October 28, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Mike Goodson (25) runs the ball in the first half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Raiders won 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets running back Mike Goodson is still in a heap of trouble after he was arrested on drug and weapons charges earlier this week, but the heap keeps on getting bigger. Goodson’s attorney said earlier this week that his client would be fighting the charges against him and essentially said Goodson was innocent of virtually every charge against him.

New Jersey police beg to differ. According to USA Today, police say that Goodson “was incoherent, slobbering and had vomited all over himself as well as the interior of the vehicle,” and they also mention that marijuana was found in the running back’s pocket as well.

 Police said they found a baggie of marijuana in Goodson’s pants pocket, and a loaded, .45-caliber Taurus Millennium handgun and drug paraphernalia in the car, which driver Garant Evans, 31, of Roselle, N.J., consented to have searched.

Key phrases to pick out of that include ‘baggie of marijuana’ and ‘loaded’ as not only does it appear Goodson himself was loaded at the time of his arrest but his pistol was too and that just adds to the heap of trouble he’s already in with the law.

Currently Goodson faces up to five charges: drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a loaded gun, unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of hollow-point bullets. All five are extremely serious and carry potentially lengthy prison sentences if convicted. Goodson doesn’t have a prior record, according to his defense lawyer, and he’s fully cooperating with all that are inquiring about the incident from the police to the NFL and New York Jets management.

May 22, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) talks with quarterback Geno Smith during organized team activities at the New York Jets training facility. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets quarterback situation is a mess. Whether it be veteran Mark Sanchez or rookie Geno Smith leading the offense during OTAs, the offense has been prone to terrible play from the quarterback position and a surplus of turnovers. Today’s OTAs were no different with both Sanchez and Smith screwing the pooch during workouts.

Sanchez took 15 reps during the practice and completed only 6 of 11 passes. How could that possibly get any worse? Sanchez threw three interceptions in those 11 attempts and he was sacked once. Smith didn’t do much better in his 14 snaps. Smith completed just 3 of 10 attempts, but he limited his interceptions to just one, but he did take a sack.

Smith is a rookie though, so Ryan is much more unhappy with Sanchez’s performance.

“This is OTAs and things, but yeah, that’s going to be the pressure that we’re putting on him,” Ryan said. “He did a lot of great things. It’s not that you try to cover up the fact you had some bad plays — no, no, no you flat tell him. We can’t have these and all that type of stuff. He knows.”

Rex needs to be happy that the defense is making plays, but not if that means his quarterback isn’t capable of putting together any form of real offense.

“It’s a good thing defense makes the plays, but no, I’d rather him not turn the ball over once,” Ryan said. “He did a lot of great things, and then those negative things, at the end of the day, that’s what gets you beat. And so we’ve got to to do a better job of eliminating those turnovers.”

It is certainly discouraging that Sanchez and Smith have been so awful during the OTAs and there is no positives that you can really take away from the situation. The teams only options appear to be rolling with one of two guys incapable of leading a NFL offense or rolling with Greg McElroy, who really hasn’t had a chance to show what he can do on the field.

May 22, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) speaks with members of the media after the New York Jets organized team activities at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

One of the strangest stories to come out of the NFL Draft surrounded Geno Smith’s reasons for his epic tumble into the second round. While a Yahoo! Sports article claimed that scouts were and may still be under the impression the former West Virginia quarterback is a diva, Smith blamed his agent and promptly fired him after his draft slide. He now has found new representation and has signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency.

Geno Smith announces that he has hired Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports to represent him. Kim Miale will be contract agent

— Manish Mehta(@MMehtaNYDN) May 22, 2013

Smith continues to battle for the starting job with the Jets and is going head on with Mark Sanchez to try and achieve his goal. Smith has also gotten some New York street cred by signing with Brooklyn’s finest — or at least that had to be the thought process behind it.

Jay-Z’s sports agency is doing exactly what we all thought it would, as it’s luring young athletes hoping to be hip into the ranks. Sports agents are vicious, often times soulless being that have been blamed for driving up salaries around sports and have been linked to numerous lockouts. But if there’s a guy who can chew up and spit out even then cruelest of sports agents, it’s going to be Jay-Z who has failed at nothing he’s tried.

That’s the representation Smith is hoping he can get, and it’s the start of a rebuilding process for his character that has arguably been shattered already by allegations in the press that he’s a diva. So far Smith hasn’t stepped further out of line than anyone else in the league, but the move to join Roc Nation may end up biting him in the end.

Smith will be represented by  Kim Miale, who currently only has two other clients — a kicker and linebacker who both remain inactive. So when Smith says he’s not joining Roc Nation as  an “image thing”, you better believe he’s not joking with an agent like Miale.

May 10, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith has been dealing with his fair share of criticism since entering the NFL, but he isn’t letting the negative energy get to him. Smith is working on focusing his energy towards becoming a better signal-caller and he says that he is learning to deal with the criticism that is amplified by being in the New York media.

“It’s just eye-opening. It allows you to see exactly what business you’re in,” Smith said, according to Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com and Jim Miller on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I understand it’s part of my job to handle that. I’m going to take it in stride and do all the things that are necessary to make me and my team look good.

“From the standpoint of me being a diva, you talk to my teammates and coaches from Little League. Nobody will say that. From the standpoint that I switched agents because of where I fell in the draft, I’m not naive. I understand an agent can’t get you selected higher or lower. It’s based on what teams need and the decisions they make in the front office.

“Just the whole draft experience and everything that went down, I was supposed to be leaving the draft and all that stuff, that was inaccurate again. There were a lot of things that were said that were anonymous and inaccurate. But all that comes with [the territory]. I’m built for it, so I’m not really worried about it.”

That is a positive for Smith.

If he is truly learning to deal with all of the criticism, then he will be able to turn his attention towards learning the ropes of the NFL.

In New York, with a franchise that is completely out of control, Smith will need to have thick skin. There isn’t a second of his play that will not be overanalyzed, so hopefully he really is ignoring the negative comments about his attitude off-the-field.

What Smith really needs to do is learn to deal with the media and playbook.

If he can grasp both of those aspects of being a NFL athlete, he could turn in to the quarterback that the Jets were hoping he would become when they selected him with their second-round pick.

What do you think about Geno Smith as a NFL quarterback? Sound off in the comments section and share your thoughts. 

October 28, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Mike Goodson (25) runs the ball in the first half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Raiders won 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets running back Mike Goodson, who was picked up in free agency this offseason, was arrested Friday in New Jersey after allegedly being the passenger in a car containing drugs, weapons and ammunition. News 12 New Jersey broke the news but it was followed up on and confirmed by USA Today’s Mike Garafolo that Goodson was indeed the passenger and involved in this situation.

Goodson was the passenger in the car. The driver was charged with DUI and also possession of a handgun with a prior.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 17, 2013

Police spokesman also said hollow-point bullets were with the gun in the car.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 17, 2013

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Goodson was “charged with possession of marijuana under 50 grams, possession of drug paraphanalia, unlawful possession of loaded gun.”

The New York Jets made a move this offseason to try and replace the production on the field left by the exiting Shonn Greene, who signed with Tennessee Titans this offseason. Goodson was signed by the Jets on March 15th and were the third team in his career to ink him o a deal. Goodson started his career with the Panthers and moved on to the Oakland Raiders for a single season before now landing in New York.

News 12 New Jersey’s initial report indicated that Goodson was also found intoxicated in the SUV that was pulled over by police. That has yet to be confirmed but if it’s indeed true — and even if it’s not and Goodson was sober — this is a messy situation that will need to be monitored as the fallout is potentially fatal to not only Goodson’s football career but his freedom as a law abiding citizen.

July 30, 2011; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard (9) waves to the fans during training camp at Florida Blue Health

David Garrard retired yesterday from the NFL, saying his knees just couldn’t hold up and he could no longer play the game that he loves. But while he’s retiring as a player from football, Garrard hasn’t closed himself off from the game entirely and is actually considering returning to the New York Jets as a quarterback coach intern. According to Jim Corbett of USA Today, Garrard is mulling a coaching offer extended from the Jets and mentoring Geno Smith could be something that lures him back into the game in a coaching capacity.

“I think Geno’s going to be great,” Garrard said, via USA Today. “He still has a lot to learn in the NFL. He definitely has to work. But he has what it takes. Now he has to go out and prove it.”

The former Jaguars quarterback said that his knees were the reason he retired and not the possibility of being the odd-man out in a three way quarterback battle between Smith, Mark Sanchez and Garrard. Some drew a correlation between Garrard abrupt retirement yesterday and the Jets’ drafting of West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, but the fact that Garrard is willing to come back to New York specifically to mentor Smith says a lot about how he already feels about the young man.

“The one thing the kid has is he’s definitely the guy of the future,” Garrard continued. “He’ll get a whole lot more attention from the fans, because they definitely want to see that new guy, especially since Mark has had a rough (52 combined turnovers) couple of years.”

Mark Sanchez apparently sent a text message to Garrard when news broke of his retirement, gushing about how much he admired the quarterback and how he conducted his career. With both Sanchez and Smith cozy with Garrard, a return to the Jets is very likely, but Garrard says all things must go through his wife first.

“The Jets offered me the chance to come back if I want to take a shot at that coaching thing with an internship in training camp,” Garrard said. ”I told them I’d talk with my wife about it, so I could still work with those guys. It’s definitely something I’m considering.”

August 19, 2011; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard (9) looks for a receiver during the first quarter of their game against the Atlanta Falcons at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets have a “bond-fide” quarterback competition on their hands according to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg but that competition will not include David Garrard. According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, Garrard has informed at least two teammates that eh’s done with New York and no longer plans to be with the Jets.

QB David Garrard told 2 players he no longer plans to be with the #Jets, per sources. Nothing official from team. Unclear if cut/retired

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 15, 2013

As Rapoport states, it’s unclear if Garrard was cut or if he’s decided to hang up the cleats but a text from Garrard to Adam Schein from SNY stated that the quarterback’s knee is the issue.

Text from Garrard: “Having to call it quits. My knee is not holding up. Continuing to swell after practices. Limiting what I can do.”

— Adam Schein (@AdamSchein) May 15, 2013

Garrard came to the Jets this offseason after sitting out the last two seasons recovering from surgery and trying to fins a job that suits him. Before the arrival of rookie Geno Smith, it was believed that Garrard would be competing with Mark Sanchez for the starting job but those plans have drastically changed.

Garrard may have also found out that he just can’t hack it anymore and would rather retire now and on his own than prolong the inevitable and get cut later this summer.

The bigger question now is what does this mean for the Jets quarterback situation. Right after the draft, the Jets had five quarterbacks but with Tim Tebow gone and Garrard also leaving, New York has three quarterbacks and are trying to trade one of them. With just three quarterbacks — one of whom is an unproven rookie — New York may have to hang onto Mark Sanchez longer than they wanted to.

But right now all we know is David Garrard’s career with the Jets is over and the ripple effects could be larger than we think in terms of how it affects the Jets offseason plans at quarterback.

Tim Tebow on a mission trip in the Philippines(Mandatory Photo Credit: Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association)

Tim Tebow is not wasting anytime with a bold new attempt at getting a starting job in the NFL. According to documents in our possession it appears that Tim is taking a far more conventional approach to his return. His approach to send out a resume to all 32 teams is classic Tebow.

It seems that team officials should soon be prepared for hand delivery of Tim Tebow’s official resume as well as a hot apple pie, and a pamphlet on sin. It’s a three-pronged plan to get Tim back into the spotlight.

Below is the resume we allege could be the exact one currently being shopped around to NFL General Managers. Before you make a judgment we ask you to read the entire document. As Tim is always fond of saying “Let those who are without sin” do something or other.

I think it has to do with making sure to cast all broken bones.

You can download Tim Tebow’s Resume here.

May 10, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith (7) talks with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg (right) during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier in the day, we passed along the reports that there is growing belief the New York Jets will either trade or release quarterback Mark Sanchez before the start of the season. The development that allows the Jets to part ways with Sanchez is the fact that the coaching staff is reportedly “smitten” about second-round signal-caller Geno Smith.

From Brian Costello of the New York Post:

You can tell from talking to people around the team during this weekend’s rookie mini-camp that many in the organization are smitten with new quarterback Geno Smith. It’s beginning to look more and more like the starting job is his to lose.

Smith reportedly had “great zip” on the ball during the rookie minicamps and had a strong command of the huddle. Smith also held players only meetings at the team hotel when the Jets weren’t working on the field.

The rookie also held his own with the media and erased any concerns that the team may have had about the “diva” label.

It is becoming clearer by the day that the Jets, who are in full-blown rebuilding mode, are prepared to roll with a rookie quarterback in 2013.

Aug 4, 2012; Cortland, NY, USA; New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) speaks with New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan during a scrimmage at SUNY Cortland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets have an intriguing quarterback situation heading in to camp, but there is a growing belief that the team could be parting ways with one of the signal-callers before the start of the season. Mark Sanchez is expected to start camp as the team’s No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart, but he could fall off of the roster completely if he is not able to win the starting job. 

Sanchez will be competing with rookie second-rounder Geno Smith, who the Jets reportedly love, and veteran David Garrard. If Sanchez can’t hold them off, he could be released or traded by the start of the regular season.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated wrote this in his Monday Morning Quarterback column:

I think if Geno Smith wins the Jet starting job to start the season, I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if the Jets traded Mark Sanchez for a low-round draft pick or cut him before Week 1.

Brian Costello of the New York Post seemed to be more direct in saying Sanchez will not start the season on the Jets roster:

The best scenario for the Jets is: Smith shows he’s capable, Garrard proves he’s healthy and another team suffers an injury at quarterback during the preseason. Then, the Jets could trade Sanchez to the quarterback-needy team — after agreeing to eat about $6 million of the $8.75 million coming to him.

The only way I think Sanchez is a Jet when the season begins against Darrelle Revis and the Buccaneers is if Garrard gets injured and Smith can’t figure out an NFL offense.

The Jets would almost be forced to eat a majority of Sanchez’s salary if they wanted to trade him, because that contract is extremely unattractive for potential suitors.

Sanchez will be fighting for his life during camp and preseason. All of the pressure will be on and it looks like the work he puts in will be more of an audition for other teams rather than a fight to win the Jets starting gig.

May 10, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Being disappointed is one thing. Leaving the NFL draft because you weren’t selected in the first round is not only a display of conceded immaturity; it is an egregious act that shows the true colors of a future NFL quarterback.

While it is understandable that Smith would feel slighted due to the fact that several mock drafts had him as a top ten draft pick, it is simply unacceptable to succumb to your emotions, particularly when your position of choice designates you as a confident leader.

Rather than displaying professional dignity, Smith chose to capitulate himself to his own heightened ego which inevitably damaged his reputation as an up and coming professional athlete.  However, Smith’s ill-advised antics didn’t stop there.  His chronic frustrations with being supposedly black balled elevated his corrupted mind set to the point where those who helped him were also caught in the crossfire.

Less than a week after the New York Jett selected Smith in the second round, the young and naïve athlete took the liberty of firing his agents without remorse.  While Smith stated that the firing of his agents wasn’t due to his disappointing drop in the draft, he was extremely vague on the circumstances that led to their termination; “I don’t want to shed too much light on it,” Smith said in an interview on SiriusXM Radio.  “The thing that I can tell you is that it’s not because of the whole draft experience.  As of right now, I don’t feel comfortable talking about all the details of it.”

What seems disingenuous about this statement is that it lacks any type of directness or culpability.  Rather than confidently conveying a pertinent answer to the situation, Smith decided to dodge the question all together.  This not only points to a sign of desperate deception, it also displays that this young athlete is way in over his head in terms of making these types of drastic decisions.

However, even with these emotional disputes, Smith is at least worthy of being a highly touted draft pick right?  While Smith completed an impressive 71.8% of his passes during the 2012 regular season, 34% of his thrown passes were at or behind the line of scrimmage.  Therefore, it shouldn’t be surprising that in West Virginia’s six losses, Smith completed less than a quarter of his 15-yard throws and was typically off target on more than half of his passing attempts.  Finally, Smith averaged only 7.7 pass yards per attempt, the fewest of any top quarterback prospect.

What this means is that not only was Geno Smith lucky to be selected even in the second round, but the notion that he deserved to be a top ten overall pick in the draft is simply preposterous.  This is why mock drafts should only be considered as professional speculation rather than justifiable gospel (that’s another story for another time).

Given all this information, is it safe to say that Smith is on the path to being a total bust for a team that is on the precipice of being not only the worst team in the league, but also as a broken franchise that fans and analyst talk about in jest?  Can the incongruous actions on Smith’s part be attributed to a nervous youngster trying to alleviate the tension he feels with the media, or is Smith simply trying to ingratiate himself because he believes he didn’t garner the respect he deserved?

While the answers to these lofty and detrimental inquires still have yet to be fully decided one notion remains absolutely certain; if Geno Smith fails to live up to his glorified expectations that have been bestowed upon him (fairly or unfairly), he will not be one of the biggest let downs of all time, but ultimately the most disgraceful prospect in NFL history.

May 10, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith continues to learn the ropes of the NFL after another day of rookie minicamps.

In his initial performance, Smith gave himself an “F” grade, but he has decided to leave the grading up to the coaches after his second NFL practice.

“I’ll leave the grading to the coaches, but I think today was another good day,” Smith said, according to the team’s transcriptions.  “It got better again today, so that’s something that I just continue to do daily, I try to improve, even if it’s just in the smallest amount.  I think I did that today.”

Smith then went in to some details to let us all know how he improved from Day 1 to Day 2.

“I was able to get in and out of the huddle a lot smoother than yesterday,” he said. “Overall, I think as an offense we had some good moments and some not so good moments.  But it’s still a work in progress.  Every single one of us is out there learning, just trying to better ourselves and just trying to make the team.”

That doesn’t sound like a diva to me.

Instead, it sounds like a humble, hard-working kid who is approaching everything with the right mindset.

While Smith wants to focus on just making the roster, he should focus on the more realistic goals which would include cracking the starting line up. We all know that the second-round pick is going to make the roster. It is just a matter of when he will take over Mark Sanchez’s team.

May 10, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets second-round pick Geno Smith has been criticized leading up to the draft and immediately after he was selected by the team, but his new head coach Rex Ryan doesn’t see the “diva” label that many have applied to Smith.

Ryan said that he has no idea where those reports came from and that he found out nothing but positive things about Smith as a leader and student of the game when doing his research on the young signal-caller.

“Maybe I don’t know what diva behavior looks like, but he certainly didn’t do it here,” Ryan said after the team’s first rookie minicamp, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s a football player that you can tell loved the game, very knowledgeable about his system. I never saw that at all.

“Anybody that you talk to at West Virginia will tell you that. He knew it. He studied it more. He prepared harder than anybody. That’s all, just be himself, that’s the big thing, he already knows how to do it. This guy has been playing quarterback and [has been] the leader of his football team for a number of years.”

Smith was hard on himself after the first practice session where he struggled, but Ryan had nothing but positive comments about his rookie quarterback.

Ryan saw Smith with a command of the huddle and an enthusiasm for learning. That is really all you can ask for in a young quarterback.

Whether or not Smith will ever pan out as a NFL passer remains to be seen, but his coach seems to think he is on the right path and there are no concerns that he has a good head on his shoulders and that he has what it takes to succeed as a passer in this league.

Aug 26, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets linebacker Calvin Pace (97) and defensive end Quinton Coples (98) try to recover a fumble by Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams (not pictured) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Emotions and anxiety is running high these days in New York, and Jets head coach Rex Ryan is at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to who will be held responsible for a disaster in 2013. After watching the team tear itself apart in 2011 and again in 2012, Ryan is without a doubt on the hopping block and nothing short of a Super Bowl will likely save his job.

This sense of pressure is known by Ryan, and it’s likely the motivation behind him finally kicking his attitude into gear and calling out an underperforming player well before it’s too late. According to the New York Daily News, Ryan called out second-year defensive end Quinton Coples for not being fully committed to getting better this offseason.

“If Quinton doesn’t do a better job in the weight room he might have to…he’s got to compete like anybody else for a job,” said Ryan, via the Daily News. “So I’m a little disappointed in Q in the weight room in the last day.”

Ryan knows his job is on the line and that he’s skating and razor thin ice, so it’s not shocking he’s trying to make sure one rogue slacker costs him his job by bringing the team down. Coples will be moving to outside linebacker this season after playing his rookie year at defensive end.

While Coples is being called out now, the fact that Ryan is feeling the heat means Coples won’t be the last guy to be criticized if they underperform. The Jets need something special to happen in 2013 but after two straight seasons of agonizing disappointment, it’s looking like this next season might not be too different.

May 10, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith (7) talks with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg (right) during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith was working during his first day of rookie minicamp and it didn’t come easy for him. Smith is expected to compete for the starting job, but he came out struggling and looking uneasy on every throw.

The performance from Smith was bad enough that he gave himself an F grade, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

That sounds a little harsh, just how bad was his first performance? Rich Cimini of ESPN New York had the details:

Geno Smith 6-for-10 in team drills — 1 sack, 1 drop, 1 bat down. Underthrew deep ball. Tentative when coming off first read. #Jets

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) May 10, 2013

Okay. That isn’t exactly impressive, but it is important to remember he is a rookie and this is his very first practice.

The harsh reality for Smith is that every performance he gives from here on out is going to be overanalyzed by the media thanks to being a part of the New York market. If he continues to perform like this, it is going to be rough to gain the fans support.

Let’s hope Smith can perform a little better in his next practice and at least earn a D-.

Dec 04, 2011; Landover, MD, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes (10) celebrates scoring with quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. the Jets defeated the Redskins 34-19. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes and quarterback Mark Sanchez have had their fair share of disagreements on the field throughout their time together in New York, so it is a bit surprising to hear that Holmes has come to the defense of Sanchez and anointed him the team’s starter. Of course, Holmes doesn’t make the decisions, but it looks like Sanchez has the support of the locker room.

“Right now, it’s (Mark) Sanchez and that’s who we’re going with and we’re going to continue on this road until time permits,” Holmes said, via Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger.

The Jets also have Geno Smith, David Garrard and Greg McElroy on the roster and they are poised for a tough positional battle this offseason.

It is hard to see Rex Ryan going with a rookie when he knows his job is on the line, so it could very well be that he rolls with his quarterback in Sanchez as he looks to make one final hoorah. If someone other than Sanchez was to win the job, my guess would be Garrard.

Jan 31, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mike Ditka during the ESPN analysts press conference at the New Orleans Convention Center in preparation for Super Bowl XLVI to be played between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

It was just a day ago that former NFL coach and Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka said he would be willing to take a chance on free agent third-string quarterback and punt protector Tim Tebow, he took to the radio to criticize the entire New York Jets organization and he didn’t hold any punches.

“What happened up there in New York last year was a joke,” Ditka told SiriusXM NFL Radio, via NFL.com. “But then again, so is their team.”

Geez. Tell us how you really feel, Mike.

To be fair, what else would you expect someone to say about the Jets at this point?

They have more quarterbacks on their roster than wide receivers, they have a lame duck coach and the organization just traded away their best player. It really is a franchise that is in shambles.

When Ditka stated that the New York Jets organization is a joke, he may have been too kind.

Apr 26, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Geno Smith (West Virginia) is introduced as the number thirty-ninth overall pick to the New York Jets during the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

When West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith took a tumble in the NFL Draft this year, many people initially wondered why. But after a week or so since the draft, numerous writers and NFL scouts have come forward to call the New York Jets quarterback a ‘diva’, claiming he was self-involved during workouts and seemed more interested in his phone and less interested in the people interviewing him.

The notion that Smith is a diva wasn’t helped when he fired his agents after the draft and somehow the blame was pinned on them for Smith’s epic fall into the second round of the draft. But now that he’s heard the criticism, Smith is letting the comments roll off of him as he told USA Today that he has thick skin and doesn’t really care if people are ripping him.

“I don’t worry about what people say — my skin is pretty thick,” Smith said, via USA TODAY Sports. “I’ve never been in trouble.”

The report that claimed Smith was on his phone not unlike a high schooler in class came from Yahoo! Sports, and it’s a report that Smith took the time to try and falsify and shoot down as truth. Smith said that not only was he not on his phone, but he never received the low marks the Yahoo! article claims he got.

“That’s not true,” said Smith flatly. “I got strong remarks from all the teams I visited with. … I couldn’t care less what’s coming out in the media because I know what’s true.”

Smith said that not being the first quarterback taken was tough, but it didn’t ruin the experience of the draft. Reports surfaced after the first day that indicated Smith was leaving New York scorned and wouldn’t be attending the draft after falling out of the first round. Smith denied this as well, saying not returning for the second day was never an option in his mind.

“Parts of the draft experience were tough, but not all of it, Smith said. With that entire process, you can see where some things went wrong. … Coming back on Day 2 was never not an option for me.”

But for now, all of this means little. Even the critiques that he’s a diva aren’t completely relevant as the only thing that truly matters is how Smith performs on the field. All of this will just be a silly memory if Smith comes out and performs well with the Jets, but the ice is thing just because of who he’s playing for and no one’s going to be cutting him any slack or re-directing blame this time around.

Apr 26, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Geno Smith (West Virginia) is introduced as the number thirty-ninth overall pick to the New York Jets during the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest stories coming out of the NFL Draft was the free fall that West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith took, dropping all the way to the second round. Smith fired his agent as a result, but NFL scouts from both conferences are sharing the sentiment that it wasn’t Smith’s agent, rather it was Smith’s diva attitude that caused the draft day tumble.

According to an ESPN New York report, at least one top-10 team passed on Smith because they thought he was a diva and an NFC scout went as far as calling Smith a spoiled brat that will have a tough time with the New York crowds.

“He’s going to have a tough time in New York,” an NFC scout said, via ESPN New York. “Right now, he’s coming off as a spoiled, pampered brat.”

Smith was blasted in a Yahoo! Sports article that claimed the quarterback was texting and on his phone during most of his team meetings leading up to the draft, and when asked about his character Smith said that who he is and how he plays speaks for itself.

“My character and my play speaks for itself,” Smith said. “The people who’ve known me my entire life, and who have coached me, have all come to my defense. As far as that goes, I’m just looking towards the future and really not worrying about the past.”

Obviously, there is one tried and true way for Smith to make all this animosity go away — he can play lights out football. But we really don’t know if he can do that in the NFL, and if he can’t, the history that’s already being written about him is less than flattering and may end up being a cautionary tale down the road for future self-involved rookies like Smith appears to be.

Dec. 23, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow (15) runs off the field after the game against the San Diego Chargers at MetLife Stadium. Chargers won 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

You either love him or hate him.  He’s either a proficient unconventional playmaker or an athletic misfit who can’t compete in the NFL.

No matter how the fans or the critics may feel about Tebow’s demented tenure in the NFL, one thing is for sure; he is an athlete without a home.

Ever since he was dumped by the Denver Broncos after their highly praised acquisition of Peyton Manning, Tebow has gone from being the best-worst quarterback of all time to a gimmicky and undesirable tool who brings with him more controversy than he does accessible and useful attributes.

To be fair, Tim Tebow didn’t bring all of this unwanted criticism and skepticism upon himself.  If anything, Mike Tannenbaum, the former general manger of the New York Jets, used Tebow as a catalyst to put pressure on their current quarterback Mark Sanchez.

However, as the regular season started, it became clear that Tebow wasn’t merely a motivating back up; he was also a perceived offensive weapon that could play a plethora of positions such as the wildcat quarterback and even as a special teams blocker.

Unfortunately, rather than properly utilizing Tebow’s innate athleticism to its full potential, the Jets transformed this genuinely competitive young man into not only a sporadically used player at best, but also into a sideshow which badly rubbed off on the Jets offense

What happened next was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster.  Putting in Tebow in place of Mark Sanchez was a failed experiment that simultaneously caused Sanchez to become mentally inundated. This epic collapse only caused the Jets offense to become progressively worse as the season wore on.

By the end of it all the Jets, in an act of desperation, went with their third string quarterback Greg McElroy (a 7^th round draft pick from Alabama).  This proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the Jet’s debilitated and lifeless offense that was 30^th in the league in passing.  The reasons the Jets were able to reach a 6-10 season were because of their consistent secondary and the prolific running ability of former player Shone Greene (who was traded to the Titans in free agency).

This egregious mess was prompted (although not intentionally) from the start as soon as Tebow became a member of the franchise.  The Jets saw Tebow’s undeniable clutch ability when he was the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos and assumed that his abilities would carry over seamlessly to their organization, which like the Denver Broncos, boasted a highly proficient defense that they believed would be able to pull them out of sticky situations just long enough for Tebow to get going.

Sadly, the Jets overlooked the blatant fact that in order to utilize Tebow as an effective quarterback the offense had to be built around him and not vice versa.  As was the case with the Denver Broncos, Tebow was only as a good as the team that was placed around him which gave him the tools to succeed in desperate situations.  Without that, Tebow is simply a mediocre quarterback that causes more problems than he does inspiration.  No longer are Tebow’s off the chart intangibles adequate enough for serious NFL teams who are looking for a franchise quarterback.

Luckily for Tebow, there will always be those who stick up for his good-natured personality and his genuine competiveness that served him well during his collegiate years at Florida.

However, no matter how much praise and honest appreciation Tebow may receive from those who know him well, his time as an NFL quarterback is all but over.  If not for the irreparable damage that hurt Tebow’s reputation as a committed athlete, he may have had another shot elsewhere with a team that would have been more than willing to rebuild their franchise around his untapped potential.

Now, after being tarnished by the Jets, Tebow is not only a player without a team; he is an unwanted quarterback with only his euphoric pipe dreams to keep him going day in and day out.

Apr 26, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Geno Smith (West Virginia) is introduced as the number thirty-ninth overall pick to the New York Jets during the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

After a draft day slide that sent him tumbling in to the second-round, former West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith fired his agent and was openly disappointed with his fall from the top. Smith declined an on-camera interview at the conclusion of round one and even decided that he would leave New York and not attend round two at Radio City Music Hall, before eventually changing his mind.

Now, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports is gathering information from Smith’s pre-draft visits that explain why Smith may have slid on draft day. He appeared to be disengaged and uninterested during visits with teams and that certainly rubbed them the wrong way.

Suddenly, Nolan Nawrocki’s damning scouting report of Geno Smith for lacking leadership skills doesn’t seem so over the top.

“All these other players who were in there were talking to the coaches, trying to get to know people and he was over there by himself,” one source said, via the Yahoo! Sports report. “That’s not what you want out of your quarterback.”

Another executive added, “He doesn’t have much presence, not much of a leader. I don’t think he’s a bad person, but that’s not enough to be a quarterback in this league.”

Cole added that Smith was constantly on his phone texting friends and browsing Twitter during his meetings and he didn’t appear to be open to learning. Smith had a bad attitude and came across as a player that had already thought he knew it all and that he had made it.

If he carries on with that poor attitude, it could be a long struggle in New York — especially with that media.

Of course, if Smith can go out on the field and play to the level that his talent suggests he could, all of the pre-draft and post-draft criticism will mean nothing.

Dec 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams (95) hits New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Jets 28-9. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets have one of the craziest Quarterback situations in recent memory.

Currently, the Jets have a staggering five options at the QB position, but the options for the “frontrunner” were thought to be incumbent Mark Sanchez or top draft pick Geno Smith. Then, GM John Idzik took to ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning” and promoted a five-man competition for the job.

In addition to Sanchez and Smith, New York also has former Jacksonville QB David Garrard, last year’s 3rd-string QB in Greg McElroy (formerly of Alabama), and former University of Tennessee QB Matt Simms.

I frankly don’t believe that either Simms (who has zero NFL experience) or McElroy would be in serious consideration, but Idzik went out of his way to state the openness of the process, and that is intriguing for many reasons. Sanchez is on the hook for about $8 million for 2013, so the money trail leads to him, but Garrard was once a top-flight player in Jacksonville, and the new investment is with Smith.

With a gun to my head, I would guess that Sanchez gets the first start with Smith taking over mid-season after the incumbent fails yet again. Needless to say, this is a situation we’ll be monitoring as training camp approaches, and it should be a must-see circus during the season.

September 8, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; UCF Knights defensive lineman Troy Davis (58) waits to hit Ohio State Buckeyes fullback Zach Boren (44) as he takes the handoff from quarterback Braxton Miller (5)at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NFL Draft is complete, but that does not mean a number of talented players are still available to be had. Every year, the players who were not selected in the draft will still have an opportunity to contribute and make a NFL roster thanks to the undrafted free agency process.

There have been stars all around the league that emerge from the undrafted free agent ranks and this year will be no different.

Who did the New York Jets bring in as an undrafted free agent? Here is the list (alphabetical order by last name):

• Troy Davis, OLB, Central Florida
• Mike Edwards, CB, Hawaii
• Trey Gilleo, OT, Northern Arizona
• Jake McDonough, DL, Iowa State
• Rontez Miles, CB, Cal (Pa.)
• Ryan Spadola, WR, Lehigh

All of the players will have an uphill battle if they hope to make the Jets roster, but you can never count these motivated players out. Remember, current NFL starters like Arian Foster, Tony Romo and Wes Welker have all emerged from the UDFA ranks.

NOTE: Lists of undrafted free agents have been put together by gathering info from multiple media sources around the Internet, including NEPatriotsDraft.com.

Dec. 23, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow (15) runs off the field after the game against the San Diego Chargers at MetLife Stadium. Chargers won 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

In a move that surprises absolutely no one, the New York Jets have released back up quarterback, media darling and constant distraction Tim Tebow just a few days after selecting Geno Smith in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Tebow was never expected to play another down for the Jets, but the move was made official today.

Here is the report that surfaced on Twitter Monday morning, from Brian Costello of the New York Post:

According to @briancoz of the NY Post, The New York Jets have released Tim Tebow

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 29, 2013

The next question is whether or not anyone will be interested in signing Tebow of if he will stand in the unemployment line before his ego allows him to accept a job in the Arena Football League or CFL.

If you are looking for a potential suitor for Tebow, you can never count out the Jacksonville Jaguars. After all, they invested a third-round pick on a punter in 2012, so they could use the additional protection.

Apr 26, 2013; New York, NY, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (left) and former NFL player Mark Brunell (right) introduce Geno Smith (West Virginia) as the number thirty-ninth overall pick to the New York Jets during the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now it’s time for some reflection. While some teams traded around to get who they want, others stood pat to see who would slide to them — and if there’s one thing to remember about this draft it’s players that slid around the rounds. But now that the draft is behind us, the all important grading phase has begun, so lets take a look at how the New York Jets did in this year’s NFL Draft.

Draft Picks

• Dee Milliner, cornerback, Alabama — Round 1 (9)
• Sheldon Richardson, defensive tackle, Missouri — Round 1 (13)
• Geno Smith, quarterback, West Virginia — Round 2 (39)
• Brian Winters, guard, Kent State — Round 3 (72)
• Oday Aboushi, offensive tackle, Virginia — Round 5 (141)
• William Campbell, guard, Michigan — Round 6 (179)
• Tommy Bohanon, fullback, Wake Forest — Round 7 (215)

Best Pick: Geno Smith

While this selection will add a lot of drama to the organization, they need to do something about the quarterback position. Geno Smith was one of the top signal-callers in this year’s draft, and it is impressive that the Jets could land him in round 2, especially when you consider that quarterbacks are often time overdrafted. Smith will also finally give the team a reason to part ways and move on from former first-round pick Mark Sanchez, who has been nothing short of a disaster during his time leading the team.

Worst Pick: Sheldon Richardson

Richardson is a very talented defensive lineman, but his skill set was better suited for the three-technique in a 4-3 defense. Richardson does not fit in the Jets 3-4 front and he really doesn’t address any need on a team that has a roster that seriously lacks talent.

Analysis: The Jets managed to have two first-round picks, but still disappoint the fan base. Milliner was a solid choice to replace Antonio Cromartie as he moves in to the Darrelle Revis role and Geno Smith was a good value pick, but the draft class was underwhelming considering the amount of premium draft picks the Jets had.

2013 Draft Grade: C