Jets' QB Geno Smith will get 70 to 75 percent of first-team reps

A wide open competition. That’s what they are saying in New York about the new York Jets’ starting quarterback job. Geno Smith and Michael Vick supposedly have even ground. Well, they don’t anymore. Geno Smith is reported to get up to 75 percent of the first-team reps. It’s his job to lose.

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Smith has the support of the young wide receivers, as well.

“His maturity. Not necessarily as a passer, but as a quarterback,” David Nelson told FOXSports.com in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “And I mean that by saying all of the above. It means walking into the huddle, commanding attention in the huddle, calling a play with authority, calling out blitzes with authority.

“He is taking authority over the offense and taking command over that group. When you see that, you see guys who want to play for him and you see a bunch of guys start to embrace him. You’re going to see a much more cohesive unit this year because of his maturity and because of his understanding of the offense and how the NFL works as a whole.”

Those are some pretty strong words from a receiver that will be working hard to spend all season in Smith’s huddle. Nelson’s emphasis on authority is interesting considering Smith is a rookie. Confidence will be key for a team like the Jets that are, frankly, prone to adversity.

According to ESPN New York, Vick has said that he would be comfortable in a mentoring role to Smith. But it’s Michael Vick — remember the last time he was a starting quarterback? That didn’t last long. And his stint as a backup with the Eagles was the only time in his career that he’s been a backup.

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Jets’ QB Geno Smith will get 70 to 75 percent of first-team reps

By Henry McKenna | Jul 17, 2014