Sam Darnold not a lock to enter draft

[AFJF]

There are several names being tossed around as potential franchise QB's and another one or two are bound to emerge during the season.  I'm not sure why so many people are focusing on just one of the several options that may be available in the top-3.

[Joe W. Namath]

The darnold love is based off of 1 game.  Take the game away and no one even knows who darnold is.

Lets see what he looks like over this next season.  

I think the guy from wyoming is going to be the number 1 pick.

[JustInFudge]

 

SPORTS

 

Jets might have to rethink ‘Suck for Sam’

By Howie Kussoy

July 5, 2017 | 4:06pm

If the Jets are going to suck, they shouldn’t do so for Sam.

USC quarterback Sam Darnold has been widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but on Wednesday, NFL.com cited “several sources close to” the talented redshirt sophomore saying “they wouldn’t be surprised if Darnold played two more seasons at USC,” potentially removing the top prize of the Jets’ perceived tank job for the upcoming season.

Though the 2018 draft appears as if it could be loaded with high-end quarterbacks – potentially including UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – Darnold’s absence in the class would be a crushing blow to whichever teams hold the top picks.

Darnold has started just nine games in college, but after being named the Trojans starter in the fourth game of his redshirt freshman season, he led a team that started 1-3 to nine straight wins to end the season. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback threw for 3,086 yards, 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing better than 67 percent of his passes. The Heisman favorite demonstrated impressive arm strength, accuracy and athleticism, with teammates also touting the 20-year-old’s leadership. In the Rose Bowl, he threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-49 win over Penn State.

The Jets infamously were burned by a similar scenario two decades ago.

In 1997, the Jets held the No. 1 pick in the draft – one year after taking Keyshawn Johnson with the top pick – and were in line to take Peyton Manning, who was expected to leave Tennessee after his junior season. Instead, the future Hall of Fame quarterback returned to Knoxville for his senior season and was selected by the Colts with the top pick in 1998.

The Jets ended up trading down from the top pick in 1997 and still are searching for a franchise quarterback nearly five decades after Joe Namath led the team to its only championship.

Darnold still has many months to make a decision, but the Jets may need to have another prize in mind.

[Lupz27]

4 minutes ago, AFJF said:

There are several names being tossed around as potential franchise QB's and another one or two are bound to emerge during the season.  I'm not sure why so many people are focusing on just one of the several options that may be available in the top-3.

Yes, I've always said Lamar Jackson will be a WR in the NFL, but apparently a ton of scouts are gushing over him as a possible NFL QB right now.

Also Rosen is considered a train wreck, and barring a miracle turn around this year he won't even be a 2nd rounder despite his physical abilities.

[Lupz27]

3 minutes ago, Joe W. Namath said:

The darnold love is based off of 1 game.  Take the game away and no one even knows who darnold is.

Lets see what he looks like over this next season.  

I think the guy from wyoming is going to be the number 1 pick.

No It's Not!

[Lupz27]

2 minutes ago, JiF said:

 

SPORTS

 

Jets might have to rethink ‘Suck for Sam’

By Howie Kussoy

July 5, 2017 | 4:06pm

If the Jets are going to suck, they shouldn’t do so for Sam.

USC quarterback Sam Darnold has been widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but on Wednesday, NFL.com cited “several sources close to” the talented redshirt sophomore saying “they wouldn’t be surprised if Darnold played two more seasons at USC,” potentially removing the top prize of the Jets’ perceived tank job for the upcoming season.

Though the 2018 draft appears as if it could be loaded with high-end quarterbacks – potentially including UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph – Darnold’s absence in the class would be a crushing blow to whichever teams hold the top picks.

Darnold has started just nine games in college, but after being named the Trojans starter in the fourth game of his redshirt freshman season, he led a team that started 1-3 to nine straight wins to end the season. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback threw for 3,086 yards, 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing better than 67 percent of his passes. The Heisman favorite demonstrated impressive arm strength, accuracy and athleticism, with teammates also touting the 20-year-old’s leadership. In the Rose Bowl, he threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-49 win over Penn State.

The Jets infamously were burned by a similar scenario two decades ago.

In 1997, the Jets held the No. 1 pick in the draft – one year after taking Keyshawn Johnson with the top pick – and were in line to take Peyton Manning, who was expected to leave Tennessee after his junior season. Instead, the future Hall of Fame quarterback returned to Knoxville for his senior season and was selected by the Colts with the top pick in 1998.

The Jets ended up trading down from the top pick in 1997 and still are searching for a franchise quarterback nearly five decades after Joe Namath led the team to its only championship.

Darnold still has many months to make a decision, but the Jets may need to have another prize in mind.

Love how this article leaves out the truth behind why Peyton didn't come out because it would ruin the stories agenda.

The Jets were not spurned by Peyton, Big bad Bill spurned Peyton.

[MaxAF]

Doesn't really matter. If he's the #1 pick, the only way the Jets will get him is if they trade up for the spot. Jets will not be the worst team in the league in 2017. Either way Sam will be on one of the crapyist teams in the NFL. My guess is San Fran.

[T0mShane]

If you're Sam Darnold, would you: 

A: agree to be drafted by the Jets, where you will likely play one year for Todd Bowles before he gets fired, after which Woody Johnson's Grifter Brother will then conduct interviews for the new head coach who will determine your career trajectory. Your pass catching targets will be a group of perpetually injured no-names and your left tackle will be a guy who was cut by the Jaguars. The good news is that you'll live in the highest-tax region of the United States and your every move will be openly, perpetually mocked by the likes of Craig Carton and Manish Mehta. Extra special bonus: you won't have to play right away because the team will still be in the process of giving Christian Hackenberg a "real chance" to take your job. 

 

--Or--

 

B: Stay at USC where you are a God, keep having NSA sex with 18 year-old chicks who look like nubile Heather Locklears, take mad loot from boosters, and chill. The downside? You have to wait 12 months to get your relative pittance of a rookie contract. The plus side? You avoid playing for the Jets and Browns (who will draft QBs the year prior) and you'll probably end up playing for the Saints, Cardinals, or Chargers.

[long suffering jets fan]

1 hour ago, Beerfish said:

Those last two lines do NOT go together.

Doesn't matter, everything else he said is correct. 

[long suffering jets fan]

1 hour ago, Lupz27 said:

Love how this article leaves out the truth behind why Peyton didn't come out because it would ruin the stories agenda.

The Jets were not spurned by Peyton, Big bad Bill spurned Peyton.

From what I've read it was kind of mutual.  Archie wanted the Jets to guarantee that Peyton would be selected #1.  Parcell's refused to give that guarantee so Peyton stayed in school.  That much is known, the reason why he wouldn't make the guarantee I heard is for one of the following reasons, depending on what story you believe.

Reason 1: Parcell's didn't guarantee Peyton being selected first is because it was against the rules to make such a commitment, so Bill was playing within the rules.

Reason 2: Parcells didn't want to lock himself out of any potential bidders for the #1 pick which could have given him a windfall of picks, or players.

Here's a good article on what happened, the answer is both of the above reasons as well as others.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/myers-bill-parcells-made-peyton-manning-jets-qb-article-1.2556313

 

[Jet Nut]

3 hours ago, JoJoTownsell1 said:

Right, it's far more important to bring in vets to get  that win total up to 7 games (instead of the 3 or 4 we are projected to win) to make some season ticket holders happy. Meanwhile, there are bunch of QB prospects in this coming draft. Darnold is the one I am in love with, but guys like Allen/Rosen etc could emerge as elite QB prospects.  

Could you imagine winning 7 games and finding out that this years QB class is like the one that netted Rivers/Eli/Ben. What would you say then? "Um, but we tried hard and got that important 7th win in week 17 to make me feel better!"

Posts like this prove who has no idea about the game.  No one is tanking.  

Because it's as stupid a plan as is imaginable 

[DetroitRed]

Of course he may not enter.  The good news is that this is a great QB draft regardless

[Larz]

Fake news

[Patriot Killa]

4 hours ago, Tony MaC said:

I just find it such a waste of time to focus on this guy and the QB's going into this season. We're placing ALL of our expectations on this kid and the other two, and thus setting ourselves up for disappointment if for whatever reason we don't get them or they don't pan out.

Hoping for a one true savior is useless. I prefer to focus on the whole.

Its gonna be a LOT easier to watch the season not hoping for ONE thing to save my favorite team.

Agreed, plus all we are doing is placing all our hope in a kid with the same amount of NFL reps as someone we already have LOL..except our guy has a little more seasoned with having almost two off seasons under his belt. I'd rather focus on Hackenberg at the moment and only switch to someone else if Hack utterly fails. Makes no sense to approach this ass backwards as many are doing. Just my two cents.

[Patriot Killa]

3 hours ago, RoadFan said:

Somebody must have mentioned it already...  Matt Barkley stayed.  How'd that work out for him?

Did Barkley even have the same hype coming out of college though? This guy is apparently suppose to be the best thing since Luck lol..personally I'll hold my assumptions until he has another season or two of work and finishes up his combine ...solely speaking from 90% of everyone else's perspective though. Guy is the messiah.

[David Harris]

Sam Allen may be better anyway right?

[joewilly12]

[JoJoTownsell1]

1 hour ago, Jet Nut said:

Posts like this prove who has no idea about the game.  No one is tanking.  

Because it's as stupid a plan as is imaginable 

Were the browns coaches and players tanking last year? Hell no. 

Did the front office put together a roster to maximize the teams chances at winning as many games as possible? Hell no.

The jets are in the exact same situation..

Could the Jets surprise everyone and win 10 games? Sure. But the goal is pretty clear and it's not to win as many games as possible. If it was, they never would have let Marshall, Decker, Harris go.

[CTM]

don't get the hysteria over this  guy, he's got 1 season tossing to wide open players.. seen this before and it didn't end well

[Patriot Killa]

Just now, JoJoTownsell1 said:

Were the browns coaches and players tanking last year? Hell no. 

Did the front office put together a roster to maximize the teams chances at winning as many games as possible? Hell no.

The jets are in the exact same situation..

Could the Jets surprise everyone and win 10 games? Sure. But the goal is pretty clear and it's not to win as many games as possible. If it was, they never would have let Marshall, Decker, Harris go.

 6 to 8 games if everything breaks right imo.. I'll be happy with that if we progress greatly and show a certain fashion of winning in those 6 to 8 W's. I'm simply excited to see newly drafted blood at almost every position for the first time since like...07'..08'

[Lil Woody]

4 hours ago, Tony MaC said:

Darnold isn't a lock to leave College.

Darnold isn't a lock to have another good year at College.

Darnold isn't a lock to be a number 1 pick once he does declare for the draft.

Darnold is not a lock to be a franchise Quarterback.

Darnold is not a lock to be a New York Jet.

 

Don't worry about Darnold.

Don't put ANY hope in Darnold.

Just... focus on what we already have on the team and let it all play out.

You'll live life A LOT happier.

 

 

Eff that. Sounds like you are just setting your expectations low to save yourself the aggravation. Good for you I guess, but not for me. I like the thrill ride. I really like following the NCAA prospects all season long and hoping for prospects and wanting the Jets to take the guys I like. Of course nothing is truly known and anyone can easily bust, even the most can't miss prospects can find themselves in a bad situation and get spit out of the NFL, but who cares?  Most Jets fans I know are built almost entirely on hope.  Why throw a wet blanket on the only potential avenue for THIS pathetic backwards franchise to finally get itself a FQB and maybe overcome it's dysfunction and actually compete for more than just a post season appearance?  Look if Darnold fails this season, fine, move on to Rosen/Allen/Jackson/Rudolph or whoever. And any one of those guys can bust too. But I like to take a different approach to it, because QB is everything in this ratings driven NFL version of the sport.  So rather than looking at it as Darnold isn't x, y or z...I'd say:

Darnold IS a terrific prospect

Darnold IS a potential FQB

Darnold IS looking like a QB worth positioning yourself for

Darnold IS currently looking like the best QB on the NCAA horizon

Darnold IS a guy that drives the ball downfield and throws into tight windows and makes NFL caliber throws

Darnold IS a guy that we would love to see on the Jets assuming he backs up the hype

 

So I say, eff it....Enjoy watching Darnold all year.

Let's all HOPE that he is everything people want him to be and the Jets finally get an elite QB.

Do that WHILE you enjoy watching the youth on the Jets develop and imagine how they might look with an top 10 NFL QB at the helm.

Yeah, it probably ends in heartache and leaves you gutted, but f*ck it, we are NYJ fans.  We have rhino skin. We don't live life in a happy go lucky style, we die slowly each day and if we ever do get that witness that brief moment under the confetti and balloons in February, it will be one goddamn glorious day for all of us. 

 

If the point is just to pump the brakes on Darnold...fine, but this is still a solid looking QB class, which is starting to become somewhat of a rarity these days, and they might have up to 5 "1st round talents" coming out this season.  The thought that a guy (Darnold) who might be considered a generational talent if he can sustain his level of play for another year could also be available is the damn cherry on top that could be the karmic payoff for all the suffering of this poor, browbeaten, yet still intensely loyal fanbase deserves. However it shakes out, if we get a quality QB prospect, it's a huge win. This franchise would usually never even be smart enough to try to rebuild in a year with good looking QB prospects,,,so however way you want to slice it, it's already looking like progress.

[BigRy56]

It doesn't matter because the Jets will win around 6 games anyway. In the end, all of this Darnold talk is just for fun.

[varjet]

 

3 hours ago, T0mShane said:

If you're Sam Darnold, would you: 

A: agree to be drafted by the Jets, where you will likely play one year for Todd Bowles before he gets fired, after which Woody Johnson's Grifter Brother will then conduct interviews for the new head coach who will determine your career trajectory. Your pass catching targets will be a group of perpetually injured no-names and your left tackle will be a guy who was cut by the Jaguars. The good news is that you'll live in the highest-tax region of the United States and your every move will be openly, perpetually mocked by the likes of Craig Carton and Manish Mehta. Extra special bonus: you won't have to play right away because the team will still be in the process of giving Christian Hackenberg a "real chance" to take your job. 

 

--Or--

 

B: Stay at USC where you are a God, keep having NSA sex with 18 year-old chicks who look like nubile Heather Locklears, take mad loot from boosters, and chill. The downside? You have to wait 12 months to get your relative pittance of a rookie contract. The plus side? You avoid playing for the Jets and Browns (who will draft QBs the year prior) and you'll probably end up playing for the Saints, Cardinals, or Chargers.

I went to Graduate School at UCLA when Aikman was there.   I got to know a bunch of the football players who went to high school with my classmates.

This post hits it right on the head.   But that being said, the NFL today takes Trubitzsky and that contract second.  Even if Darnold drops from 2017 to 2018 he still gets picked high.

 

[Lil Woody]

4 hours ago, Lupz27 said:

Yes, I've always said Lamar Jackson will be a WR in the NFL, but apparently a ton of scouts are gushing over him as a possible NFL QB right now.

Also Rosen is considered a train wreck, and barring a miracle turn around this year he won't even be a 2nd rounder despite his physical abilities.

I love Jacksons "potential".  He definitely needs to increase his accuracy a great deal, but imo he was a much better "quarterback" last season than he was in 15.  He looked like he started to see the field better and let plays develop a bit more and seems to be on his way to being more of a pocket passer than just a dynamic read and run athlete at the position. If he matures even more, works on his mechanics and gets his accuracy in check, he could be an exceptional player.  Problem is he just looks horrible on some of those NFL type throws.  Yeah the guy can spin it and yeah he can fire a lazer in there, but he can not do it consistently and he looks scattershot past 15 yards. That's the rub on him imo. Plenty of guys have had to overcome that and did.  I also think he's a guy that should look long and hard at staying in school if he's not ranked as a 1st rounder, if he can add more weight, really develop himself as a pocket passer and increase his football IQ (well documented hurdle for him), we could be looking at the #1 overall in 2019. That's a LOT of IFs, sure. You might be right, he might not have it, in which case...maybe he should call up Brad Smith as a mentor. But the kid clearly has the potential, and we could be looking at a Randall Cunningham type dominance if he proves to be a legit passer. Kid supposedly has the work ethic and intangibles according to many reports. I'm pulling for him.

As to Rosen, all I need to see is he's 100% healthy and we need to clarify if the talk of him being an a$$hole is more about him being an entitled kid with the world in the palm of his hand, or if he really does have work ethic issues and is truly abrasive in the lockerroom.  I can handle a QB being a prick, Rodgers/Rothlesberger/Newton are all pretty much abrasive dicks according to their ex teammates, where as guys like Cutler are more than just entitled dicks, they are actually lockerroom problems. A kid like Rosen might just be a dick, (I mean...not only is he an entitled, nationally recognized, star QB, but he's also a millenial...so duh) if so...fine, but if he can win, his teammates will love him despite that and gladly accept his personality as being part of the confident mindset of a winner.  If he's actually a lockerroom "problem" and universally hated by teammates, that's a Jay Cutler/Jeff George level concern.

[UnknownJetFan]

Why is everyone so high on Darnold if he has only started 9 games?. Sounds like he is far from a lock to be great with that track record. Heck it takes basically a whole season for Defenses to get enough film on a QB to figure out their tendencies and then make them much less effective with game planning. 

[ZachEY]

6 hours ago, Lupz27 said:

In all seriousness if your a potential next big thing at QB the NY market is the best place to go to maximize your earning potential away from the football field, but nah go back to school so you can go to Buffalo, Cleveland, or maybe Jacksonville, or Minnesota come on.

I mean - the biggest star in all of sports plays in Cleveland and the biggest star in the NFL in recent history was in Indianapolis... so...

[Lil Woody]

24 minutes ago, UnknownJetFan said:

Why is everyone so high on Darnold if he has only started 9 games?. Sounds like he is far from a lock to be great with that track record. Heck it takes basically a whole season for Defenses to get enough film on a QB to figure out their tendencies and then make them much less effective with game planning. 

Please don't take this sarcastically, but have you watched him play?  Not just the Rose Bowl, just sat back and just watched some of his games? Kid truly looks legit, and not in just the defenses can't figure him out way.  This isn't like teams struggling to adjust to a Manziel or similarly difficult to contain player who is breaking the play with their feet.  Darnold was just picking teams apart and throwing the ball downfield on a dime, and pushing the ball past the sticks time and time again with ease. He's not always depending on his WRs to take a 5 yard pass for 50 yards, or running bubble screens and rub routes all day long.  He's out there actually looking like a legit Pro Passer. Sure he has those throws in there as well and it does pad his stats, but he's still regularly making the harder throws and going through his progressions.  He's far, far ahead of a lot of guys going into their 3rd and 4th years. That's what is so exciting. He is already ahead of the curve as a QB and played extremely well in most of his games AND he has already proven that he can put a team on his shoulders in a huge game and dominate. If he continues to develop at the same rate, we could easily be comparing him to Luck coming out in terms of how Luck was projected in his draft year.

 

[detectivekimble]

3 hours ago, BigRy56 said:

It doesn't matter because the Jets will win around 6 games anyway. In the end, all of this Darnold talk is just for fun.

It'd be so Jets like to get the #1 pick and Darnold decides to stay in school.

[Mogglez]

1.  This reminds me of when James "wasn't a lock to come out" the year he did.  It's posturing in case disaster strikes and a little bit of reporters "making sh*t up" to generate clicks in the middle of the largest football lull of the year..

2.  He's one of 4-5 first round talents at QB and we're gonna (likely) suck donkey d*ck and pick in the top 3-5 if things end up the way we all expect them too.  We'll be fine with or without him in the class re: who we will have to choose from.

[Fantasy Island]

Darnold could be Sanchez 2.0.

[BigO]

9 hours ago, T0mShane said:

If you're Sam Darnold, would you: 

A: agree to be drafted by the Jets, where you will likely play one year for Todd Bowles before he gets fired, after which Woody Johnson's Grifter Brother will then conduct interviews for the new head coach who will determine your career trajectory. Your pass catching targets will be a group of perpetually injured no-names and your left tackle will be a guy who was cut by the Jaguars. The good news is that you'll live in the highest-tax region of the United States and your every move will be openly, perpetually mocked by the likes of Craig Carton and Manish Mehta. Extra special bonus: you won't have to play right away because the team will still be in the process of giving Christian Hackenberg a "real chance" to take your job. 

 

--Or--

 

B: Stay at USC where you are a God, keep having NSA sex with 18 year-old chicks who look like nubile Heather Locklears, take mad loot from boosters, and chill. The downside? You have to wait 12 months to get your relative pittance of a rookie contract. The plus side? You avoid playing for the Jets and Browns (who will draft QBs the year prior) and you'll probably end up playing for the Saints, Cardinals, or Chargers.

I'll take the Jets only if they throw in Heather Locklear. ?

[Toua77]

Seeing is believing. I think I heard this with a few other kids recently. If he's a Top 5 lock he's gotta be out.

[Bugg]

15 hours ago, T0mShane said:

Peyton Manning played in a third world sh*thole for twenty years and is the highest earning NFL player in the history of the sport. Tom Brady plays in the part of Massachusetts that's so poor they can't even afford opioid addictions. Playing the NY hasn't been marketable since the internet was invented.

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant became marketing superstars in Oklahoma City.

Nobody needs to be in NY unless you want to overpay for everything. That's been true for a long time. 

[EM31]

Screw it... tank twice if it comes to that

[SAR I]

10 hours ago, BigRy56 said:

It doesn't matter because the Jets will win around 6 games anyway. In the end, all of this Darnold talk is just for fun.

And so far we've been spared the ultimate humiliation:  Having a #1 pick declare that he'd never play here a-la what happened to San Diego and Indianapolis.

Jets will go 1-15, get the #1 pick, Darnold will declare eligibility, and his father will announce that his son will never be a New York Jet and encourage us to trade him to a desirable city with stable ownership and a respectable front office like Miami.  Just watch.

SAR I