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Dark Horse for New York Jets Quarterback


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With five quarterbacks on their roster, the New York Jets must make some difficult decisions. Who is the dark horse candidate for Jets' QB? Dan Salem @thedansalem talks Jets' football. (Photo Credit: newyork.cbslocal.com)

With five quarterbacks on their roster, the New York Jets must make some difficult decisions. Most NFL teams enter training camp with three signal callers, while a select few carry four at the game's pinnacle position. This means there's an odd man out wearing the red jersey at Jets practice, but is there also a dark horse candidate for the starting QB job?

New York Jets quarterbacks, in order of NFL experience:

Ryan Fitzpatrick - 96 games, 79.5 passer rating
Geno Smith - 30 games, 71.5 passer rating
Matt Simms - 4 games, 61.4 passer rating
Jake Heaps - rookie - 2 years starting at BYU (2010-2011)
Bryce Petty - rookie - 2 years starting at Baylor (2013-2014)

I'd be shocked if the Jets carried two rookie quarterbacks into training camp. However, with only four games played in the NFL, Matt Simms is as close to a rookie as a third year player can get. But this conversation isn't about who gets cut, it's about who rises up to impress their new coaches and make a run at the starting job.

Matt Simms is the dark horse candidate for starting quarterback of the New York Jets. He entered the league in the same season as Geno Smith, arguably a leg or so behind Geno in the conversation for starter. Simms has the family pedigree, but none of the college stats that Geno or even Bryce Petty put up.

Outside of nineteen NFL completions, Matt Simms' resume looks much like that of Jake Heaps. That is to say, the numbers mean little to nothing. Simms' coaches know him best, but since they were all replaced in the offseason, it's a fresh start for Matt with the Jets.

In the limited action that Simms played, mostly in the preseason, I liked what I saw from the young quarterback. I liked it so much so that I was pulling for him to get the nod over Geno Smith, despite the sparks of greatness displayed by Geno late in the 2013 season. What intrigues me now is that the slate has been wiped clean for both players.

New coaches mean new opinions, new strategies, new playbooks, and a new evaluation of talent. The only player on the Jets with playing experience that overlaps with the coaching staff is Ryan Fitzpatrick. Geno Smith has a lot of game tape, but it's debatable how much that tape helps his case for starting quarterback. Simms has very little NFL tape, meaning it's all about practice.

Matt Simms will be fighting for a roster spot along with Heaps and Petty, but he's by far the front runner in that race and easily entrenched in the competition for starter. Coach Todd Bowles must evaluate all of his quarterbacks, regardless of past performance. This probably helps Geno Smith, but it certainly helps Matt Simms.

Maybe it's my New York memory, maybe I'm putting too much stock in a few pre-season performances, or maybe Matt Simms has yet to be given the opportunity he deserves to lead an NFL team.

If there was ever a dark horse worth rooting for, it's Matt Simms. He can take down the competition in Jets' camp and play his way into the quarterback conversation. The position hasn't been this big of a question mark for Gang Green in quite some time. If ever a surprise player was to seize the QB job from an incumbent who's been counted out, it's Simms with these New York Jets.

Let the actual competition for quarterback begin.

 

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I feel like finally with a new regime that actually knows football that we are going to find out who can play and who can't. Fair shake for everyone. I hope he sticks, but realistically don't expect him to. Simms and Heaps.. out.

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Matt Simms and Jake Heaps are camp bodies and will not be making the 53 man roster.  They traded for 2 QB's this offseason.

 

The rookie is the only dark horse and that horse is dark.  He's got a long way to go.  Its Geno's job to lose to Fitzpatrick.  

 

Fun article for the Matt Simms fans of the world to still believe he's got a chance.  He doesnt. 

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Fun article for the Matt Simms fans of the world to still believe he's got a chance.  He doesnt. 

 

I know I'm the guy who called Fitzpatrick a conquering hero, but I just don't understand the Simms obsession.  He's a former UDFA who has performed like a UDFA.  Yet the author of this blog puts him ahead of Bryce Petty, a 4th round pick, to make the roster, and somehow this becomes deserving of a new thread.

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Matt Simms will be fighting for a roster spot along with Heaps and Petty, but he's by far the front runner in that race and easily entrenched in the competition for starter. 

 

No truth to be found after the comma. 

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Well as some genius posted last year (me!) Simms could be the greatest practice player on Earth but tough guy Rex would never have given him a shot anyway. Can you imagine if Simms replaces Geno and blows the doors off? How do you explain that in your next job interview, "So, seriously, you had no idea that Simms was better than Geno?!" Now that Rex is safely ensconced in Buffalo, maybe he will get a shot. That said I'm not holding my breath but it would be funny.

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I know I'm the guy who called Fitzpatrick a conquering hero, but I just don't understand the Simms obsession.  He's a former UDFA who has performed like a UDFA.  Yet the author of this blog puts him ahead of Bryce Petty, a 4th round pick, to make the roster, and somehow this becomes deserving of a new thread.

 

They traded up for Petty, knowing that he's a project but they're going to dump him during his rookie camp for Matt Simms because of that 4th preseason game and stuff and something Brett Ratliff too.

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Well as some genius posted last year (me!) Simms could be the greatest practice player on Earth but tough guy Rex would never have given him a shot anyway. Can you imagine if Simms replaces Geno and blows the doors off? How do you explain that in your next job interview, "So, seriously, you had no idea that Simms was better than Geno?!" Now that Rex is safely ensconced in Buffalo, maybe he will get a shot. That said I'm not holding my breath but it would be funny.

 

Rex gave Simms a shot.  He was horrible.  Like, didnt belong on the field horrible. 

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Matt Simms and Jake Heaps are camp bodies and will not be making the 53 man roster.  They traded for 2 QB's this offseason.

 

The rookie is the only dark horse and that horse is dark.  He's got a long way to go.  Its Geno's job to lose to Fitzpatrick.  

 

Fun article for the Matt Simms fans of the world to still believe he's got a chance.  He doesnt

+1 Klecko has a better chance beating American Pharaoh in the Belmont then Simms being the Jet QB..   :winking0001:

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Fellas the title is "Dark Horse" I mean the whole point is someone you don't expect right?  Petty is not part of the conversation because he is not part of the quarterback competition but will make the team regardless.   The only qb competition will be between Geno, Fitz and Simms and as most have already concluded it is really only a two horse race meaning Geno and Fitz.   I think the writer is simply saying that the this regime doesn't have ties to Geno and Fitz was acquired for a 7th rounder so it is not like they are locked into starting him or anything.   I don't think Simms will make the team, much less become the starting qb but stranger things have happened.  

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Matt Simms will be fighting for a roster spot along with Heaps and Petty, but he's by far the front runner in that race and easily entrenched in the competition for starter.

 

He's not even in the same discussion with Petty.

 

He had his shot and sh*t the bed.  And i was rooting for him.  He just looked completely in over his head.  Embarrassingly bad

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