouldn’t get him stopped in an airport post 9/11. He sometimes does a great job making something out of nothing, makes great throws, gets outside of the pocket to make plays with his feet and arm. Then there are times when Geno looks like he doesn’t even deserve to have a jersey, let alone in the NFL. He can be late on throws, trust his arm too much and not hear the clock in his head go off, but even with the negative you can see the growth in Smith from year one to year two.
The question is he the future for the Jets? Honestly we don’t know! Sometimes it seems like yes and a lot of other times it seems like no, but with the team around him it’s hard to assess if he’s the answer. With the talent around him I don’t think our elite QBs would be able to succeed.
It might be the curse of wearing the polo sweater to the draft or it might be a Mark Sanchez curse? or just could be the Jets being the Jets and not knowing how to help their offensive players reach the next level. With that being said, it’s hard being Geno Smith.
P.S. The Percy Harvin trade does help Geno out a lot, this post was written before the trade happened.
