Sunday Notes: Geno Needs to Pick it Up

[flgreen]

Sunday notes: Geno needs to pick it up

June, 9, 2013
Jun 9

5:00

AM ET

By  Rich Cimini | ESPNNewYork.com
 

A quick look at the Jets and the NFL:

 

1. The Battle of Clunker Hill: Listen to Rex Ryan, and you come away with the impression he'd rather crochet a sweater than start Mark Sanchez at quarterback. Ryan's tone has been, um, less than enthusiastic. But guess what? He might have little choice. Judging from what I've seen and heard, rookie Geno Smith hasn't blown anybody away, the way Russell Wilson did last season when he walked into the Seahawks' facility. It's still early and things could change, but the way this is headed, it'll be Sanchez versus the Bucs in Week 1. That's the way it should be, unless Smith is lights-out in the preseason; the Jets should open with Sanchez.

 

 

 

As much as the organization would like to start over at quarterback, it wouldn't be prudent to throw a rookie into a fire. And it'll be a blazing fire. Think about it: new offensive system; limited weaponry; difficult schedule. You'd do it with Andrew Luck, but Smith is no Luck. Of the past 11 quarterbacks drafted in the second round, only one started Week 1 as a rookie -- the Bengals' Andy Dalton in 2011. Smith throws a pretty ball, but it'll take more than that to win over the coaches and his teammates. Like it or not, it'll be Sanchez to start. How long he lasts, well, that's a different story.

 

2. The Q Mystery: Quinton Coples' switch to outside linebacker is going well, according to Coples. Curiously, he didn't play a lot of linebacker during the three OTA sessions open to the media. I suggested to him, half-jokingly, that maybe the team is purposely keeping him under wraps, a la Tim Tebow and the Wildcat. Coples, who has a terrific sense of humor, replied, "Hopefully, I'll do more than we did in the Wildcat."

 

Coples said he's not having any trouble with pass-coverage responsibilities. Any interceptions?

"Nah, not yet," he said. "I like to consider myself 'Lockdown.' They don't throw the ball my way."

Coples Island?

 

"I respect [Darrelle] Revis, so I don't want to say Coples Island," he said, smiling. "Revis Island, that's his gig. That's his deal. He showed me a lot of things when he was here. But I'm definitely a lockdown type of guy."

 

3. Speaking of Revis …: Just a random thought. Let's play the what-if game: What if the Jets had kept Revis, hoping to sign him to a long-term extension before the season?

 

With a $10 million bump in 2013 compensation (based on the contract he received from the Bucs), the Jets would have only about $2 million in cap space. They wouldn't have DT Sheldon Richardson, whom they selected with the Revis pick (13th overall). Or would they? It's believed that Richardson, WR Tavon Austin, CB Dee Milliner and G Chance Warmack were the top four on their draft board, not necessarily in that order. Austin was gone by the ninth pick, and you have to figure they wouldn't have picked Milliner with Revis in the long-term plan. So the choice would've been Warmack or Richardson. Maybe they would've ended up with Richardson anyway. That, of course, is based on the assumption their board would've remained the same with Revis in the picture.

 

4. Mr. Coffee: TE Hayden Smith has coordinated a coffee klatch in the Jets' locker room. He brews espresso after practice (he keeps a machine in his locker) and serves teammates, some of whom sit around in a circle and shoot the breeze. Smith believes it promotes team chemistry. He got the idea from his rugby days in England, where teammates routinely visited a local coffee shop after practice.

 

It shatters the stereotype of beer-drinking rugby types.

 

"There's certainly a time and place to enjoy yourself," Smith said, "but there's a lot to be gained from sitting around and having a coffee together. Other than a great pick-me-up, it's nice to sit and talk with the guys."

 

5. The Sons Also Rise: Brock Sunderland, who worked in the Jets' scouting department for six years, has left the team to become the assistant GM of the Ottawa Red Blacks -- a new CFL team. Brock, the son of former longtime Jets scout Marv Sunderland, became the fourth Jets scout to leave or not have his contract renewed this offseason. During the 2010 playoff run, he was instrumental in helping the Jets reconnect with former player Dennis Byrd. There's also a scout on the rise in the Bradway family. Mike Bradway, the son of longtime Jets senior personnel executive Terry Bradway, has been promoted to the post of Eagles' Eastern regional scout.

 

6. Mother Knows Best: Dottie Hampton, the matriarch of one of the most popular families in Jets history, died last week at the age of 76. She's survived by husband Bill Hampton, the former longtime equipment manager, and son Clay, the current director of operations. Veteran scribe Randy Lange, of the Jets' official website, wrote a nice piece on Hampton, noting two behind-the-scenes contributions. She purchased the Hanes Beautymist pantyhose that Joe Namath wore in his famous 1973 commercial and, leading into the 1968 AFL Championship Game, she sewed pockets into the jersey fronts of Namath and the skill-position players. The pockets were a huge help on a bitterly cold day at Shea Stadium. Former longtime PR director Frank Ramos said she "might be the greatest Jets fan of all time." Condolences to a great family.

 

7. Belichick's Delay of Game: If Patriots coach Bill Belichick waited any longer to shoot down the notion that he "hates" Tebow as a player -- an anonymous quote in a May 9 story by Yahoo! Sports -- we'd be asking him about it on the conference call leading into Jets-Patriots in Week 2. It took him four weeks, making his reaction come across as disingenuous.

 

8. This Ain't Right: What's wrong with this picture? JaMarcus Russell, the epitome of bust-dom, gets a tryout with the Bears. Meanwhile, Tebow, a playoff-winning quarterback, sits at home, seemingly black-balled by the entire league.

 

9. A 'Sup-er New Yorker: Frank Supovitz, the NFL's point man for Super Bowl XLVIII, is all New York. He grew up in Queens, once worked as an usher at Radio City Music Hall and lives on Long Island. Now, in his job as the league's senior vice president of events, he gets to coordinate a Super Bowl in his hometown. How personally satisfying is that?

 

"I've never been asked that question before," Supovitz told me the other day. "Words don't describe it, really. It’s an honor to be leading a group of professionals that pull this event together. It's a national event that requires professionals from all over the country. The opportunity to be able to do it here, where I grew up, it's an incredible honor."

 

10. London Calling: I'm not a fan of putting a team in London, but I suspect it's inevitable. Hey, maybe it'll open a door for Tebow to get back into the league -- unless it's the Jaguars, of course.

[TechJet]

this thread lack substance without pics!  

[Larz]

bust

[slats]

Two things...

It's believed that Richardson, WR Tavon Austin, CB Dee Milliner and G Chance Warmack were the top four on their draft board, not necessarily in that order. Austin was gone by the ninth pick, and you have to figure they wouldn't have picked Milliner with Revis in the long-term plan. So the choice would've been Warmack or Richardson. Maybe they would've ended up with Richardson anyway.

1.) hmmm... The urban legend in these parts was that Jonathan Cooper was at the top of the Jets' draft board. Maybe not?

If Patriots coach Bill Belichick waited any longer to shoot down the notion that he "hates" Tebow as a player -- an anonymous quote in a May 9 story by Yahoo! Sports -- we'd be asking him about it on the conference call leading into Jets-Patriots in Week 2. It took him four weeks, making his reaction come across as disingenuous.

2.) The other legend was that Belichick loves Tebow, and was going to scoop him up and make him a player. Maybe not, again?

[Larz]

Sunday notes: Geno needs to pick it up

June, 9, 2013

Jun 9

5:00

AM ET

By  Rich Cimini | ESPNNewYork.com

 

A quick look at the Jets and the NFL:

 

 

8. This Ain't Right: What's wrong with this picture? JaMarcus Russell, the epitome of bust-dom, gets a tryout with the Bears. Meanwhile, Tebow, a playoff-winning quarterback, sits at home, seemingly black-balled by the entire league.

 

 

they just can't help themselves.  tebows curse is the media obsession.  nobody wants the circus.  oh the irony

[T0mShane]

Two things...

1.) hmmm... The urban legend in these parts was that Jonathan Cooper was at the top of the Jets' draft board. Maybe not?

Given how tight-lipped Idzik has been, I'm not sure how Cimini would come by this list unless one of the outgoing scouts fed it to him.

2.) The other legend was that Belichick loves Tebow, and was going to scoop him up and make him a player. Maybe not, again?

Seems like a natural fit, what with Belichick liking to turn Jets castoffs into players, and with McDaniels being the OC there. If anyone signs Tebow, it might make sense to wait until the end of training camp, when any distractions will be diffused by the start of the season. You can get through the majority of camp without ESPN flooding the sidelines, then sign him.

[bitonti]

i can buy Warmack over Cooper, first of all because of the SEC connection (both Jets first round picks were SEC) and because Warmack is in fact a better guard. Cooper is a better athlete but Warmack was the MVP of the Champ game.  Most draft sources had Warmack rated higher, based on how good he played the position, and who he played it against. Cooper has quicker feet and that's valuable in this league built on speed. but Warmack was probably the best guard since Iupati coming out. 

 

as for Geno Smith, people make the Russell Wilson comparison too easily. Wilson was a very polished player from a pro style offense, his only knock was height. HE wasn't just a polished football player he was a twice drafted baseball player and was a professional athlete from the get go. Wilson was actually more of a runner, Geno is fast but he doesn't have much rushing yards in college. 

 

Overall, Geno is not that polished. He has a ton of knocks not the least of which is coming from an Air raid offense (96% of his snaps were out of the shotgun). Not to say he's gonna stink just that he will need more time. You can't put a guy under center week 2 at Foxboro with that kind of rawness. On the road, he'll get murdered. People talk about how bad the West Virginia defense was, and how he had to do too much. How good was the Baylor defense? If Syracuse could baffle him what will New England do? Again not that I dislike this player just don't think he's week 1 ready or even year 1 ready. He has talent and the Jets drafted him at value but we also have to remember the Jets passed on him twice.

[pointman]

I like Coples. His response was amusing.

[joewillie2013]

You still read the garbage sport Networks Ciminahole? why are you that gullible ? WOW...there is no real NFL news this time of year---HELLO...man...do a crossword puzzle.

[stoicsentry]

1. The Battle of Clunker Hill: Listen to Rex Ryan, and you come away
with the impression he'd rather crochet a sweater than start Mark
Sanchez at quarterback. Ryan's tone has been, um, less than
enthusiastic. But guess what? He might have little choice. Judging from
what I've seen and heard, rookie Geno Smith hasn't blown anybody away,
the way Russell Wilson did last season when he walked into the Seahawks'
facility. It's still early and things could change, but the way this is
headed, it'll be Sanchez versus the Bucs in Week 1. That's the way it
should be, unless Smith is lights-out in the preseason; the Jets should
open with Sanchez.

 

It's early June. That is a ridiculous statement to be making in early June.

[Jetsfan80]

It's early June. That is a ridiculous statement to be making in early June.

 

Yep.  Cimini is saying Sanchez starting "is the way it should be".  Why is that?  He's been just as unimpressive as Geno in camp, with the difference being that Sanchez has been here 4 f***ing years.  Its not a situation where Sanchez has the edge because he's the incumbent.  It's not Sanchez's championship belt and Geno has to beat him out significantly to win the job.  Sanchez has to suck less than Geno if he wants to win it and that hasn't happened this far.

[slats]

Unless Smith absolutely and obviously destroys Sanchez in the training camp battle, everyone is better off if Sanchez starts the regular season. New offense, new OL, weak receivers, stiff competition, etc. Why throw Geno right into that mess?

Ideally, he'll get thrown in after the bye. He'll see how crappy the offense is without him in there, and so it won't be as confidence crushing as if he had started the year at QB. What could be worse for Smith than having the crowd calling for Sanchez? It could happen if the Jets aren't careful.

But he has to get into the starting lineup this year. Unless Sanchez has a miraculous turnaround, I suspect Rex and Marty will have a difficult time waiting until the bye to make the switch.

[The Crusher]

So Coples is running the wildcat? Got it.

[joewillie2013]

LOL why throw Geno into the fire?  did you see 4 rookie QBs start for their teams last year and do well 2 made the pro bowl? Luck did it with a team that won 2 games the year before---Did the Jets shore up the offensive line and rb's so Sanchez could drag them down to his level?  It just aint gonna happen Rex has his head on the line this year and Geno will get every opportunity to start and more. Crowd calling for Sanchez? What crowd is that? The opponent's crowd on the road? LOL did you watch any Jet games the past 2 years? I bought my 1st Beatles Album in 1964 and The Plastic Ono bands- live in Toronto in 69---if Lennon were here now he would slap you for saying such a thing .

Unless Smith absolutely and obviously destroys Sanchez in the training camp battle, everyone is better off if Sanchez starts the regular season. New offense, new OL, weak receivers, stiff competition, etc. Why throw Geno right into that mess?

Ideally, he'll get thrown in after the bye. He'll see how crappy the offense is without him in there, and so it won't be as confidence crushing as if he had started the year at QB. What could be worse for Smith than having the crowd calling for Sanchez? It could happen if the Jets aren't careful.

But he has to get into the starting lineup this year. Unless Sanchez has a miraculous turnaround, I suspect Rex and Marty will have a difficult time waiting until the bye to make the switch.

[stoicsentry]

Honest question: how could Geno Smith be worse than Sanchez was last year? Is that even possible?

[jetsjetsjetss]

geno has got to beat out sanchez in practice its that simple

[joewillie2013]

Soon the light will go on for Geno and things will come easy for this smart talented kid and Sanchez will be gone. PLEASE GOD LET SANCHEZ BE GONE ALONG WITH HIS FASHION STATEMENT HAIRBAND! WOW!  I thought Richard Todd cracked me--I cant stand mark Sanchez's face or voice anymore!

[Larz]

Honest question: how could Geno Smith be worse than Sanchez was last year? Is that even possible?

 

 

yes

 

in a 32 team league, the jets passing offense was #30 last season if I'm not mistaken

 

so yeah it gets worse

[slats]

LOL why throw Geno into the fire?  did you see 4 rookie QBs start for their teams last year and do well 2 made the pro bowl? Luck did it with a team that won 2 games the year before---Did the Jets shore up the offensive line and rb's so Sanchez could drag them down to his level?  It just aint gonna happen Rex has his head on the line this year and Geno will get every opportunity to start and more. Crowd calling for Sanchez? What crowd is that? The opponent's crowd on the road? LOL did you watch any Jet games the past 2 years? I bought my 1st Beatles Album in 1964 and The Plastic Ono bands- live in Toronto in 69---if Lennon were here now he would slap you for saying such a thing .

I'm all for ending the Sanchez era, I'm not so keen on repeating it. Throw Geno in there behind a rebuilding OL, with the Jets' receivers, against the difficult part of the schedule, and you're asking to repeat history. Geno isn't known for his mental toughness or resiliency. He's known to get down when things aren't going well. You can't just throw him in there to start the season because you're sick of Sanchez. If Geno clearly wins the camp battle - great! But if he doesn't, give him half a year to get up to speed.

It benefits Rex to wait, too. Throw the kid in opening day and have him stumble and fail? Looks bad. Show some patience, and maybe get Geno a few wins at the end of the year? That might look a little better.

[joewillie2013]

Ok I can agree to a certain extent  but I have a feeling the Jets OL this year with 2 all pros returning back to form and upgrades in those who departed and drafting big young kids for depth The Jets can get back to our 09 form as being one of the best lines in the league. I say make plans to start Geno as soon as possible and scrap Sanchez off our spikes before preseason even starts.

[Stonehands]

The "air raid" offense from West Virginia with its need for quick decisions and accurate throws to allow receivers the opportunity to run after the catch sounds a heckuva a lot like what Geno will be expected to do within the West Coast offense.  I think that once he gets the terminology down and the footwork for the different plays, he is going to emerge rather quickly.

[Voice of Truth]

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/geno_smith_reportedly_hasnt_blown_anyone_away_so_far/13797350

 

According to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com, the New York Jets haven’t been very impressed with rookie quarterback Geno Smith so far this spring.

It’s still early and the Jets would be fooling themselves if they believe Smith is going to come in right away and save their franchise overnight.    It’s only the spring right now.  Let’s see how he progresses throughout the preseason.

 

As much as the organization would like to start over at quarterback, it wouldn’t be prudent to throw a rookie into a fire. And it’ll be a blazing fire. Think about it: new offensive system; limited weaponry; difficult schedule. You’d do it with Andrew Luck, but Smith is no Luck. Of the past 11 quarterbacks drafted in the second round, only one started Week 1 as a rookie — the Bengals’ Andy Dalton in 2011. Smith throws a pretty ball, but it’ll take more than that to win over the coaches and his teammates. Like it or not, it’ll be Sanchez to start. How long he lasts, well, that’s a different story.

[flgreen]

So Coples is running the wildcat? Got it.

 

Honest question: how could Geno Smith be worse than Sanchez was last year? Is that even possible?

Probably not, but he has to beat out Sanchez this year.

[The Crusher]

Start Sanchez, tank the season, fire Rex and draft a QB in the top 3 next year?

[Voice of Truth]

Start Sanchez, tank the season, fire Rex and draft a QB in the top 3 next year?

 

Idcess?

[joewillie2013]

Start Sanchez, tank the season, fire Rex and draft a QB in the top 3 next year?

This guy is a mod? with Jet fan mods like this who needs them? sounds like Giants fans Kim Jones and  fat mike on the fan....Brutal.

[Green DNA]

Two things...

1.) hmmm... The urban legend in these parts was that Jonathan Cooper was at the top of the Jets' draft board. Maybe not?

2.) The other legend was that Belichick loves Tebow, and was going to scoop him up and make him a player. Maybe not, again?

3) The other legend was the Cimini is a hack....wait, that one is true.

[Green DNA]

LOL why throw Geno into the fire?  did you see 4 rookie QBs start for their teams last year and do well 2 made the pro bowl? Luck did it with a team that won 2 games the year before---Did the Jets shore up the offensive line and rb's so Sanchez could drag them down to his level?  It just aint gonna happen Rex has his head on the line this year and Geno will get every opportunity to start and more. Crowd calling for Sanchez? What crowd is that? The opponent's crowd on the road? LOL did you watch any Jet games the past 2 years? I bought my 1st Beatles Album in 1964 and The Plastic Ono bands- live in Toronto in 69---if Lennon were here now he would slap you for saying such a thing .

LOL