QB dept. : ..jets did homework ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

Christian Hackenberg has regressed from a quarterback projected in September 2014 by some folks as a possible No. 1 overall pick in this NFL Draft to disparaged by some much more recently as not worth drafting at all.

He has taken steps back for reasons we've discussed ad nauseam. Well, actually some people obsessed more with metrics and tape clips than actually watching whole games think there aren't any valid reasons. I've stated many times that Penn State's chronic offensive line dysfunction and an ill-suited coaching staff the last two years mean everything and have led to mistakes, bad footwork and subsequent inaccuracy that cannot be explained when taken out of their context.Some people who look at tape do not recognize that gradual regression because they have not been here to witness it in person and feel all the forces at work. They see only many individual gaffes for which they cannot rationalize.I can. I believe there's still a starting NFL quarterback locked inside Hackenberg. But I also believed he needed the right place and people around him to make that happen. There is maintenance to be done and anyone who must do it while in the NFL must be a very quick study. Hackenberg needed a little time and space.

In the New York Jets, he should get at least a little bit of that time and the right people to nurture his game back to health. It could have gone the other way very easily with any of 20 or more franchises. But Hackenberg was fortunate enough to land in a good situation for him in New York. I ranked the Jets as his fifth-best possible landing spot a couple of weeks ago. I'm not going to say if he can't make it there, he can't make it anywhere. But his draft by the Jets with the 51st overall pick on Friday night is going to give him a shot. In head coach Todd Bowles, the Jets have an accomplished defensive mind who pretty much leaves the ball-side scheming to low-ego, 64-year-old coordinator Chan Gailey, a two-time NFL head coach himself (Dallas, Buffao), though not an accomplished one.But, as an OC, Gailey has been very good with young and marginal quarterbacks, particularly rehab jobs. Ryan Fitzpatrick progressed last year under his tutelage after struggling at times with the Texans under Bill O'Brien. Granted, the Texans had a lot fewer weapons for Fitzpatrick to use than the Jets have. More on that in a minute.

Gailey also was the man behind the remarkable one-shot ascent of Kordell Stewart when the Steelers went to the AFC championship in 1997 under Bill Cowher. When Gailey left, Stewart's career imploded.There were also stints under Dave Wannstedt with the Dolphins and Herman Edwards with the Chiefs where Gailey was given extremely limited resources (Jay Fiedler in Miami, Tyler Thigpen in Kansas City).Farther back, Gailey was quarterback coach for a young John Elway under Dan Reaves with the Broncos in the late '80s, a tenure that didn't go well but also is so long ago it hardly matters.If you see a pattern here, it's that Gailey has almost always worked under defensive-minded head coaches and encouraged to run modest offenses. But he's adaptable. Since the Cowher days, he's jettisoned power ground stuff and run a rather basic spread offense where the O-line usually gets extra help in protection and the field stretches are mainly horizontal. Though it's not as much fun for the OC, that's not necessarily a bad thing for Hackenberg who won't be overloaded with endless super-genius variations as he might under an offensive-whiz head coach.

The QB coach is Kevin Patullo, a young 7-year NFL assistant who's worked extensively with Gailey at two prior stops in Kansas City and Buffalo.

About that weaponry: Hackenberg could not ask for a better squadron of disparate receivers who mesh together. In big, strong Brandon Marshall and 6-3 slot man Eric Decker, the Jets have a pair of proven Velcro guys with uncommon size. Put it in the area code and they go get it. In Ohio State grad Devin Smith, who under-performed last year then tore his ACL, they have a race car who can potentially stretch defenses if he comes around. The Jets spent the 37^th overall pick on him last year, so they expect him to.The offensive line performed very well a year ago – top 10 in both pass protection and run production – but there are some questions. It is getting old. Mainstay left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson retired three weeks ago. Seven-time Pro Bowler center Nick Mangold is graying. The Jets did not address those OL needs in the Draft on Thursday or Friday, taking outside linebackers Darron Lee (Ohio State) and Jordan Jenkins (Georgia) on either side of Hackenberg in the first and third rounds.And then there's the nagging concern of Fitzpatrick and his contract impasse. He's holding out of OTAs and reportedly has not been in contact with GM Mike Maccagnan in a couple of weeks.

Of course, that can only get Hackenberg and would-be back-up Bryce Petty more work in the meantime. And with Hackenberg's draft in round 2, it appears the Geno Smith Era is over.There is a reason the Jets believe in this pick. They have been interested in Hackenberg for a couple of years and clearly think they see something peripheral analysts do not. Maccagnan and director of college scouting Rex Hogan bothattended PSU's pro day in State College last month and, by all accounts, Hackenberg threw the hell out of the ball as they watched.What the Jets personnel saw presumably did not open their eyes but merely confirmed what they sensed was there all along. They've shown their faith. Now, it's Hackenberg's turn to validate it.

>     http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2016/04/nfl_draft_2016_jets_did_homewo.html

[kelly]

Two words describe the New York Jets' quarterback room right now: It's complicated.

If the season started tomorrow, 2015 pariah Geno Smith likely would be the team's starting quarterback. Then again, if Ryan Fitzpatrick finally re-signs -- as many believe he still will -- Smith would probably find himself out of a job entirely.As it stands, Smith is flanked by second-year project Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg, New York's surprise second-round draft pick. On Monday, general manager Mike Maccagnan expressed his preference to allow rookies to develop behind the scenes while leaving the door openfor special circumstances.

"With any player coming into the league, there's definitely a maturation process," Maccagnan told ESPN Radio, via the New York Daily News. "And it doesn't matter what position you play. I think quarterbacks are probably one of the harder positions to transition to the NFL. The reality of it is, though, is it's going to bedetermined by how he does."Maccagnan reiterated the team's desire to bring back Fitzpatrick. Maccagnan has been extremely measured in his approach with the veteran and believes he still has time on his side even as the Fitzpatrick contract stalemate rolls into its fifth month."Going forward, you always have contingency plans," Maccagnan said. "In the NFL, it's kind of like playing chess. At some point in time, you get down to where you run out of moves. We're not at that stage yet.

"Right now, Geno has been a starter for us, and actually played quite well prior to getting hurt last year, and was doing a good job in the offseason. So we're kind of excited to see what Geno can do, coming back. And we feel good about that."The Smith chatter feels like lip service from a GM who hopes he doesn't have to break the Geno emergency glass a year after IK Enemkpali broke Geno's jaw. In an ideal scenario, Fitzpatrick returns and plays at an effective level while Hackenberg learns theposition.The Jets don't historically traffic in "ideal scenarios" at the quarterback position, of course, but the hope is that Hackenberg will put a lot of the franchise's ghosts to bed.

>      http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000659532/article/jets-gm-keeps-door-open-for-hackenberg-debut-in-2016

[kelly]

Maccagnan: Plan for the QBs

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan talks about the drama on draft night on Thursday night with Tunsil, plus what the plan with Fitzpatrick and Hackenberg will be.

 

>     http://espn.go.com/espnradio/newyork/playPopup?id=15448555

[Copernicus]

I am so intrigued by this pick. Credit to Mac for having the guts to make Hackenberg the selection knowing it would be highly criticized 

[kelly]

New Yorkers are always in a hurry. We sneer at people who stop on the sidewalk, we want the check now, we honk all the time ...

And we rush our young quarterbacks.

The New York Jets did it in 2009 with Mark Sanchez and they did it again in 2013 with Geno Smith, throwing both players into the fire as rookies even though they weren't ready. They took a slow and easy approach last year withBryce Petty, but the situation was different than the others because he was only a fourth-round pick.

Now there's Christian Hackenberg.

General manager Mike Maccagnan answers in riddles whenever he's asked about the possibility of playing the second-round pick as a rookie. He won't dismiss it, but he also says it's not the ideal option "in a perfect world."

News flash : The Jets don't live in a perfect world, especially at the quarterback position.

Double talk aside, we all know there's only one choice for the Jets: Let the kid sit for a year. It's the best decision for the team, an older group of win-now players, and it's the best decision for Hackenberg, whose psyche and mechanics need to be re-calibrated after two mentally and physically taxing seasons at Penn State."I don't think he's ready to play right away," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr., said Monday on a conference call with reporters. "I think he needs time. Hopefully, he's not forced to be the guy, or he's going to be a bust. IF they handle him properly, manage him properly, I think he's got a chance three years down the road to surface. If they're forcing Christian Hackenberg to right away be a factor at quarterback, they're barking up the wrong tree."

Presumably, Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles know this. They have to know it would be a terrible idea to put Hackenberg on the fast track, but they can't say it because they want to maintain a competitive environment. They also don't want to say anything that could hurt their bargaining position with Ryan Fitzpatrick or tip their hand with regard to future plans for Smith, who could be trade bait at some point. The sensitive and fluid nature of the quarterback position has prompted team officials to stay neutral, understandably so.

For now, they need to get Hackenberg in Chan Gailey's classroom and the let the learning (and fixing) begin. This will be a fascinating study on so many levels."He was one of the most difficult evaluations in the entire draft because there are so many flashes of greatness and there are so many flashes of concern when it comes to his accuracy," ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said. "To me, it's worth a shot because of the importance of that position. Chan Gailey has a lot of work to do, but there's clay to be molded."

Back in '09, Sanchez struggled mightily, but the Jets made the playoffs because it had a strong and seasoned cast around him. Smith would've been better off sitting in '13, but he was thrust into the lineup because Sanchez got hurt. He needed time, and the Jets didn't have it.

The current situation is better for a young quarterback, and it'll improve if Fitzpatrick returns. That would reduce the temptation to play Hackenberg. If Fitzpatrick doesn't come back, they need to add a veteran insurance policy for the same reason. Patience is critical. Previous regimes didn't have it, and it probably hurt player development."It's a good pick; I just hope they don't force Hackenberg to really try to compete," Kiper said. "You want to right the ship, you want to re-create what we saw as a freshman with Hackenberg. If they allow him some time, I think they'll be in good shape and maybe have their quarterback of the not-too-distant future."

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60197/advice-to-jets-dont-rush-christian-hackenberg-or-youll-be-sorry
 

[kelly]

Back 2 Campus : Christian Hackenberg

Former NFL Fullback and Penn State Alumnus Michael Robinson Returns to Happy Valley to Talk with Jets New Quarterback

 

video..

>   http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Back-2-Campus-Christian-Hackenberg-/ec4422e3-ae2e-4605-88c4-fdecc888c94e

[kelly]

Two's company. Three's a crowd. Four?

That would be so Jets.

General manager Mike Maccagnan, commenting on the New York Jets' potentially-crowded quarterback situation, said Tuesday they have discussed the possibility of going into the regular season with four quarterbacks on the roster.

That's assuming they add a fourth. Right now, they have Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg. They hope to re-sign starter Ryan Fitzpatrick."In a perfect world, I think if it's in the best interest of the team at the end of training camp that we carry four quarterbacks, then we carry four quarterbacks," Maccagnan said on WFAN radio. "It's not unprecedented in the NFL. It's been done before. To me, it's a position where you have to take some time to really invest, grow, and develop players."

He's right, it has been done before, but it's unconventional. The last team to open the season with four quarterbacks was the Washington Redskins in 2013, according to ESPN Stats & Information. They had Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Rex Grossman and Pat White. That year, the Minnesota Vikings had Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel and McLeod Bethel-Thompson, plus quarterback-turned-receiver Joe Webb.If there's a franchise familiar with a crowded quarterback room, it's the Jets. Since 2001, they opened three different seasons with four quarterbacks. Let's take a trip down memory lane.

2009: Mark Sanchez, Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge, Kevin O'Connell.

2008: Brett Favre, Kellen Clemens, Erik Ainge, Brett Ratliff.

2003: Vinny Testaverde, Chad Pennington, Brooks Bollinger, Marquel Blackwell.

As for this year, Maccagnan is answering quarterback questions the way you'd expect.It's good business to say they want to keep all four because it helps their bargaining position in case they decide to trade one."We like the idea of having Fitz, in a perfect world, back here in the organization with Geno and our young two quarterbacks," he said.

Prepare for a lot of quarterback chatter over the next few months.

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60205/four-jets-gm-not-opposed-to-keeping-a-quarterback-quartet

[kelly]

One of the more polarizing prospects in this year’s NFL draft was quarterback Christian Hackenberg, a once extremely promising prospect that’s career trended downward after Bill O’Brien left Penn State.With the Jets taking Hackenberg in round two, he could very well be the future of the franchise. At least that’s what you have probably heard everywhere. So how can he get there? Here’s the development process of a talented player that needs to be completely rebuilt.

>     http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2016/05/03/christian-hackenberg-rebuilding-a-once-very-promising-quarterback/

[Adoni Beast]

On May 3, 2016 at 10:57 AM, Copernicus said:

I am so intrigued by this pick. Credit to Mac for having the guts to make Hackenberg the selection knowing it would be highly criticized 

Unless you're terrible and terribly lucky that you were terrible when the stars aligned like the Colts were how they landed Manning and Luck, you have to find other avenues to get your franchise guy.

You can try and trade up for someone you believe in (Mac tried), but usually if its a slam dunk pick at QB, the other team isn't going to trade it away.

You can try and patiently groom and develop a mid round pick (like Brady, Wilson, Romo) we're in the process of that now with Petty.

Or as in our case, are lucky enough to have someone who was once considered a #1 pick but fell because he was a polarizing player that had an greater element of risk than teams are comfortable with using a first round pick on. (Rodgers). 

I like that Mac is truly trying to find our guy. Re-sign Fitz and we have a good system here for Quarterback development:

-Smart hold-the-fort guy who can mentor.

- High draft pick, super talented backup waiting in the wings.

-Mid round pick with talent that team is comfortable waiting a few years to see if he'll be a good back up or potential starter.

When was the last time we had anything like this where all 3 weren't complete jokes?

[kelly]

Maccagnan mum on whether he talked to O’Brien about Hackenberg

The Jets surprised many by making quarterbackChristian Hackenberg a second-round draft pick and, in turn, the presumptive eventual starter. Hackenberg became attractive to NFL teams from the moment he showed as a true freshman at Penn State that he could run coach Bill O’Brien’s complex, pro-style offense.

Of course, regression during 2014 and 2015 made Hackenberg less attractive in the draft. But he still did enough in one year with O’Brien to become a second-round draft pick.Making New York’s decision to draft Hackenberg more intriguing is the connection between O’Brien and Jets G.M. Mike Maccagnan. The two men spent a season together in Houston. So how much did Maccagnan rely on O’Brien in formulating an opinion on Hackenberg?

During a Thursday visit to PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio, Maccagnan declined to delve into those details regarding the homework performed on Hackenberg. (And, perhaps, all that that implies.)As one league insider said regarding the Maccagnan-Hackenberg connection, “A good scout like Maccagnan would have talked with O’Brien a lot [about Hackenberg] when they actually worked together, not after leaving Houston.”

It’s a great point. And if that’s what Maccagnan did, he already knew what O’Brien thought of Hackenberg long before the player landed on the Jets’ radar screen.Of course, if O’Brien regarded Hackenberg as a potential franchise quarterback, the Texans could have drafted him instead of paying $18 million per year to Brock Osweiler. That assumes, however, that it was O’Brien’s decision to pay Osweiler instead of hoping to land Hackenberg.

>         http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/05/05/maccagnan-mum-on-whether-he-talked-to-obrien-about-hackenberg/

[Bruce Harper]

15 minutes ago, kelly said:

Maccagnan mum on whether he talked to O’Brien about Hackenberg

The Jets surprised many by making quarterbackChristian Hackenberg a second-round draft pick and, in turn, the presumptive eventual starter. Hackenberg became attractive to NFL teams from the moment he showed as a true freshman at Penn State that he could run coach Bill O’Brien’s complex, pro-style offense.

Of course, regression during 2014 and 2015 made Hackenberg less attractive in the draft. But he still did enough in one year with O’Brien to become a second-round draft pick.Making New York’s decision to draft Hackenberg more intriguing is the connection between O’Brien and Jets G.M. Mike Maccagnan. The two men spent a season together in Houston. So how much did Maccagnan rely on O’Brien in formulating an opinion on Hackenberg?

During a Thursday visit to PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio, Maccagnan declined to delve into those details regarding the homework performed on Hackenberg. (And, perhaps, all that that implies.)As one league insider said regarding the Maccagnan-Hackenberg connection, “A good scout like Maccagnan would have talked with O’Brien a lot [about Hackenberg] when they actually worked together, not after leaving Houston.”

It’s a great point. And if that’s what Maccagnan did, he already knew what O’Brien thought of Hackenberg long before the player landed on the Jets’ radar screen.Of course, if O’Brien regarded Hackenberg as a potential franchise quarterback, the Texans could have drafted him instead of paying $18 million per year to Brock Osweiler. That assumes, however, that it was O’Brien’s decision to pay Osweiler instead of hoping to land Hackenberg.

>         http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/05/05/maccagnan-mum-on-whether-he-talked-to-obrien-about-hackenberg/

I would bet that it was not O'Brien's decision to throw all that money at Osweiler and I think I heard somewhere that it was the owner's call.

[Beerfish]

Yeah, Jets did their homework

 

[section314]

1 hour ago, Beerfish said:

Yeah, Jets did their homework

 

This reminds me of the Litte Rascals episode where they give Miss Crabtree all the wise guy history answers. 

[southparkcpa]

1 hour ago, section314 said:

This reminds me of the Litte Rascals episode where they give Miss Crabtree all the wise guy history answers. 

1st in war, 1st in peace, and 3rd in the American League. ?

[section314]

2 minutes ago, southparkcpa said:

1st in war, 1st in peace, and 3rd in the American League. ?

 What did Paul Revere say at the end of his midnight run?   Whoa.

[jack48]

On May 3, 2016 at 9:39 AM, kelly said:

Christian Hackenberg has regressed from a quarterback projected in September 2014 by some folks as a possible No. 1 overall pick in this NFL Draft to disparaged by some much more recently as not worth drafting at all.

He has taken steps back for reasons we've discussed ad nauseam. Well, actually some people obsessed more with metrics and tape clips than actually watching whole games think there aren't any valid reasons. I've stated many times that Penn State's chronic offensive line dysfunction and an ill-suited coaching staff the last two years mean everything and have led to mistakes, bad footwork and subsequent inaccuracy that cannot be explained when taken out of their context.Some people who look at tape do not recognize that gradual regression because they have not been here to witness it in person and feel all the forces at work. They see only many individual gaffes for which they cannot rationalize.I can. I believe there's still a starting NFL quarterback locked inside Hackenberg. But I also believed he needed the right place and people around him to make that happen. There is maintenance to be done and anyone who must do it while in the NFL must be a very quick study. Hackenberg needed a little time and space.

In the New York Jets, he should get at least a little bit of that time and the right people to nurture his game back to health. It could have gone the other way very easily with any of 20 or more franchises. But Hackenberg was fortunate enough to land in a good situation for him in New York. I ranked the Jets as his fifth-best possible landing spot a couple of weeks ago. I'm not going to say if he can't make it there, he can't make it anywhere. But his draft by the Jets with the 51st overall pick on Friday night is going to give him a shot. In head coach Todd Bowles, the Jets have an accomplished defensive mind who pretty much leaves the ball-side scheming to low-ego, 64-year-old coordinator Chan Gailey, a two-time NFL head coach himself (Dallas, Buffao), though not an accomplished one.But, as an OC, Gailey has been very good with young and marginal quarterbacks, particularly rehab jobs. Ryan Fitzpatrick progressed last year under his tutelage after struggling at times with the Texans under Bill O'Brien. Granted, the Texans had a lot fewer weapons for Fitzpatrick to use than the Jets have. More on that in a minute.

Gailey also was the man behind the remarkable one-shot ascent of Kordell Stewart when the Steelers went to the AFC championship in 1997 under Bill Cowher. When Gailey left, Stewart's career imploded.There were also stints under Dave Wannstedt with the Dolphins and Herman Edwards with the Chiefs where Gailey was given extremely limited resources (Jay Fiedler in Miami, Tyler Thigpen in Kansas City).Farther back, Gailey was quarterback coach for a young John Elway under Dan Reaves with the Broncos in the late '80s, a tenure that didn't go well but also is so long ago it hardly matters.If you see a pattern here, it's that Gailey has almost always worked under defensive-minded head coaches and encouraged to run modest offenses. But he's adaptable. Since the Cowher days, he's jettisoned power ground stuff and run a rather basic spread offense where the O-line usually gets extra help in protection and the field stretches are mainly horizontal. Though it's not as much fun for the OC, that's not necessarily a bad thing for Hackenberg who won't be overloaded with endless super-genius variations as he might under an offensive-whiz head coach.

The QB coach is Kevin Patullo, a young 7-year NFL assistant who's worked extensively with Gailey at two prior stops in Kansas City and Buffalo.

About that weaponry: Hackenberg could not ask for a better squadron of disparate receivers who mesh together. In big, strong Brandon Marshall and 6-3 slot man Eric Decker, the Jets have a pair of proven Velcro guys with uncommon size. Put it in the area code and they go get it. In Ohio State grad Devin Smith, who under-performed last year then tore his ACL, they have a race car who can potentially stretch defenses if he comes around. The Jets spent the 37^th overall pick on him last year, so they expect him to.The offensive line performed very well a year ago – top 10 in both pass protection and run production – but there are some questions. It is getting old. Mainstay left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson retired three weeks ago. Seven-time Pro Bowler center Nick Mangold is graying. The Jets did not address those OL needs in the Draft on Thursday or Friday, taking outside linebackers Darron Lee (Ohio State) and Jordan Jenkins (Georgia) on either side of Hackenberg in the first and third rounds.And then there's the nagging concern of Fitzpatrick and his contract impasse. He's holding out of OTAs and reportedly has not been in contact with GM Mike Maccagnan in a couple of weeks.

Of course, that can only get Hackenberg and would-be back-up Bryce Petty more work in the meantime. And with Hackenberg's draft in round 2, it appears the Geno Smith Era is over.There is a reason the Jets believe in this pick. They have been interested in Hackenberg for a couple of years and clearly think they see something peripheral analysts do not. Maccagnan and director of college scouting Rex Hogan bothattended PSU's pro day in State College last month and, by all accounts, Hackenberg threw the hell out of the ball as they watched.What the Jets personnel saw presumably did not open their eyes but merely confirmed what they sensed was there all along. They've shown their faith. Now, it's Hackenberg's turn to validate it.

>     http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2016/04/nfl_draft_2016_jets_did_homewo.html

The Geno Smith Era----has a nice ring to it, don't you think?  The Browning Nagle Era.  the Eric Ainge Era.  The Brook Bollinger Era........

[kelly]

The New York Jets begin their rookie minicamp on Friday, with the first of two practices open to the media. What we'll be looking for :

1. Hack attack : It's unusual for a second-day draft pick to overshadow a first-round choice, but that will be the case. No disrespect to linebacker Darron Lee, but second-round pick Christian Hackenberg will be the focal point. With no live pass rush, it's hard to get a good feel for a rookie quarterback, but keen eyes can pick up some things. In Hackenberg's case, his accuracy will be under scrutiny. At Penn State, he was only a 56-percent career passer, never reaching the 60-percent mark. All but one starter in the NFL reached 60 percent at least once in college; the lone exception is Tyrod Taylor, who came close at 59.7. For Hackenberg, who spent his last two seasons in a spread offense, minicamp marks the start of his transition into a pro-style system.

rest of above article  : 

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60237/qb-christian-hackenberg-set-to-make-jets-debut-at-rookie-minicamp

[Freemanm]

On May 3, 2016 at 9:39 AM, kelly said:

Christian Hackenberg has regressed from a quarterback projected in September 2014 by some folks as a possible No. 1 overall pick in this NFL Draft to disparaged by some much more recently as not worth drafting at all.

He has taken steps back for reasons we've discussed ad nauseam. Well, actually some people obsessed more with metrics and tape clips than actually watching whole games think there aren't any valid reasons. I've stated many times that Penn State's chronic offensive line dysfunction and an ill-suited coaching staff the last two years mean everything and have led to mistakes, bad footwork and subsequent inaccuracy that cannot be explained when taken out of their context.Some people who look at tape do not recognize that gradual regression because they have not been here to witness it in person and feel all the forces at work. They see only many individual gaffes for which they cannot rationalize.I can. I believe there's still a starting NFL quarterback locked inside Hackenberg. But I also believed he needed the right place and people around him to make that happen. There is maintenance to be done and anyone who must do it while in the NFL must be a very quick study. Hackenberg needed a little time and space.

In the New York Jets, he should get at least a little bit of that time and the right people to nurture his game back to health. It could have gone the other way very easily with any of 20 or more franchises. But Hackenberg was fortunate enough to land in a good situation for him in New York. I ranked the Jets as his fifth-best possible landing spot a couple of weeks ago. I'm not going to say if he can't make it there, he can't make it anywhere. But his draft by the Jets with the 51st overall pick on Friday night is going to give him a shot. In head coach Todd Bowles, the Jets have an accomplished defensive mind who pretty much leaves the ball-side scheming to low-ego, 64-year-old coordinator Chan Gailey, a two-time NFL head coach himself (Dallas, Buffao), though not an accomplished one.But, as an OC, Gailey has been very good with young and marginal quarterbacks, particularly rehab jobs. Ryan Fitzpatrick progressed last year under his tutelage after struggling at times with the Texans under Bill O'Brien. Granted, the Texans had a lot fewer weapons for Fitzpatrick to use than the Jets have. More on that in a minute.

Gailey also was the man behind the remarkable one-shot ascent of Kordell Stewart when the Steelers went to the AFC championship in 1997 under Bill Cowher. When Gailey left, Stewart's career imploded.There were also stints under Dave Wannstedt with the Dolphins and Herman Edwards with the Chiefs where Gailey was given extremely limited resources (Jay Fiedler in Miami, Tyler Thigpen in Kansas City).Farther back, Gailey was quarterback coach for a young John Elway under Dan Reaves with the Broncos in the late '80s, a tenure that didn't go well but also is so long ago it hardly matters.If you see a pattern here, it's that Gailey has almost always worked under defensive-minded head coaches and encouraged to run modest offenses. But he's adaptable. Since the Cowher days, he's jettisoned power ground stuff and run a rather basic spread offense where the O-line usually gets extra help in protection and the field stretches are mainly horizontal. Though it's not as much fun for the OC, that's not necessarily a bad thing for Hackenberg who won't be overloaded with endless super-genius variations as he might under an offensive-whiz head coach.

The QB coach is Kevin Patullo, a young 7-year NFL assistant who's worked extensively with Gailey at two prior stops in Kansas City and Buffalo.

About that weaponry: Hackenberg could not ask for a better squadron of disparate receivers who mesh together. In big, strong Brandon Marshall and 6-3 slot man Eric Decker, the Jets have a pair of proven Velcro guys with uncommon size. Put it in the area code and they go get it. In Ohio State grad Devin Smith, who under-performed last year then tore his ACL, they have a race car who can potentially stretch defenses if he comes around. The Jets spent the 37^th overall pick on him last year, so they expect him to.The offensive line performed very well a year ago – top 10 in both pass protection and run production – but there are some questions. It is getting old. Mainstay left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson retired three weeks ago. Seven-time Pro Bowler center Nick Mangold is graying. The Jets did not address those OL needs in the Draft on Thursday or Friday, taking outside linebackers Darron Lee (Ohio State) and Jordan Jenkins (Georgia) on either side of Hackenberg in the first and third rounds.And then there's the nagging concern of Fitzpatrick and his contract impasse. He's holding out of OTAs and reportedly has not been in contact with GM Mike Maccagnan in a couple of weeks.

Of course, that can only get Hackenberg and would-be back-up Bryce Petty more work in the meantime. And with Hackenberg's draft in round 2, it appears the Geno Smith Era is over.There is a reason the Jets believe in this pick. They have been interested in Hackenberg for a couple of years and clearly think they see something peripheral analysts do not. Maccagnan and director of college scouting Rex Hogan bothattended PSU's pro day in State College last month and, by all accounts, Hackenberg threw the hell out of the ball as they watched.What the Jets personnel saw presumably did not open their eyes but merely confirmed what they sensed was there all along. They've shown their faith. Now, it's Hackenberg's turn to validate it.

>     http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2016/04/nfl_draft_2016_jets_did_homewo.html

As I've stated before, the exact same argument can be made for Geno Smith in his first and second years in the league. When David Nelson and Jeremy Kerley are your receivers, and Zack Sudfeld your TE, you're not going to do well in the passing dept. many of his pics were thrown because he had absolutely no one to throw to and would try to force a pass. His head coach didn't know how to run an NFL offense and despised the very notion of having to do so. 

Smith the can still be good as the starter

[Augustiniak]

4 minutes ago, Freemanm said:

As I've stated before, the exact same argument can be made for Geno Smith in his first and second years in the league. When David Nelson and Jeremy Kerley are your receivers, and Zack Sudfeld your TE, you're not going to do well in the passing dept. many of his pics were thrown because he had absolutely no one to throw to and would try to force a pass. His head coach didn't know how to run an NFL offense and despised the very notion of having to do so. 

Smith the can still be good as the starter

geno was never good on the jets.  never.  hackenberg won big 10 freshman of the year, he was a stud.  so that's a key difference.  hack actually played well.

[kelly]

 -- On his first day working out in a New York Jetsuniform, second-round draft pick Christian Hackenberg found himself surrounded by a swarm of reporters and television cameras, but the former Penn State quarterback handled himself just fine."It's been good," Hackenberg said Friday of his early adjustment to New York and its media. "I'm just getting used to it. I'm sure I'll take my lumps here and there and learn a little bit, but it's been awesome."

Hackenberg, whom the Jets took with the 51st pick overall a week ago in the NFL draft, used the word "awesome" a lot in his 15-minute group interview on the first day of the Jets' rookie minicamp. On the field later, he had some hits and misses, but he did get to show off his strong arm a couple of times and Jets coach Todd Bowles was pleased with what he saw from him.

"It's a learning process for him," Bowles said. "He was fine."

Hackenberg, whose freshman year at Penn State was probably his best, played in a spread offense his last two seasons, and was criticized by many for being an inaccurate passer in college. There were many who thought the Jets drafted him too early, but Hackenberg said he isn't concerned about proving those critics wrong."I'm here right now, so for me, I don't think any of those guys are harder on me than I am," he said. "I hold myself to a pretty high standard. I know where I've got to get better, know what I've got to do, and that's kind of where I'm at with that. I'm here now -- my teammates, my coaches, myself."

In his first 11-on-11 action with the Jets, Hackenberg overthrew his first pass to a receiver who was tightly covered down the left sideline. Overall, he was 5-for-9 passing, was "sacked" once, and escaped one other "sack" in his first series. His highlight was a beautifully thrown, 50-yard bomb down the left sideline to undrafted wide receiver Quenton Brundage, who was tightly covered. Hackenberg spent much of his time during the 7-on-7s running for his life behind an offensive line that didn't exactly look like the Great Wall of China, but he did have another long completion to wide receiver Titus Davis, also down the left sideline.

Bowles said the Jets had criticisms of Hackenberg, but they saw enough in him to believe he will grow and learn and get better. As for what he needs to see from the quarterback in this three-day minicamp, Bowles said he doesn't need to see anything."You're just looking for him to learn the system and get acclimated," said Bowles, who added that the only reason he is having the rookies do on-field workouts in the minicamp is so Hackenberg can get reps. "You're not looking to see anything right now, because none of them know anything. Right now it's about teaching, to understand what we do and processing and then going out in a three-day span and seeing if they can maintain whatever they've learned in the meeting."

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60260/jets-rookie-qb-christian-hackenberg-gets-his-first-reps-at-minicamp

[kelly]

Eventually, Christian Hackenberg will be given the opportunity to be the Jets franchise quarterback.Meaning, essentially, he’ll be handed the reins to the offense, trotted out with the first team, and asked to lead New York to the promise land.That scenario was set in stone when the Jets used their second-round on him in this year’s draft. The only uncertainty now is when the “future” will become the “present.”

At least Hackenberg’s point of view, he’s not planning on rushing anything.“I’m just focused on [rookie minicamp], knocking this out and getting better,” Hackenberg said Friday.Since the Jets drafted Hackenberg, many within the organization have been grilled quite a bit on when the team would be handed over to the Penn State product. To this point, most said by the brain trust of GM Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles could be filed under the “politically correct” category.

About the only headline-worthy or meaningful quote uttered was what wasn’t said– and that was neither man, Maccagnan or Bowles,ruling out Hackenberg starting in 2016. When given the chance to speak to the media for the first time on the first day of rookie minicamp, Hackenberg was pressed on when he feels he should become the starter. His answer? That’s not his call.“Ultimately, that’s not my decision,” Hackenberg said. “We have a little bit of time here before the season starts up, so I’m just really trying to hone in on some things and get used to the situation that we are in, get used to new situation I’m in, the new locker room, the new teammates and get acclimated.”

As things stand right now, Geno Smith— with Ryan Fitzpatrick still afree agent– is the Jets starting quarterback. When the team reports for voluntary offseason workouts in two weeks, he’ll be the one getting all of the first-team reps.Hackenberg, right now, is listed on the depth chart behind not just Smith, but also last year’s fourth-round pick Bryce Petty.One of the many ways Hackenberg can go from third-teamer to starter is by showing the Jets coaches he’s improved the flaws of his game. Coming out of college, Hackenberg was cited as a flawed quarterback in terms of both accuracy and decision making.

While there is no night-and-day fix for either of the two issues, Hackenberg believes the imperfections are easily buffed out.“I think it’s just trying to be as efficient as I can be and just trying to learn from the guys around me that have played a lot of games at this level,” Hackenberg said. “I’m just in Rookie Mini Camp, so there’s a lot more I have to learn and see that I have to get used to.“I’m confident in what I can do understanding that I have to get better in some areas and I have to get better in my own areas and I’m ready to focus on that and get in here and get to work with these guys.”Now, just because Jets fans may need to wait to see Hackenberg on the field, doesn’t mean they have to wonder about what quarterback they’ll be getting once he’s there.

When asked what New York faithful can expect, Hackenberg let all in :

“I’m just going to work as hard as I can, be the best teammate I can be, make plays when I have the opportunity to and hopefully be trustworthy,” Hackenberg said. “I’m going to know what I’m doing, know how to get things done.

>      http://jetswire.usatoday.com/2016/05/09/christian-hackenberg-not-rushing-to-become-jets-starter/
  

[Colgateman]

On May 5, 2016 at 3:31 PM, Beerfish said:

Yeah, Jets did their homework

 

Holy sh*t that's hilarious 

[kelly]

Heading into the draft, there were plenty of opinions offered about quarterback Christian Hackenberg.

They broke down into two general camps. One was that Hackenberg turned in two poor years at Penn State that provided little reason to believe he’d be a good NFL quarterback and the other was that Hackenberg’s poor play was a byproduct of bad teammates and a coaching change that left him in a system that didn’t fit his skills.

The Jets fell into the latter camp and picked Hackenberg with the 51st overall selection last Friday, something that Hackenberg called a “fresh start” this Friday. Hackenberg said he “kind of buried” criticism of his college performance, which he believes will help him be a better player in the NFL.“I think you’re defined by how you react to adversity and how you’re able to get back up,” Hackenberg said, via NJ.com. “So I think ultimately, having to go through that at a young age and doing it through college is only going to help me in the long run. That’s how I’ve compartmentalized that, and that’s how it’s really been a stepping stone for me moving forward. I think it’s only going to help.”

Hackenberg did have plenty of experience getting back up while at Penn State after being sacked more than 100 times and the pounding he took joined his inaccuracy as concerns from the less enthusiastic observers of his play. Those observations helped Hackenberg wind up with the Jets rather than any of the league’s other teams, but they won’t matter if Hackenberg is correct about how the future will play out.

>      http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/05/06/christian-hackenberg-college-struggles-made-me-better/

[kelly]

Christian Hackenberg won't have to answer any contract-related questions the next time he meets the media.

The second-round pick from Penn State signed his contract Thursday with theNew York Jets, the team announced. It's the standard deal for a player drafted in his slot, 51st overall -- a four-year contract for $4.66 million. It includes a $1.6 million signing bonus, and his cap charge for 2016 will be $847,000.

The Jets now have three quarterbacks under contract -- Hackenberg, Bryce Petty and Geno Smith. It'll be four if/when free-agent Ryan Fitzpatrick agrees to terms.

video & the rest of above article  : 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60354/jets-rookie-qb-christian-hackenberg-signs-his-first-contract

[kmnj]

just because you did your homework does not mean you will get a good grade for it-speaking of school elway took our gm to school and met him at the flagpole at 3pm and beat the crap out of him..

A hall of fame qb and a superbowl ring as a gm-he knew the deal and got Lynch-the Jets signed a guy NOBODY wanted and displayed tebowesque accuracy if tebow throw worse than he already does-Lynch barely every got sacked not because his line was good but due to his quick release and ability to move and see the pocket-our guy stood there like a deer in the headlights and was dropped faster than Tyson took out spinks

 

[Big Blocker]

Well, we can certainly all agree it will be interesting to see how Lynch develops, or not, in Denver.  I have a lot of respect for Elway as a GM, but at times he seems a bit of a gun slinger.  I was a bit surprised to see him take Lynch.  But then he seemed to reach an impasse looking at other options (imo he would have gone for Bradford if Philly was asking for less), and did not want to go with either Kaep or Fitz.  He knows Sanchez is mediocre.  Elway is also coming off a SB win, so he has a lot of good will with his fanbase.  I guess he thought it made sense for him to roll it with Lynch.

Still, he has to now show Lynch can be developed.  If he does develop, expect many to criticize Macc ESPECIALLY if Hackenberg does not.

[kmnj]

31 minutes ago, Big Blocker said:

Well, we can certainly all agree it will be interesting to see how Lynch develops, or not, in Denver.  I have a lot of respect for Elway as a GM, but at times he seems a bit of a gun slinger.  I was a bit surprised to see him take Lynch.  But then he seemed to reach an impasse looking at other options (imo he would have gone for Bradford if Philly was asking for less), and did not want to go with either Kaep or Fitz.  He knows Sanchez is mediocre.  Elway is also coming off a SB win, so he has a lot of good will with his fanbase.  I guess he thought it made sense for him to roll it with Lynch.

Still, he has to now show Lynch can be developed.  If he does develop, expect many to criticize Macc ESPECIALLY if Hackenberg does not.

his team had a nice run capped off by a superbowl ring as a gm-some argue he just  through money at FAs but he brought in the right ones and let others go as well-he knows qbs having played the position and having won a superbowl as a gm-his credentials are beyond dispute but yet some act like he knows nothing. What cant be disputed is a hall of fame qb and a superbowl winning gm traded up for the guy we should have drafted-he certainly wanted no part of our draft pick. I sadly believe Elway knows best and our gm(who has made some great FA signings and is light years ahead of our last gm ) really missed to boat on this one.

 

 

[Big Blocker]

11 minutes ago, kmnj said:

his team had a nice run capped off by a superbowl ring as a gm-some argue he just  through money at FAs but he brought in the right ones and let others go as well-he knows qbs having played the position and having won a superbowl as a gm-his credentials are beyond dispute but yet some act like he knows nothing. What cant be disputed is a hall of fame qb and a superbowl winning gm traded up for the guy we should have drafted-he certainly wanted no part of our draft pick. I sadly believe Elway knows best and our gm(who has made some great FA signings and is light years ahead of our last gm ) really missed to boat on this one.

 

 

I have a lot of respect for Elway, but that doesn't mean he made the right move picking Lynch.  As I said before we shall see how he does with this pick.  I don't recall the last time Denver picked a Qb in the first round, this one being a very low one, but still.  It is very interesting...

[kelly]

Rich CiminiESPN Staff Writer 

Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey spoke highly of rookie QB Christian Hackenberg. "He's smart, he's got a good arm and he has handled offenses completely before. He's a very sharp young man, very sharp." Gailey also said Geno Smith and Bryce Petty have made great strides over the past year.

 

> http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kmnj]

yeah he wont badmouth him now and gailey will probably be gone 2-3 years from now when our tebowesque accuracy qb is labeled a complete bust-they can hang his jersey next to browning nagels

 

 

[Big Blocker]

No predictions here on the likelihood Hackenberg will become an accurate NFL Qb.  But from all reports at least some percentage of his problems had to do with an OL that was not good at protection.    It is reasonable to think if the OL play improves, so will his accuracy.

[kelly]

Jets coach Todd Bowles did not need a journalism degree to figure out what reporters were interested in Monday morning at the charity golf tournament hosted by linebacker David Harris.

As Bowles walked past a group of reporters interviewing Harris, he poked his head in and asked a question: “Excuse me, sir, tell us about your quarterback situation,” Bowles said with a big laugh.Yep, the topic has not changed around the Jets in months. It is all about what is happening at quarterback. On Monday, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey spoke to reporters for the first time this offseason. He did not have much to say about the contract standoff between the team and free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick.

“I can’t worry about that stuff,” Gailey said before Harris’ golf tournament, which benefits the Give the Kids Hope Foundation. “I coach whoever walks in the door.”While Gailey did not have much to say about Fitzpatrick, he heaped some praise on Christian Hackenberg, the newest quarterback on the Jets. Gailey said Hackenberg, the team’s second-round pick, will benefit from playing his freshman season at Penn State under Bill O’Brien, now the head coach of the Texans.“He retained a great deal from the pro style of offense that Bill had,” Gailey said. “He’s ahead in that respect, but he’s behind in seeing what’s going to happen to him defensively in the NFL.”

Gailey was a big part of the Jets’ pre-draft evaluation of Hackenberg, and he said the quarterback has the smarts to play the position.“I think his intelligence, his decision-making,” Gailey said about what stood out about Hackenberg. “When he played in a pro-style offense as a freshman, he handled that extremely well. There were a lot of positives.”Hackenberg arrived to the Jets with a lot of skeptics. Gailey is trying to block out all the noise and just evaluate the player now.“You try not to predispose a guy to a certain … put him in a box, so to speak,” he said. “You try to make sure you keep an open mind and give him an opportunity to show what he can do. Every quarterback has their ups and downs. He’s not by himself in that respect. So, you’re looking at the potential. Mike [Maccagnan] and Todd thought that the potential was there. I think he’s got a great deal of potential.”

So when can Hackenberg be ready to play?

“If I had an answer to that, I’d be in high demand,” Gailey joked.

With Fitzpatrick still in limbo, Gailey is coaching Hackenberg, Geno Smith and Bryce Petty at the position. Petty, the team’s fourth-round pick in 2015, was diplomatic in his answers about the drafting of Hackenberg, though it does not bode well for what the team thinks of him.“It doesn’t affect me in the locker room as a teammate,” Petty said. “It doesn’t affect my preparation in this spring. It doesn’t affect any of that. For me, I’ve got to go out and prove that they made the right choice the year before and then whatever happens, happens.”

Gailey said Petty has made great strides in the last year. He also praised Smith, who sits atop the depth chart right now. Smith refused to speak to reporters Monday other than those employed by the Jets.“He’s learned so much in one year,” Gailey said of Smith. “The one game he played in last year, I thought he did very well. There’s always room for improvement, but I thought he did very well. I think he’s made giant steps, too. I think he’s right on track for where I’d like for him to be.”

>       http://nypost.com/2016/05/16/hackenberg-more-ready-than-you-think-jets-coordinator/

[kelly]

For most players in the NFL, it’s “what have you done for me lately?” But for Jets rookieChristian Hackenberg, they’re as concerned about what he did three years ago.Via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News, the Jets are hoping for the return of freshman-year-at-Penn-State Hackenberg, as opposed to the one who got progressively worse the following three seasons.

How much of that you pin on the departure of Bill O’Brien (and a lot of talent) after his first season and how much to pin on replacement James Franklin or Hackenberg himself depends on how desperate you are for a quarterback.But Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey clearly thinks Hackenberg can do the job.

“He retained a great deal from the pro-style of offense that Bill had,” Gailey said. “You can tell. Meetings, on the board, just stuff like that. Watching film. . . .

“I think that his intelligence, his decision-making when he played in a pro-style offense as a freshman, he handled that extremely well. There were a lot of positives in that.”Gailey referred to Hackenberg’s “potential” a number of times, and once they bring back Ryan Fitzpatrick, he’ll be able to settle in at a more comfortable pace. Until then, they need him to shake off three years of what appeared to be bad habits, and get back to the halcyon days of his youth — which weren’t really that long ago.

>       http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/05/17/jets-like-what-they-saw-from-christian-hackenberg-as-a-freshman/

[kelly]

When the New York Jets drafted quarterback Bryce Petty last year, they were quick to outline their plan for him, saying they wanted him to sit, watch and learn as a rookie. They have made no such declaration with Christian Hackenberg.

This doesn't mean they expect Hackenberg to be under center Sept. 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but Hackenberg is ahead of where Petty was a year ago. Why?The obvious reason is that Hackenberg was a second-round pick, so the Jets deemed him a better quarterback prospect than Petty, a fourth-round choice. The less obvious reason is that Hackenberg played one season in a pro-style offense at Penn State (2013, his freshman year), whereas Petty spent his entire college career in Baylor's no-huddle, spread offense.

Edge, Hackenberg.

"When he played in a pro-style offense as a freshman, he handled that extremely well," offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said Monday. "There were a lot of positives in there."There weren't as many positives in 2014 and 2015, as Hackenberg muddled his way through two mediocre years in James Franklin's spread offense with 28 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. A natural pocket passer, he wasn't a good fit in the spread, challenging NFL talent evaluators. The burning question: Can Hackenberg re-create the promise he showed as a freshman in Bill O'Brien's system?

Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan responded with a resounding "yes," looking beyond the game tape and drafting Hackenberg based on the belief that Gailey can re-invent the young quarterback.After spending time with him in the classroom, Gailey came to the conclusion that Hackenberg is capable of hitting the "delete" button on his last two seasons and can build on what he learned as a freshman.

"He retained a great deal from the pro-style offense that Bill had," Gailey said. "He's ahead (of Petty) is that respect, but he's behind in seeing what's going to happen to him defensively in the NFL."There's a huge difference between a pro-style offense and a spread, everything from footwork to reads to audibles. Let's just say a pro offense is more sophisticated than a spread, requiring a thinking man's quarterback.

Gailey was impressed with Hackenberg's intelligence and decision-making as a freshman. After that, O'Brien bolted for the Houston Texans and Hackenberg's supporting cast eroded, in part due to NCAA sanctions in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. His performance went south. Over the last two seasons, his Total QBR (43.0) was the fourth-lowest among quarterbacks in the Power-5 conferences, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

"Every quarterback has their ups and downs," Gailey said. "He's not by himself in that respect, so you're looking at the potential."

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60422/jets-want-qb-christian-hackenberg-to-play-like-a-freshman-again

[Mainejet]

I'm glad Mac drafted Hack. IMO, this is probably the lone bright spot in an otherwise sh*t draft. This season WILL go horribly wrong. It's just a matter of time.

But I'm most worried about how the Jets will act assuming it does go badly. I do not want Bowles or mac making any rash knee jerk reactions to a very bad season where they feel their jobs are on the line. Yes, their jobs will be on the line, but it's during these times that the CS needs wisdom the most. Thrusting Hack just to see what he can do and possibly light a fire is NOT the right approach.