Ryan Fitzpatrick: MERGED

[Sperm Edwards]

I don't know what I will do if they go over $15M.  I guess there isn't much I can do, but I would pound the table harder than Terry Bradway in protest.  I don't even want to hit $10M.

I don't really either, but with a cap limit north of $150M they're going to piss away $10M in hindsight when the dust settles. Certainly they'll piss away the difference between what he'll get and what he should.

My concern is two-fold. One, the obvious, is the allocation of too much for Fitzpatrick.  There are times to take the money and run and not double down (let alone quadruple-down or more). Two, is that - especially with a HC like Bowles who holds no starting position competitions whatsoever - if they bring Fitz back at around or north of $15M there is absolutely no competition until after a season has been squandered and he was identified as one of the primary culprits. A young QB isn't going to be given a chance until that happens no matter what the disparity might be in camp. 

But hey, he's got a great rapport with Marshall & Decker, which is another way of saying they love that he barely looks at anyone else (beyond the backfield checkdown option), even if they're not open. Just like any RB who looooves a HC/OC who's willing to feed him the ball 20-25x/game no matter what. 

Barring another obvious option presenting itself, at $10M or less with not 1 game more than 2 years guaranteed, which isn't that much anymore, I don't see how the team could pass up on that deal. He seems to be the unquestioned leader of the team (certainly the offense) and that carries more weight than his total inability to run through WR progressions or show that on-paper intelligence of his after the ball is snapped. 

[NYJ37/12]

You can't get emotional when negotiating contracts.  You love what Fitzpatrick did this year but he's not Rodgers

or Luck.  He had his best success here because he was surrounded by excellent skill players and a familiar OC.

Fitzpatrick needs us, therefore he should not be looking to break the bank.  He needs to give Maccagnan $$$

flexibility to continue to improve the offense so he can be successful.  A 2 year deal for 12-14 million total and

6-7 guaranteed is a fair deal and more than doubles his salary from last year

You're right, for his talent level its a fair deal but the market will inflate his value along with his stats this year. Its simple supply and demand. There is not enough good starting qb's around and he is one of them. I think he is a very average qb, but he fits well here and he proved that he can play here which is not easy.  I would be shocked if he signed for as little as you hope.

[Sperm Edwards]

You can't get emotional when negotiating contracts.  You love what Fitzpatrick did this year but he's not Rodgers

or Luck.  He had his best success here because he was surrounded by excellent skill players and a familiar OC.

Fitzpatrick needs us, therefore he should not be looking to break the bank.  He needs to give Maccagnan $$$

flexibility to continue to improve the offense so he can be successful.  A 2 year deal for 12-14 million total and

6-7 guaranteed is a fair deal and more than doubles his salary from last year

You should mentally prepare yourself for double that amount, if not more. More so, prepare for double that amount and then a much better QB presenting himself after we've locked up FItz at $15M per with 2 years guaranteed. It's the Jets way.

[GandWFan]

2 yrs at $10M base with incentives to $15M (Super Bowl).  Both years guaranteed.  Fair for both sides.

[BowlesMovement]

You should mentally prepare yourself for double that amount, if not more. More so, prepare for double that amount and then a much better QB presenting himself after we've locked up FItz at $15M per with 2 years guaranteed. It's the Jets way.

LOL, what does that even mean? Mac and Bowles have zero connections to any history of the Jets whatsoever.

[#27TheDominator]

The top 20 QBs make over $12M per year.  Then you have Brady with that screwy $9M per and a few guys on rookie deals (RGIII, Luck, Winston, Mariota).  Everybody else that signed a FA contract is getting around $5M or less.  There is a huge gap from $12M < $5M where nobody is signing QBs.  Hell, only Foles and Bradford $16M<$12M.  If you are starter you get $12M or more, if you are a borderline guy or backup, you get $5M or less.  Fitz seems to have proved he is worth more than the Sanchez, Hoyer, McCown, Henne bunch. 

I really, really, really don't want to pay Fitzpatrick too much.  OTOH, if we are going to overpay people, Fitzpatrick and Wilkerson both seem to be the kind of guys you'd rather overpay.  They both give an honest effort every week and don't seem likely to cause embarrassment.  They are probably the best type of guys to have be highest priced in the locker room.  Sort of like how you'd rather have Bernie Williams be your highest paid player than A-Rod.

[Sperm Edwards]

That would shock me if they went $16-$18m per season. 

Why won't he continue to throw 30 TD's? Marshall and Decker will be back, Smith should be back and hopefully shows improvement, and even if not you have to think they will get a 3rd and 4th WR option, and Amaro should be back. Throw in for the beginning of the year, he was not comfortable with the WR's yet, next year he will be.

Unless he gets hurt, I see no reason why he cannot duplicate or improve on his season next year.

I 

Well then we disagree. Big surprise there. It won't shock me if he gets in that range given the stupid contracts given to other bad QBs because of their perceived upsides. Cutler, Alex Smith, Sanchez (with the Jets), Foles. Then there are others who got in the $8-10M range (under a lower cap limit) like Flynn, Kolb, and surely others I'm just not thinking of off the top of my head. But those contracts, while poor justification to compensate Fitzpatrick in the Cutler or Alex Smith range, will surely be used by Fitzpatrick's camp (and so would you or I in his position). And given Bowles stupidly saying what he did I think they'll match almost anything he asks for south of $18M per. Hopefully not, but it would not surprise me.

He's probably not going to throw 30 TDs again because he's probably not going to. Because a lot of things went his way and fell just right. It was good for us but it doesn't mean it's going to happen the same way again. 

One reason will be that he won't get the same schedule again (and on top of that, the fortunate timing of opponents' injuries) for the rest of his career. Even within the division, expect improvement on D. Another reason is he enjoyed healthy seasons from both of them for virtually the entire season (each was a little banged up for about a game, or for a quarter here or there). A third reason is just lucky bounces going the other way (like the easy pick 6 pass he threw early in the last game). Last, better talent next year (like Amaro returning as you mentioned) could theoretically work against him though it flies in the face of initial logic. The reason is because of the type of QB he is: he doesn't scan the field; he locks in on one guy and (unless he dumps it off to the back) he forces it in there whether he's open or not. If he starts forcing more ill-advised pass attempts to, and locking in on, the likes of Amaro - or year 2 of Devin Smith on more deep attempts - instead of Marshall/Decker, there is no guarantee of the same or better outcome as forcing it in to top notch WRs at the top of their game.

[Sperm Edwards]

LOL, what does that even mean? Mac and Bowles have zero connections to any history of the Jets whatsoever.

It's meant to be a joke. Being humorless as you are, it is unsurprising this needs to be explained.

[Sperm Edwards]

Signing Fitz in no way hinders our chances of finding a franchise QB. He is 33 years old and they are well aware that he isn't exactly going to be a viable option beyond 2017.

His purpose is to provide a bridge to our future at the position, and a pretty good one at that.

Not necessarily true. The larger the contract he's given, the lower we're likely to draft a QB.

Different front office and coaching staff, but there's a chance Bradway's legendary table pounding for Wilson might have gotten through if we hadn't just extended Sanchez for the next 5 years with the first 2 guaranteed.

It is unusual for a team to lock up a QB to big money in Feb-March and then, in April, draft a QB in the first 3 rounds (let alone the first 1-2 rounds).

[kelly]

A day later, Ryan Fitzpatrick was still in mourning. The Jets quarterback described the nights he goes through after games, and in particular Sunday night after the 22-17 playoff-snuffing loss to the Buffalo Bills."I think about stuff, things I could've done better or differently, whether it was a decision or a throw," he said at his locker today. "My wife laughs at me because I usually wake up 4:30 a.m., eyes open and just the game running through my head, good and bad."It was a similar thing this morning, just waking up early, thinking about it a little bit, and obviously coming in here today and just seeing the guys and being able to reflect a little bit on some of the good moments as well as some of the struggles. It's always helpful to grieve with other people."

 

The Fitzpatrick package — some great performances in this, his 11th season as an NFL QB, and the way he cares about his teammates and his team and the game — are reasons that his teammates and head coach Todd Bowles have said they want the potential free agent to return for another season in green and white."I try to let my agent handle a lot of that stuff, but this is obviously a place that I want to be," Fitzpatrick said. "It's a place that I’m comfortable with, but we’ll kind of see how everything goes and a lot of that is out of my hands."

 

Pressed on if he thinks he will be with the Jets for the 2016 season, he said he hoped so."I don’t really want to live with the hypotheticals, but I had a lot of fun this year," he said. "This is the most fun I’ve ever had in a season with the guys in this locker room, with the run we had there in December, so hopefully I can be back and we can continue to build on that."

 

Some will harp on the three fourth-quarter interceptions, but suffice it to say that no one is any more anguished than Fitz over the picks and the playoff berth that was lost down the stretch in Orchard Park. But the bearded QB has been much more than the sum of his INTs :

 

■ He didn't reach 4,000 passing yards, but he came extremely close, finishing with a career-best 3,905 yards, passing Vinny Testaverde (3,732 in 2000) and Ken O'Brien (3,888 in '85) to register the second-most yards in a Jets season behind Joe Namath's celebrated 4,007 yards in '67.

■ Conspiring with Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Chris Ivory and the rest of the unit, he led the offense to 5,925 total yards, the most in a season in franchise history and good for No. 10 in the NFL this year, the first top-10 finish for a Jets O in the last 17 seasons.

■ Perhaps most intriguing, Fitzpatrick has been a catalyst in lifting two consecutive franchises out of the depths of a previous season. In 2013 Houston was 2-14. Last season Fitz started the first nine games and had a 6-5 record as a starter before breaking a leg as the Texans rose to 9-7, a seven-game improvement. The Jets last year were of course 4-12 and this year finished 10-6, tied for the second-biggest victory boost in franchise history behind the 1-15-to-9-7 jump from '96 to '97.

 

It used to be that we gave offensive lines five years to come together and players and drafts three years to prove themselves. Now it's season to season and Fitz, who called the Jets his fourth team in four years, knows it better than anyone."That’s the NFL now. Every year there’s such a big turnover in terms of who’s on the team and who’s not, whether it’s young guys or old guys," he said. "You have to find a way. This year I thought we did a pretty good job of coming together and finding a way with guys that were new in an offense and haven’t really played with each other. The more you can keep that together, the core group together, the better it is."

 

We'll see in the coming months what can be done about keeping the 2015 offense as together as much as possible for a run at 2016, and about keeping the QB who led it along for the ride.

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Fitz-This-Is-Obviously-a-Place-I-Want-to-Be/3ac24103-3d06-4658-848a-42186da1c3c9

[batman10023]

Either through a trade,free agency or how about do what other teams do and hire the best QB talent scouts available and seek one out the fact that this team hasn't found a franchise QB in years is mind boggling to say the least, 

realistically how many franchise quarterbacks have come via trade or free agency in the past decade?

you seem very down on this team in my short time here on JN.  are you young enough to start rooting for another team and get a few good decades of cheering?

[batman10023]

I just don't think so. Guy is on his fourth team in four years. There's a reason for that. He has a long body of work to look at. He is now coming off his two best years as a pro, but it's still very risky to give a guy like him that kind of coin. His arm isn't getting any stronger. 

Lol, maybe. I'd like him back, but I wouldn't want to be locked into him as the starter. This year, he enjoyed a very soft schedule and extremely mild weather right up until the finale - where he did not play well. Yeah, there were drops, but that's largely because his passes get tossed around in the wind. I'd like to bring him back, but at reasonable money that would represent a desire to keep him as a backup long term once a better option was found. 

A lot depends on how they feel about Petty. If they think he can be the guy going forward, I'd like to see him work his way into the starting lineup next year. And I'd keep Geno for the last year of his deal as an experienced, inexpensive backup. If they're unsure on Petty, then they need to draft another QB, probably higher than the fourth round - with Geno almost certainly being the odd man out. But they definitely need another viable option at QB next year. 

you bring up a good point that i have thought about.  the el nino weather was a big benefit for him as he's not a great (from what i hear) a cold weather QB.  we had a weak schedule and el nino and a couple of career years from guys and we missed the playoffs.  ugh.  still irks me. 

[batman10023]

You can't get emotional when negotiating contracts.  You love what Fitzpatrick did this year but he's not Rodgers

or Luck.  He had his best success here because he was surrounded by excellent skill players and a familiar OC.

Fitzpatrick needs us, therefore he should not be looking to break the bank.  He needs to give Maccagnan $$$

flexibility to continue to improve the offense so he can be successful.  A 2 year deal for 12-14 million total and

6-7 guaranteed is a fair deal and more than doubles his salary from last year

he's not signing for 12-14mm for 2 years with only one year guaranteed.

[T0mShane]

Except I think they'd match that. If it's a typical contract it's 2 years guaranteed and $30M is fluff he'll only see if he keeps throwing >30 TDs (which he won't). 

I'm preparing myself for the worst, and the numbers you threw out aren't nearly what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of $16-18M per season...followed by the fan rationalizations of why it was smart. 

Ugh. I just looked at the Alex Smith contract. $17m per with $45m guaranteed, and I'm sure Fitz's agent will use that as a barometer. In that case, F that. 

[T0mShane]

I just don't think so. Guy is on his fourth team in four years. There's a reason for that. He has a long body of work to look at. He is now coming off his two best years as a pro, but it's still very risky to give a guy like him that kind of coin. His arm isn't getting any stronger. 

Lol, maybe. I'd like him back, but I wouldn't want to be locked into him as the starter. This year, he enjoyed a very soft schedule and extremely mild weather right up until the finale - where he did not play well. Yeah, there were drops, but that's largely because his passes get tossed around in the wind. I'd like to bring him back, but at reasonable money that would represent a desire to keep him as a backup long term once a better option was found. 

A lot depends on how they feel about Petty. If they think he can be the guy going forward, I'd like to see him work his way into the starting lineup next year. And I'd keep Geno for the last year of his deal as an experienced, inexpensive backup. If they're unsure on Petty, then they need to draft another QB, probably higher than the fourth round - with Geno almost certainly being the odd man out. But they definitely need another viable option at QB next year. 

I have fears of getting caught up in that Pennington Era spin cycle where the coaching staff gets seduced by the average QB who doesn't embarrass them, only to find out that his arm strength kills them in December and January. 

[batman10023]

Ugh. I just looked at the Alex Smith contract. $17m per with $45m guaranteed, and I'm sure Fitz's agent will use that as a barometer. In that case, F that. 

i believe Alex Smith team is in the playoffs and we are sitting at home.

 

[afosomf]

Ugh. I just looked at the Alex Smith contract. $17m per with $45m guaranteed, and I'm sure Fitz's agent will use that as a barometer. In that case, F that. 

Your Plan B Matt Moore? There is no way jets do not sign him for $40M over 4 yrs. The last game kept it from being $50M

[NYJ37/12]

I have fears of getting caught up in that Pennington Era spin cycle where the coaching staff gets seduced by the average QB who doesn't embarrass them, only to find out that his arm strength kills them in December and January. 

Tom, I dont think this staff will get complacent. Does not come across as Mac's or Bowles style.

[T0mShane]

Tom, I dont think this staff will get complacent. Does not come across as Mac's or Bowles style.

I hope so, but it'd take some balls to play a young QB if Fitzpatrick is giving you average QB play. 

[T0mShane]

Your Plan B Matt Moore? There is no way jets do not sign him for $40M over 4 yrs. The last game kept it from being $50M

You want to pay your hopeful backup QB $10 mil per? 

[afosomf]

You want to pay your hopeful backup QB $10 mil per? 

I believe the jets have no choice now, they made their bed and there is no other viable option. He is now like a cult hero in floram park.

[Warfish]

Has any other NFL Franhcise cut or allowed to leave via FA, their #1 QB who had just set franchise records for TD passes, offensive production, WR production and almost set the franchise record for passing yards?

I appreciate many like Fitz, but think Fitz isn't very good.

Just curious tho, if any other team in NFL history has allowed their QB to walk after a year like 2015 was for us, production wise.

[PatsFanTX]

Ugh. I just looked at the Alex Smith contract. $17m per with $45m guaranteed, and I'm sure Fitz's agent will use that as a barometer. In that case, F that. 

So Fitz is looking for Revis money?

[Larz]

fitz will be a brown or something like that

 

[kelly]

Ryan Fitzpatrick Will Regress Next Season

m going to make a not-so-bold prediction: Ryan Fitzpatrick will regress next year. Save it, bookmark it, whatever. Fitzpatrick wildly exceeded expectations this season, after never breaking .500 in his career. He threw for more yards and touchdowns than ever before in the previous ten years. But I believe it was firmly on the back of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker bailing him out, and he won't be able to match his production next year as he regresses back to the mean of what's been a very average career.

Look, I don't know if Geno Smith is the future. I do think it's a mistake to automatically give Fitzpatrick the starting gig next year, as Todd Bowles has said he will, after he was reportedly outperformed by Smith prior to "The Punch." I am admittedly Smith's staunchest supporter, and why not? He had a great rookie year in 2013 with what's generously called a "lackluster" supporting cast; throwing to the likes of Saalim Hakim, David Nelson, Greg Salas, Kellen Winslow, and Jeff Cumberland. Smith didn't have Marshall and Decker; he had perennial all-stars like Vidal Hazelton and Clyde Gates. And yet the team still went 8-8 with Smith leading five come-from-behind wins. I am not trying to argue Fitzpatrick didn't play well this season; he did at times, but I also don't believe Smith couldn't have done the same, if not better, with the same offensive coordinator and supporting cast.

Personally, I don't buy the "Fitzpatrick has the support of the locker room" argument. The locker room loved Smith in 2013 when he led those five game-winning drives, and they'll love any quarterback that wins. How soon we forget that not too long ago, we were proclaiming Smith had the same "grit" and "moxy" of Fitzpatrick as he dove headfirst for a touchdown against Miami.

So what does Fitzpatrick have over Smith? A better beard, I suppose. But not much else.

>   http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/1/6/10722474/ryan-fitzpatrick-will-regress-next-season

[bostonmajet]

Ryan Fitzpatrick Will Regress Next Season

m going to make a not-so-bold prediction: Ryan Fitzpatrick will regress next year. Save it, bookmark it, whatever. Fitzpatrick wildly exceeded expectations this season, after never breaking .500 in his career. He threw for more yards and touchdowns than ever before in the previous ten years. But I believe it was firmly on the back of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker bailing him out, and he won't be able to match his production next year as he regresses back to the mean of what's been a very average career.

Look, I don't know if Geno Smith is the future. I do think it's a mistake to automatically give Fitzpatrick the starting gig next year, as Todd Bowles has said he will, after he was reportedly outperformed by Smith prior to "The Punch." I am admittedly Smith's staunchest supporter, and why not? He had a great rookie year in 2013 with what's generously called a "lackluster" supporting cast; throwing to the likes of Saalim Hakim, David Nelson, Greg Salas, Kellen Winslow, and Jeff Cumberland. Smith didn't have Marshall and Decker; he had perennial all-stars like Vidal Hazelton and Clyde Gates. And yet the team still went 8-8 with Smith leading five come-from-behind wins. I am not trying to argue Fitzpatrick didn't play well this season; he did at times, but I also don't believe Smith couldn't have done the same, if not better, with the same offensive coordinator and supporting cast.

Personally, I don't buy the "Fitzpatrick has the support of the locker room" argument. The locker room loved Smith in 2013 when he led those five game-winning drives, and they'll love any quarterback that wins. How soon we forget that not too long ago, we were proclaiming Smith had the same "grit" and "moxy" of Fitzpatrick as he dove headfirst for a touchdown against Miami.

So what does Fitzpatrick have over Smith? A better beard, I suppose. But not much else.

>   http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/1/6/10722474/ryan-fitzpatrick-will-regress-next-season

You are likely right, but, what if we fix some of the problems on the line, our 3rd/4th receivers improve (or are upgraded) and we improve (healthy, upgrade, more depth) our running game and rb receiving game?  Yes, this past year was his best year, and you would think it would never be that good, but what if we improve (even more) the support around him? Fitz was 15th in yards and 10th in TDs, couldn't he go to 10th in yards with the proper support (and now that he and his 2 receivers are on the same page and they have learned the offense)?

What if the defense gets faster and we get so much better there and he rarely has to play from behind?  What if ST gets better (not sure it can get much worse)?

Yes, normally when someone with his years has their best year, it is down hill from there, but it isn't a given.

 

[bitonti]

If they let Fitz walk they may as well fire Gailey too. They are perfect together. 

I understand people not wanting to pay him "Alex Smith money" but what's the alternative? 

Don't make me watch Geno Smith again. Please. 

[#27TheDominator]

I will offer him 3/$24M - $16M guaranteed.  More than that and I will sign Matt Flynn at $3M for 2 and keep my eye out for something better.

[slats]

Ryan Fitzpatrick Will Regress Next Season

I'm going to make a not-so-bold prediction: Ryan Fitzpatrick will regress next year.

Save it, bookmark it, whatever. Fitzpatrick wildly exceeded expectations this season, after never breaking .500 in his career. He threw for more yards and touchdowns than ever before in the previous ten years. But I believe it was firmly on the back of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker bailing him out, and he won't be able to match his production next year as he regresses back to the mean of what's been a very average career.

Look, I don't know if Geno Smith is the future. I do think it's a mistake to automatically give Fitzpatrick the starting gig next year, as Todd Bowles has said he will, after he was reportedly outperformed by Smith prior to "The Punch." I am admittedly Smith's staunchest supporter, and why not? He had a great rookie year in 2013 with what's generously called a "lackluster" supporting cast; throwing to the likes of Saalim Hakim, David Nelson, Greg Salas, Kellen Winslow, and Jeff Cumberland. Smith didn't have Marshall and Decker; he had perennial all-stars like Vidal Hazelton and Clyde Gates. And yet the team still went 8-8 with Smith leading five come-from-behind wins. I am not trying to argue Fitzpatrick didn't play well this season; he did at times, but I also don't believe Smith couldn't have done the same, if not better, with the same offensive coordinator and supporting cast.

Personally, I don't buy the "Fitzpatrick has the support of the locker room" argument. The locker room loved Smith in 2013 when he led those five game-winning drives, and they'll love any quarterback that wins. How soon we forget that not too long ago, we were proclaiming Smith had the same "grit" and "moxy" of Fitzpatrick as he dove headfirst for a touchdown against Miami.

So what does Fitzpatrick have over Smith? A better beard, I suppose. But not much else.

>   http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/1/6/10722474/ryan-fitzpatrick-will-regress-next-season

Interesting perspective that we usually don't get around here. Lol.

I tend to agree with the top part, unfortunately. The Jets played a cupcake schedule this year -one of the easiest in the league- and Fitzpatrick didn't play a cold weather game until the last game of the season: A poor performance. Can't count on it being 70° in New York at Christmas next year, and the first glimpse of next year's schedule looks pretty daunting. Those things have to be factored in before handing Fitz a lot of money and the starting job. 

I won't shed any tears if Geno isn't on the roster next year, but I don't understand why even the most ardent Fitz supporters would have a problem with Geno -or Petty, or a high pick- competing for the job next season. If Fitz is so great, he won't lose that competition, anyway. The goal should be to get the best QB on the field. 

[GandWFan]

Interesting perspective that we usually don't get around here. Lol.

I tend to agree with the top part, unfortunately. The Jets played a cupcake schedule this year -one of the easiest in the league- and Fitzpatrick didn't play a cold weather game until the last game of the season: A poor performance. Can't count on it being 70° in New York at Christmas next year, and the first glimpse of next year's schedule looks pretty daunting. Those things have to be factored in before handing Fitz a lot of money and the starting job. 

I won't shed any tears if Geno isn't on the roster next year, but I don't understand why even the most ardent Fitz supporters would have a problem with Geno -or Petty, or a high pick- competing for the job next season. If Fitz is so great, he won't lose that competition, anyway. The goal should be to get the best QB on the field. 

The guy who gets to make that decision has already made it.  If Fitz signs back with us, he is the undisputed starter.  No competition.  Sorry you don't agree, but not your call.

[kelly]

The Jets want Ryan Fitzpatrick to return and Ryan Fitzpatrick wants to stay a Jet. And one of the top passers in franchise history believes the pairing works on all levels.“When you look at the Jets’ situation, they are in a perfect scenario,” said Chad Pennington during the latest installment of his self-named podcast. “I think the organization needs to understand what they have in Ryan Fitzpatrick, the stability he brought to the organization in a time during training camp that the situation could have gone completely south.”

Fitzpatrick, who broke his leg last December and was acquired in a trade from Houston last March, gradually had his workload ramped up and took over the team’s starting position in the second week of training camp. He went on to lead the Jets to a 10-6 mark while establishing a franchise-high/career-best with 31 TDs, adding a personal-best 3,905 yards passing and leading an offense that set a franchise mark with 5,925 yards.“To go out and test the market – yeah he can find more money probably somewhere else. But I think he really wants to look at - and if I were him I would - look at the situation I’m in to be successful,” Pennington said.After eight seasons with the Jets, Pennington recalls signing with the Dolphins in 2008. Bill Parcells, who drafted Pennington with the 18^th overall pick in 2000 when he was director of football operations for the Jets, was the Dolphins’ vice president at the time.

“It was similar to when I went to Miami,” Pennington said of Fitzpatrick’s current scenario. “Bill Parcells was very up front with me and said, ‘Look, we have a young quarterback who we believe can be our future. We want you to come in, hold down the fort, teach him, do what you do as a veteran and let’s see what happens.’ Very up front with me about that and I trusted that and it worked out. So I think that’s the situation that Fitz is in.”While Fitzpatrick already has a prolific year under his belt with the Jets, Pennington was starting anew in South Florida. But both synced up with respected play-callers in Chan Gailey and Dan Henning respectively. And while the Dolphins had just drafted Chad Henne in 2008, the Jets have a pair of young signal callers on their roster in Geno Smith (25) and Bryce Petty (24).

“I think you’re in a good situation where you have two young quarterbacks that you can continue to take another year to get a feel for and then be able to move on while you still have a Ryan Fitzpatrick there,” Pennington said.

>     http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/Pennington-Jets-Have-Perfect-Scenario-at-QB/4d892766-d9f3-4c1c-adc3-087939a9181c

[#27TheDominator]

Fitzpatrick, who broke his leg last December and was acquired in a trade from Houston last March, gradually had his workload ramped up and took over the team’s starting position in the second week of training camp.

>     http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/Pennington-Jets-Have-Perfect-Scenario-at-QB/4d892766-d9f3-4c1c-adc3-087939a9181c

I know it is a fight that has been beaten to death and isn't currently happening, but how long was it that Geno "outplaying" him?

[bostonmajet]

This is a rare situation where the QB is the right fit for the team and the team is one of the few right fits for the QB.  Fitz has been around the league enought to know his real value and that the Jets are the best situation for him to start and to succeed (especially with Gailey).  I am hopeful the 2 sides can work out a fair deal.

[kelly]

Reviewing the New York Jets' 2015 season, position-by-position:

Position: Quarterback

Overall grade: B

Individual grades: Ryan Fitzpatrick B+, Geno Smith C, Bryce Petty Incomplete.

Summary: For the first time since 2008, the quarterback play didn’t weigh down the rest of the team. The Jets were able to run a balanced offense, playing to win instead of playing not to lose. By early December, Fitzpatrick had become the focal point, the catalyst, not just a game manager. He set the team record with 31 touchdown passes and orchestrated three fourth-quarter/overtime wins in the last five games. He played poorly in only four games; unfortunately for the Jets, one of them came in the finale. He finished 0-2 against the Buffalo Bills and 10-3 against the rest of the league (not counting his injury-shortened outing against the Oakland Raiders).Fitzpatrick's passer rating (88.0) was the highest by a Jets quarterback since Chad Pennington (91.0) in 2004. He performed well enough to a warrant a nice raise and first dibs on the starting job next season. ... Smith’s season was effectively over on Aug. 11, when his jaw was broken by IK Enemkpali. He was rusty and uneven in his only outing. ... This was a red-shirt year for Petty, who will compete for the No. 2 job next season.

Noteworthy number: 8 -- the number of fourth-quarter interceptions by Fitzpatrick, tied with Ben Roethlisberger for the league lead. Three, of course, came in the final quarter of the final game.

Playing-time percentages (based on 1,114 snaps): Fitzpatrick 94, Smith 6, Petty 0.

PT analysis: When Fitzpatrick reached the 75-percent threshold, it changed the compensation in the Jets’ trade with the Houston Texans. It went from a seventh-round pick to a sixth-rounder in the upcoming draft. To paraphrase general manager Mike Maccagnan, a former economics major who looks at player acquisitions through the same lens, the Jets got a great return on their investment.

>      http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57905/jets-enjoy-best-quarterback-season-in-more-than-a-decade

[kelly]

To make the jump from an almost-playoff team to a legitimate contender, the New York Jets need more quality players, according to Joe Namath. That's a pretty obvious statement, but the legendary quarterback got into specifics with regard to one current player, saying Ryan Fitzpatrick needs to improve his accuracy.

"He had a nice year, no doubt," Namath said on ESPN New York 98.7. "Fitz, he's as wily a quarterback out there, better than most when it comes to that. If we can get his passing accuracy polished up a bit, they're going to be a contender. He needs to improve his accuracy a bit as a passer."

He's right about that. Fitzpatrick completed only 59.6 percent of his passes, which ranked 29th in the league. Despite lagging behind in that area, he still managed to win 10 games and set a team record for most touchdown passes (31). He also came within 103 yards of breaking Namath's record for most passing yards in a season (4,007).

Namath, never shy about sharing his opinions about the Jets,praised general manager Mike Maccagnan for upgrading the talent level in his first year on the job."They didn't play their best in Buffalo, but Maccagnan has brought in some players that have made the team better," Namath said. "They just need some more players in a few different spots to be a serious playoff team."

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/57950/jets-legend-joe-namath-says-ryan-fitzpatrick-must-polish-his-accuracy