Jets GM says he's 'excited to see' what Geno Smith can do if he's starting QB

[Integrity28]

2 minutes ago, Doggin94it said:

Goddamn, you too?  I thought the sarcasm would be obvious.  They didn't just take Garoppolo - they took Jacoby Brisset in the 3rd this year, Mallet in the 3rd in 2011, O'Connel in the 3rd in 2008, etc.

 

 

I read it too early. My bad.

[southparkcpa]

15 hours ago, bealeb319 said:

I was ready to see what Geno could do last season with Marshall. Hope he looks better than he did when he came in to play for Fitz when he got injured hope he was just rusty. I think he will look better than most are expecting especially if he can hit Devin Smith down the field.

You and I are almost the only fans on THIS page.   Geno was thrown under the bus and while he needs to grow the fukk up, he has an arm like no Jets QB since Vinny.

If he could control the ball and field better, we win 10 games.

[bealeb319]

You and I are almost the only fans on THIS page.   Geno was thrown under the bus and while he needs to grow the fukk up, he has an arm like no Jets QB since Vinny.

If he could control the ball and field better, we win 10 games.

The most important thing for him if he is going to be our starter will be to win over the locker room again. Fitz left some big shoes to fill.

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

[Doggin94it]

20 hours ago, slats said:

I get that people hate Geno, and let that hate get in the way of reality. QB is the premium position in the NFL, and Geno was a top prospect a short time ago, and has valuable starting experience. He absolutely will sign somewhere, for a lot more money than he's currently making, to be a backup/reclamation project. 

This.  You guys are way, way overboard on the Geno hate.  At worst he's a middle tier backup QB in the NFL (he has starting experience and upside), and he's only had all of 2 years of playing time.  The fact that he started before he should ever have (coming from the Air Raid, he should have had a redshirt season the way Wentz is about to - he didn't win that year's QB competition in TC and started only because of the Sanchez injury) makes it harder to look at his film and say, definitively, "this is who he is, forever, in the NFL"

Does that mean I want to count on him as my starting QB? Hell no.  But on that contract, and with that upside, he's as good of a backup as the Jets could expect to have this year, and he may end up as more

[flgreen]

13 minutes ago, southparkcpa said:

You and I are almost the only fans on THIS page.   Geno was thrown under the bus and while he needs to grow the fukk up, he has an arm like no Jets QB since Vinny.

If he could control the ball and field better, we win 10 games.

With the addition of Hackenberg smith probably has the 3rd strongest arm on the Jets.

 

1. Arm Strength

Maccagnan: "Bryce is a good athlete for his size, he’s got obviously very good size and stature. He has probably one of the strongest arms of all our quarterbacks in terms of his ability to throw the ball and physically make throws that other quarterbacks can’t make."

http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Mike-Maccagnan-on-Bryce-Pettys-Progress/c1f84b9b-8af9-410b-b5a8-06128eca2d54

[Warfish]

21 hours ago, slats said:

I get that people hate Geno, and let that hate get in the way of reality. QB is the premium position in the NFL, and Geno was a top prospect a short time ago, and has valuable starting experience. He absolutely will sign somewhere, for a lot more money than he's currently making, to be a backup/reclamation project. 

Why do people consistently confuse "have a poor evaluation/analysis" of a player, with "hate"?

Let me be very clear, I don't know Geno, I will never know Geno, and I don't care in any form about Geno the person, so I most certainly do not "hate" a person I do not know and never will.

What I have is an educated and informed analytical evaluation of Geno Smith based on two years of watching him play QB for the NY Jets, and one year as the backup QB for the New York Jets.     

The false-argument that some "hate" Geno is a weak attempt to paint criticism of him as being somehow emotional-based and irrational, and that, my friend, is bullsh*t.

Now, with that said.....

I agree with you, some team out there, maybe a Cleveland, maybe a San Francisco, who knows, will take a flier on Geno Smith after his time here ends, as a possible backup/reclamation project.  And he'll get pretty standard backup QB money, because he did have potential, he does have physical tools that can in theory still be developed, and his does have 16 or so games of starting NFL QB experience.  Like Mark Sanchez (very much like him) he will catch on somewhere as a #2, with an eye to seeing if he could ever be a #1 somewhere other than here.  On that point I fully agree.

[jetrider]

3 minutes ago, Warfish said:

What I have is an educated and informed analytical evaluation

  

[BowlesMovement]

Im pretty sure Mac means he is excited to see if Geno could possibly be a starting QB on another team that plays the Jets

[Sperm Edwards]

19 hours ago, BowlesMovement said:

I just think the fact that the Jets had Fitzpatrick play a week after his surgery instead of putting in Geno said a lot about what they think of him. If there was ever a time to put him in, it was then, and they didn't. I know everyone wants to poo poo his apparent lack of leadership skills because they are not a fantasy football stat, I think there is a there, there.

Geno was injured as well from the Oakland game. They were both injured, but both were to their non-throwing thumb/shoulder. Clearly they wanted to continue with Fitzpatrick if he was able to play, which he was. I think it also hurt the team because Fitz was forcing handoffs with his throwing hand (so he wouldn't fumble), but in the end we won the game without him further injuring himself so no harm no foul.

It also speaks to where they felt Petty was, even into November, since he was still inactive vs Jacksonville. Two injured (and therefore more fragile) QBs, against a weak defense, and he's still inactive. Before finally making both Fitz and Geno active, in case you forgot, they were considering bringing back Matt Flynn that week, or trading for another QB before the deadline.

[southparkcpa]

37 minutes ago, flgreen said:

With the addition of Hackenberg smith probably has the 3rd strongest arm on the Jets.

 

1. Arm Strength

Maccagnan: "Bryce is a good athlete for his size, he’s got obviously very good size and stature. He has probably one of the strongest arms of all our quarterbacks in terms of his ability to throw the ball and physically make throws that other quarterbacks can’t make."

http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Mike-Maccagnan-on-Bryce-Pettys-Progress/c1f84b9b-8af9-410b-b5a8-06128eca2d54

Until they take a snap.... Petty or Hack are NOT QB's on the NY JETS for  stats purposes.

[flgreen]

1 minute ago, southparkcpa said:

Until they take a snap.... Petty or Hack are NOT QB's on the NY JETS for  stats purposes.

I'm honestly not sure what that means.

Both petty and Hackenberg have very strong arms.  Even when they take a snap lol

[BowlesMovement]

4 minutes ago, Sperm Edwards said:

Geno was injured as well from the Oakland game. They were both injured, but both were to their non-throwing thumb/shoulder. Clearly they wanted to continue with Fitzpatrick if he was able to play, which he was. I think it also hurt the team because Fitz was forcing handoffs with his throwing hand (so he wouldn't fumble), but in the end we won the game without him further injuring himself so no harm no foul.

It also speaks to where they felt Petty was, even into November, since he was still inactive vs Jacksonville. Two injured (and therefore more fragile) QBs, against a weak defense, and he's still inactive. Before finally making both Fitz and Geno active, in case you forgot, they were considering bringing back Matt Flynn that week, or trading for another QB before the deadline.

I know you have always had a soft spot for Geno, but, they did not bring in Flynn, regardless of whether or not they considered it, and Smith was day to day following the Raiders game. They chose to put Fitz in a week after surgery on his hand, over Geno who was day to day a few weeks earlier. #endagendas

[Sperm Edwards]

34 minutes ago, BowlesMovement said:

I know you have always had a soft spot for Geno, but, they did not bring in Flynn, regardless of whether or not they considered it, and Smith was day to day following the Raiders game. They chose to put Fitz in a week after surgery on his hand, over Geno who was day to day a few weeks earlier. #endagendas

Has nothing to do with a soft spot for anyone. They both got injured in the same game. Before both got cleared, they were looking into other options 2 days after the Raiders game. In the end, they felt they didn't need to make such a move. 

I take for granted that a team would like to keep its starting QB in if it could. Frankly I think what's more damning, as to their opinion of Geno, isn't that they benched him the following week. Rather, it's that they benched him against a stupid-easy Jacksonville matchup on our home turf.

But with all that aside, the fact is Fitzpatrick was medically cleared to play. The only thing in question - according to Bowles - was whether or not Fitz was in too much pain to take a snap or hand off. It would seem Fitzpatrick said he was not in too much pain to play, so he started. Really, it's as simple as that. He didn't have Favre's broken right thumb or anything close to it.

[BowlesMovement]

1 minute ago, Sperm Edwards said:

Has nothing to do with a soft spot for anyone. They both got injured in the same game. Before both got cleared, they were looking into other options 2 days after the Raiders game. In the end, they felt they didn't need to make such a move. 

I take for granted that a team would like to keep its starting QB in if it could. Frankly I think what's more damning, as to their opinion of Geno, isn't that they benched him the following week. Rather, it's that they benched him against a stupid-easy Jacksonville matchup on our home turf.

But with all that aside, the fact is Fitzpatrick was medically cleared to play. The only thing in question - according to Bowles - was whether or not Fitz was in too much pain to take a snap or hand off. It would seem Fitzpatrick said he was not in too much pain to play, so he started. Really, it's as simple as that. He didn't have Favre's broken right thumb or anything close to it.

ehhh, you definitely have a soft spot for Geno, just like you did for Rex and Idzik. But hey, thats cool, we are all fans in the end.

[slats]

1 hour ago, Warfish said:

Why do people consistently confuse "have a poor evaluation/analysis" of a player, with "hate"?

Let me be very clear, I don't know Geno, I will never know Geno, and I don't care in any form about Geno the person, so I most certainly do not "hate" a person I do not know and never will.

What I have is an educated and informed analytical evaluation of Geno Smith based on two years of watching him play QB for the NY Jets, and one year as the backup QB for the New York Jets.     

The false-argument that some "hate" Geno is a weak attempt to paint criticism of him as being somehow emotional-based and irrational, and that, my friend, is bullsh*t.

Now, with that said.....

I agree with you, some team out there, maybe a Cleveland, maybe a San Francisco, who knows, will take a flier on Geno Smith after his time here ends, as a possible backup/reclamation project.  And he'll get pretty standard backup QB money, because he did have potential, he does have physical tools that can in theory still be developed, and his does have 16 or so games of starting NFL QB experience.  Like Mark Sanchez (very much like him) he will catch on somewhere as a #2, with an eye to seeing if he could ever be a #1 somewhere other than here.  On that point I fully agree.

Well, I guess you don't fall into the group of haters who have him bagging groceries or selling crack the moment he's let go by the Jets. Good for you! 

[Sperm Edwards]

1 minute ago, BowlesMovement said:

ehhh, you definitely have a soft spot for Geno, just like you did for Rex and Idzik. But hey, thats cool, we are all fans in the end.

I want the Jets to win, no more or less than that.

Regardless, the reason Fitzpatrick played is because he was the starter, he was medically cleared, and he wasn't in too much pain to play.  

[BowlesMovement]

Just now, Sperm Edwards said:

I want the Jets to win, no more or less than that.

Regardless, the reason Fitzpatrick played is because he was the starter, he was medically cleared, and he wasn't in too much pain to play.  

We all want the Jets to win, no more or no less, and you are a smart guy, and a very knowledgeable fan, but there is no doubt you go after certain players and FO's members for anything you can, and ignore equal or worse flaws on those you you like. You dig at Bowles and Mac every opportunity you can, and you even look for things to go after them about. 

Again, all cool, but it is what it is....

We can argue all day about the reason Fitz played, but I still think it was a huge inditement on what THEY think of Geno, but neither of us really knows the facts here.

[Doggin94it]

Why do people consistently confuse "have a poor evaluation/analysis" of a player, with "hate"?

Let me be very clear, I don't know Geno, I will never know Geno, and I don't care in any form about Geno the person, so I most certainly do not "hate" a person I do not know and never will.

What I have is an educated and informed analytical evaluation of Geno Smith based on two years of watching him play QB for the NY Jets, and one year as the backup QB for the New York Jets.     

The false-argument that some "hate" Geno is a weak attempt to paint criticism of him as being somehow emotional-based and irrational, and that, my friend, is bullsh*t.

Now, with that said.....

I agree with you, some team out there, maybe a Cleveland, maybe a San Francisco, who knows, will take a flier on Geno Smith after his time here ends, as a possible backup/reclamation project.  And he'll get pretty standard backup QB money, because he did have potential, he does have physical tools that can in theory still be developed, and his does have 16 or so games of starting NFL QB experience.  Like Mark Sanchez (very much like him) he will catch on somewhere as a #2, with an eye to seeing if he could ever be a #1 somewhere other than here.  On that point I fully agree.

Fish, absolutely. People who have that evaluation of Geno don't hate him. But they're also not suggesting that the Jets should cut him. Anyone who thinks that Gino at his 1.6 million dollar cap number needs to be cut isn't making that argument based on rational analysis.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[ylekram]

17 minutes ago, Doggin94it said:

Fish, absolutely. People who have that evaluation of Geno don't hate him. But they're also not suggesting that the Jets should cut him. Anyone who thinks that Gino at his 1.6 million dollar cap number needs to be cut isn't making that argument based on rational analysis.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

realistically, the only way I see geno getting cut or traded, is if they resign fitz and decide to only carry 3 qb's. however, I don't see that happening. this is the year they carry 4 qb's(if fitz is resigned). you are right, love geno or hate him, his small salary and starting experience make him at least a decent backup.

[Sperm Edwards]

34 minutes ago, BowlesMovement said:

We all want the Jets to win, no more or no less, and you are a smart guy, and a very knowledgeable fan, but there is no doubt you go after certain players and FO's members for anything you can, and ignore equal or worse flaws on those you you like. You dig at Bowles and Mac every opportunity you can, and you even look for things to go after them about. 

Again, all cool, but it is what it is....

We can argue all day about the reason Fitz played, but I still think it was a huge inditement on what THEY think of Geno, but neither of us really knows the facts here.

You're really ignoring a whole mess of digs I've taken against those "soft spot" Jets because it's not something that would annoy you. Also being honest about myself, lots of times I take an viewpoint contrary to the more prevalent one, or that's clearly hypocritical (excusing one but not the other), because it's simply more entertaining for me. I do have "Penis" as my user title, you know. And you don't see me in agreement with as many of those, "Yes I, too, agree with everybody" sentiments as often because (1) it's boring; and (2) there's little to add when everything's already been said and there's no controversy.

The GMs I was admittedly totally soft on initially were Tannenbaum's first season and Idzik's first season, because I felt those were kind of no-win situations and they did some things I agreed with. And because the loudest critics against were so obnoxiously repetitive it probably made me more sympathetic than I otherwise would have been. Further - like many with Bowles and Maccagnan now - there's the optimism any clean slate brings. When a GM pisses away draft picks and/or cap room unnecessarily, and see it hamper the team so soon afterward, I do call them all out on it. A lot of it stems from that angle, because I used to track that area pretty closely. So if Idzik gets a 1st rounder for Revis, instead of having him count nearly $20M on the Jets cap by tearing up his deal, I like it. When he kept whiffing on FAs (the ones whose wife wasn't dead set on moving to NYC) and then wasting millions and draft picks on Kerley & Harvin after the season was over, and then rambled incoherently for 20 minutes in a press conference, I didn't think so highly of him. When we pick up Fitz on a friendly deal, it's a no-brainer to like him; when there's talk of paying him 8-figures per season on a multi-year deal I think it's absurd. Or further, when easy circumstances are equated with difficult ones. Year 1 what could Idzik really do as a GM (other than draft well)? Year 1 after hoarding cap space and whiffing in the draft before him, anyone Macc picked up was hailed as great, when in reality his 1st year job was pretty easy in comparison.

A lot of it is because the league is generally so QB-driven, I see facepalm-worthy stuff when another GM uses up future resources to build a win-now team around an unready or unworthy QB. Now the other side of that is Maccagnan is clearly a superior scout of college talent than his 2 prior predecessors. But why do I need to reiterate that -- just to show I can restate the obvious that is already said or to look "even"? The only time I do that is when I get more emotional (negatively) about a player/coach/GM, even if it's been restated plenty (e.g. Sanchez sucks, just like you with Geno). But once they're off the team I don't usually jump into threads about them anymore. Whether it's Sanchez, Rex, Idzik, whoever. I'd have to be in a special mood to bother commenting about them now (like commenting about Sanchez a week or two ago was probably my first time getting into it about him in a couple of years, despite his name still coming up a lot).

[Sperm Edwards]

@BowlesMovement

back on to what brought this up, I'm going by what Bowles said himself: in that instance, the only thing that would have kept his medically-cleared starting QB out of the game is if he was in too much pain to take a snap or to hand the ball off. 

I have little doubt the decision wouldn't have been as easy for Bowles if Geno didn't brainfart on a couple of 2nd half plays, and had they won the Oakland game. Nether happened, so I don't think it was much of a decision.

[Warfish]

48 minutes ago, Doggin94it said:

Anyone who thinks that Gino at his 1.6 million dollar cap number needs to be cut isn't making that argument based on rational analysis.

I most certainly would not cut Geno Smith now, no.  

But in a circumstance where Fitz is resigned, I would certainly consider it.  I see Petty/Hack as the likely future of the franchise at QB, #1/#2 however it plays out.  I don't see a future here for Geno Smith beyond 2016, so if Macc feels we must have Fitz to start/mentor, and we have Hack & Petty to backup and develop, I'd have no concerns cutting Geno Smith.  Worst case, Petty replaces Fitz if Fitz goes down (and the season is likely lost) and we see if Petty has a future here.

[kmnj]

I am not a geno guy but he never had a chance to play with legit wrs-he was throwing to nelson and chazz as his top wrs for a while. The jet staff liked him over fitz too until he got knocked out by his own teammate.

 

[kmnj]

27 minutes ago, Warfish said:

I most certainly would not cut Geno Smith now, no.  

But in a circumstance where Fitz is resigned, I would certainly consider it.  I see Petty/Hack as the likely future of the franchise at QB, #1/#2 however it plays out.  I don't see a future here for Geno Smith beyond 2016, so if Macc feels we must have Fitz to start/mentor, and we have Hack & Petty to backup and develop, I'd have no concerns cutting Geno Smith.  Worst case, Petty replaces Fitz if Fitz goes down (and the season is likely lost) and we see if Petty has a future here.

geno is better than both of them and it is not close-Hack was a bust in college and will be a bust with the jets-he will be like todd blackledge at best

 

[Warfish]

15 minutes ago, kmnj said:

geno is better than both of them and it is not close-Hack was a bust in college and will be a bust with the jets-he will be like todd blackledge at best

So?  Geno has no future here, so his minimal level of superiority vs. a rookie and a developmental 2nd year is irrelevant.

You keep the starter (Fitz) and two players who might have potential/future here, you do not keep the bust on the last year of his contract.

With that said, I would not be surprised if Macc signed Fitz, that he keeps Geno and Hack, and cuts Petty.

Only Macc and Bowles really know if they see Petty as "potential" or have already dismissed him as a wasted pick.

[CrazyCarl40]

21 minutes ago, kmnj said:

I am not a geno guy but he never had a chance to play with legit wrs-he was throwing to nelson and chazz as his top wrs for a while. The jet staff liked him over fitz too until he got knocked out by his own teammate.

Actually, in his second season he was throwing to Eric Decker, Percin Harvin, Jeremy Kerley, and Jace Amaro with Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson behind him. He was replaced by Michael Vick for poor performance.

[kmnj]

1 hour ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Actually, in his second season he was throwing to Eric Decker, Percin Harvin, Jeremy Kerley, and Jace Amaro with Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson behind him. He was replaced by Michael Vick for poor performance.

decker had a bad hammy and was out or a decoy for a while-when they got harvin(who he did not have for a good part of the season) -geno had some solid games

kerley is a jag and so is amaro and both got hurt

 

for a few weeks his top guys were chaz and nelson and when kerley was given a shot he failed something awful

 

 

[CrazyCarl40]

2 minutes ago, kmnj said:

ecker had a bad hammy and was out or a decoy for a while-when they got harvin(who he did not have for a good part of the season) -geno had some solid games

kerley is a jag and so is amaro and both got hurt

for a few weeks his top guys were chaz and nelson and when kerley was given a shot he failed something awful

Eric Decker had 6 more catches in 2015 than he did in 2014. So, what's your point?

Geno had one solid game in 2014. That was a throwaway Week 17 game against a Dolphins team that didn't care. It inspired so much confidence that they drafted Bryce Petty and traded for Fitzpatrick.

[Jet Nut]

4 hours ago, Warfish said:

Why do people consistently confuse "have a poor evaluation/analysis" of a player, with "hate"?

Let me be very clear, I don't know Geno, I will never know Geno, and I don't care in any form about Geno the person, so I most certainly do not "hate" a person I do not know and never will.

What I have is an educated and informed analytical evaluation of Geno Smith based on two years of watching him play QB for the NY Jets, and one year as the backup QB for the New York Jets.     

The false-argument that some "hate" Geno is a weak attempt to paint criticism of him as being somehow emotional-based and irrational, and that, my friend, is bullsh*t.

Now, with that said.....

I agree with you, some team out there, maybe a Cleveland, maybe a San Francisco, who knows, will take a flier on Geno Smith after his time here ends, as a possible backup/reclamation project.  And he'll get pretty standard backup QB money, because he did have potential, he does have physical tools that can in theory still be developed, and his does have 16 or so games of starting NFL QB experience.  Like Mark Sanchez (very much like him) he will catch on somewhere as a #2, with an eye to seeing if he could ever be a #1 somewhere other than here.  On that point I fully agree.

Because people blindly wanted a QB who never won more than 6 games before to lead this team, sight unseen?

Because people continually refuse to even consider that Geno might have played better with Marshall, Decker, etc?

Then try and say the evaluation is due to some voodoo analytical evaluation that includes what the guy did as a rookie and 2nd year player with absolutely no talent around him.  And that is it.  He'll never get better, cant happen.  He wouldnt benefit from weapons, its an excuse.  

And of course there a certain group hell bent on having Fitz as their QB.  As if Geno were to take the top spot and push Fitz aside it makes them wrong.  After the Fitz is the best since Namath like proclamations we just cant go to Geno.  Makes us look bad

[Jet Nut]

15 minutes ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

Eric Decker had 6 more catches in 2015 than he did in 2014. So, what's your point?

Geno had one solid game in 2014. That was a throwaway Week 17 game against a Dolphins team that didn't care. It inspired so much confidence that they drafted Bryce Petty and traded for Fitzpatrick.

And the Jets announced Petty was a long term project and that Fitz was the backup.

When they brought in Fitz, he was told it was to be the backup.

There goes the "inspired confidence" theory

[Big Blocker]

3 hours ago, Doggin94it said:

Fish, absolutely. People who have that evaluation of Geno don't hate him. But they're also not suggesting that the Jets should cut him. Anyone who thinks that Gino at his 1.6 million dollar cap number needs to be cut isn't making that argument based on rational analysis.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

I think he should be cut because he is a negative presence in the locker room, his teammates have no respect for him and do not want to play with him, he takes up a roster spot when if we are lucky he will never see the field again, and the cost of his contract is a sunk cost and will not be retrieved under any circumstances (meaning the Jets will not get value for his contract whether he is cut or kept).

And I think those are very rational reasons.

[CrazyCarl40]

7 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

And the Jets announced Petty was a long term project and that Fitz was the backup.

When they brought in Fitz, he was told it was to be the backup.

There goes the "inspired confidence" theory

The Jets never announced either of those things. Show me the article that announces that. Most literature at the time said that Fitz as brought in to be the competition and that every spot was up for grabs.

[Jet Nut]

32 minutes ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

The Jets never announced either of those things. Show me the article that announces that. Most literature at the time said that Fitz as brought in to be the competition and that every spot was up for grabs.

They most certainly did.  Fitz was told he was brought in to be a backup.  Chan announced Geno was the starter.  Geno was outplaying Fitz.

Geno haters close their eyes to all of this.  

[Augustiniak]

4 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

They most certainly did.  Fitz was told he was brought in to be a backup.  Chan announced Geno was the starter.  Geno was outplaying Fitz.

Geno haters close their eyes to all of this.  

and it is all irrelevant.  the second fitz steps into the building he is the unquestioned starter.  geno will compete for 2nd string with petty and hack.  if fitz does not return, geno will start out TC as the starter but that does not guarantee he will be the opening day starter.  

[Big Blocker]

17 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

They most certainly did.  Fitz was told he was brought in to be a backup.  Chan announced Geno was the starter.  Geno was outplaying Fitz.

Geno haters close their eyes to all of this.  

I followed all that very closely last off season, and I think the reference you made to Gailey's statement was best taken as from an OC who was not used to dealing with the press for the past two years.  Gailey certainly did not say Smith was the starter no matter what happened in camp.  At the time he said that Fitz was coming back from his broken leg, and the Jets did not know how ready, and when, Fitz would be, so in that sense what he said made sense.

As for outplaying Fitz, there is no solid proof of that.