Jets could be looking for quarterback in 2014
By Josh Sanchez
New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith has had his obvious struggles during his first year in the NFL, where he was immediately thrown into the starting role with the team thanks to an injury to former quarterback Mark Sanchez.
Smith was not viewed as ready to start from day one, so many expected him to have a rough time adapting to the speed of the pros, but he has been so inconsistent that the team made the decision to bench him in favor of Matt Simms just one week ago.
Now, according to ESPN New York, the Jets could be in the quarterback market in 2014 if Smith doesn’t show “dramatic improvement” over the final six games.
From ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini:
"If the Jets aren’t happy with Smith, could they pick another quarterback in the next draft? It wouldn’t be unprecedented for a team to use two high picks on a quarterback in consecutive drafts. The last time it happened was 2010-11, when the Carolina Panthers picked Jimmy Clausen in the second round (No. 48 overall) and Cam Newton in the first (No. 1 overall), respectively. Clausen went 1-9 as a rookie, so Newton was a no-brainer. It would be different for the Jets, who probably will be picking in the middle of the first round. By then, the franchise-type quarterbacks will be gone, complicating the decision. If Smith doesn’t make dramatic improvement over the final six games, the Jets have to be in the quarterback market."
Smith was at one point viewed as the top quarterback in the 2013 NFL Draft class, but his draft stock took a serious dive after more analysis from the draft scouts.
If Smith isn’t able to turn things around, the Jets will have to find a way to deal with their quarterback situation which has been a mess for years. The good news is that next year’s quarterback market appears to be one of the best in recent memory, so the Jets could be in luck.