4 QB's ? ? ?

[kelly]

The New York Jets have three quarterbacks on the roster -- Geno Smith,Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg. They will have four if they ever get around to re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, and that has sparked a question and a mini-debate:

Could they carry four on the 53-man roster ?

If so, would that be wise roster management? Well, it would be an unconventional approach, that's for sure, but general manager Mike Maccagnan has said it's a possibility.Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey seems open to the idea."I never have, but, yeah, you can, sure you can," he said Monday.Gailey, who has coached two decades in the NFL, provided additional context, explaining the pros and cons of keeping four quarterback under the current system."You're not going to get four quarterbacks ready to play," he said. "You can't do that, but can you keep guys around that you think are developmental possibilities? We do that every year, so yeah. If you like the developmental possibilities, you keep the guys you think are worthy."

Petty and Hackenberg fall into the developmental category. Smith and Fitzpatrick belong to the play-now group. In training camp, the third and fourth quarterbacks get very few reps, especially on a Todd Bowles-coached team. He believes in giving a majority of reps to the No. 1 quarterback, prepping him for the season."You can't give them enough reps to develop, that's the problem you have," Gailey said of the kid quarterbacks. "There are a certain number of reps you have in preseason practice and there are a certain number of snaps in preseason games, so there's not a lot of wiggle room for getting guys the reps they need. You have to understand, it's going to be a slow process. You have to understand that."

With four quarterbacks, the Jets would be sacrificing short-term development -- specifically, with Petty and Hackenberg -- for potential long-term gain with those two players. Some people think a four-man depth chart is the worst idea since Plan B free agency. Frankly, I don't love it, but I understand the reasoning. Quarterback is the most important spot in the sport, and if a team believes its third or fourth quarterback could develop into a competent No. 2 (or better), it's worth carrying one less player at another position. Would keeping nine offensive linemen instead of 10 really damage a team? Come on.The last team to open a season with four quarterbacks was the 2013Washington Redskins. 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.

The Jets went into the 2002, 2003 and 2009 seasons with four on the roster, but that was under the old collective bargaining agreement, which allowed for more practice time.Some people have speculated that Smith could be the odd-man out in a four-quarterback scenario, but I don't see them dropping him unless Petty absolutely lights up the preseason and proves he can be the No. 2. Barring that, Petty is the most vulnerable of the group, but I think they'd sooner keep four than give up on one of their draft picks.

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60446/jets-oc-chan-gailey-analyzes-pros-and-cons-of-keeping-four-qbs

[Integrity28]

2 hours ago, kelly said:

Petty and Hackenberg fall into the developmental category. Smith and Fitzpatrick belong to the play-now group.

It's sad that Petty and Hack are so far from ready, that it makes Geno seem viable as a "play-now" QB. Yeesh.

[Snell41]

It's sad that Petty and Hack are so far from ready, that it makes Geno seem viable as a "play-now" QB. Yeesh.

I don't know if I buy that with Hackrnberg. Mentally the kid is probably as ready as rookie can be. It's the physical bad habits he picked up under a sh*tty offensive scheme and whether he can correct them fast enough.

[New York Mick]

At this point they need to make Hakki sack the starter and see what he can do. We already know Geno sucks and apparently so does Bryce or else they wouldn't of wasted a second round pick on a QB. 

[Shadetree]

Carry all 4 .... Let the chips fall where they may.

[kelly]

David Harris, one of the New York Jets' longest-tenured players, was asked the other day if he was surprised they drafted a quarterback, Christian Hackenberg, in the second round. He smiled.

"I was a little bit, but I've seen crazier things," he said. "I've seen the starting quarterback get traded the day before the first preseason game, so nothing really surprises me."Harris was referring to August 2008, when the Jets unceremoniously dumped the popular Chad Pennington -- he was actually released, not traded -- and replaced him with future Hall of Famer Brett Favre. The swap happened so fast that Favre's introductory news conference was staged in a cramped room in the bowels of Cleveland Browns Stadium, where they opened the preseason. Harris also could've mentioned last summer, when the presumptive starter got punched out by a teammate.

Quarterback drama is part of the franchise's DNA, from Joe Namath's diva days to Geno Smith's broken jaw. The current situation? It's hardly unique for the Jets. Yes, Ryan Fitzpatrick's prolonged contract standoff and the suddenly crowded quarterback room are making headlines across the country, but nobody is talking about mobsters or bar-room brawls -- two storylines from previous quarterback soap operas. Uncertainty at the game's most important position has clouded many an offseason and preseason.In the summer of 1969, a few months after the Jets' one and only Super Bowl victory, Namath tearfully announced his retirement at a news conference inside a Manhattan nightclub called Bachelors III. He was a part owner of the popular Upper East Side hangout, which attracted organized-crime figures. That concerned the NFL, so commissioner Pete Rozelle told Namath he'd be banned from playing unless he sold his interest in the club.

Rather than submit to Rozelle's demand, Namath, only 26 and rebellious, quit football. He was the biggest name in the sport, so you could imagine the fallout. It would be akin to Stephen Curry saying goodbye to basketball after the playoffs.After weeks of intense speculation, Namath returned to the Jets, agreeing to surrender his stake in Bachelors III. As it turned out, he threatened retirement in 1970 and 1971 as well, with many speculating he simply wanted to save his famously bad knees from the grind of training camp. Contract squabbles may have been a factor, too, along with his fledgling career in Hollywood. Let's see: A love scene with Ann-Margret or two-a-day practices? Not a tough decision.

In 1984, Ken O'Brien was supposed to be the opening-day quarterback, one year after he was drafted in the first round, but he spent training camp in a Manhattan court room. He and teammate Mark Gastineau were on trial for their roles in a melee that occurred the previous year in Studio 54, the celebrated old disco. The trial lasted nearly a month, forcing the Jets to alter their quarterback plans. They started the season with erstwhile backup Pat Ryan as their signal-caller, delaying O'Brien's debut until late in the season. Football reporters were torn on whether to cover the trial or training camp.O'Brien led the Jets to the playoffs in '85, '86 and '91, but he was replaced in a rigged quarterback competition in '92. The organization wanted second-year gunslinger Browning Nagle to win the job, and they cleared the path by keeping O'Brien away from training camp for a few weeks. They did it by low-balling him in contract negotiations. (Hmm, sound familiar?) By the time he signed, it was too late. The job belonged to Nagle, who had an atrocious season.

In 1998, coach Bill Parcells employed a controversial keep-away tactic, informing starter Neil O'Donnell via certified letter he wasn't welcome at the offseason program. Parcells, plotting to release O'Donnell after June 1, didn't want to risk a serious injury, which would've put the Jets on the hook for the player's huge salary. For weeks, the quarterback situation was in limbo. Parcells came under fire for having the audacity to tell a $5 million-a-year quarterback (a big number in those days) to stay home. In late June, Parcells emerged from his offseason bunker to settle family business. He sacked O'Donnell and signed Vinny Testaverde, who enjoyed a career year.Ten years later, Favre arrived on the scene. The first two weeks of camp were dominated by trade rumors, as the "retired" Favre looked to start a post-Green Bay career. The Jets hung Pennington out to dry as they flirted with Favre, finally convincing him he'd love it in New Jersey. The trade was consummated at midnight. A few hours later, team officials took a private jet to Mississippi to pick up Favre, and Pennington was sent home from Cleveland, an ex-Jet.

So this Fitzpatrick drama  ?

Tame, totally tame by comparison.

>       http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60456/no-mobsters-no-bar-room-brawls-you-call-this-a-jets-qb-drama

[NYs Stepchild]

12 hours ago, Shadetree said:

Carry all 4 .... Let the chips fall where they may.

We do need to carry all 4 until the last week of camp. No reason to cut anyone before then, and no reason to give any indication of whom that cut might be. 

[Mainejet]

I seriously doubt the Jets will carry 4 QB's. At the end of the day, I still see the team having 3 QB's like the norm from all other NFL franchises. Ryan Fitzpatrick will eventually resign, the guy is not stupid. His best offer is from the Jets. He has no interest from other teams. He's certainly not going to retire. He WILL be a Jet by opening day.

The Jets are also not giving up on Petty and Hack. NO way. They are the future of the franchise as it stands right now.

So someone has to go and WHO is the most obvious choice? Geno Smith is not a Mac pick and he probably (just like most others) does not like Geno. So Geno is guaranteed to be a goner. I will be happy when that happens because it's been long overdue.

[PepPep]

47 minutes ago, Mainejet said:

I seriously doubt the Jets will carry 4 QB's. At the end of the day, I still see the team having 3 QB's like the norm from all other NFL franchises. Ryan Fitzpatrick will eventually resign, the guy is not stupid. His best offer is from the Jets. He has no interest from other teams. He's certainly not going to retire. He WILL be a Jet by opening day.

The Jets are also not giving up on Petty and Hack. NO way. They are the future of the franchise as it stands right now.

So someone has to go and WHO is the most obvious choice? Geno Smith is not a Mac pick and he probably (just like most others) does not like Geno. So Geno is guaranteed to be a goner. I will be happy when that happens because it's been long overdue.

Except he may be their best QB at the moment. I say that in all seriousness. I really have no faith in your guarantee that Fitz will re-sign and the Jets will welcome him with open arms. The longer he waits the less likely he will be a Jet. Especially if one of the current Jet QBs starts to set himself apart. 

People are really giving Geno no chance. I really don't understand it. He beat Fitz out for the starting spot last year. I mean, I know Fitz ended up playing great but if Geno shows plays well in camp, cutting him would be like cutting off your nose to spite your face. Fact is, the Jets currently have 3 QBs NOT 4. And if they bring someone else in (Fitz or other), they won't cut a QB until they HAVE to cut the roster down to 53. And that will not be for a while. Geno is primed for a final opportunity to prove himself. Whatever anyone has to say about how bad Geno is, there is absolutely no argument in my mind that the sample size we have to judge Geno's ability as a QB is a rookie year where he was asked to start even though he was obviously not ready and had ZERO weapons around him. And a sophomore year with a different coach (O-coordinator) and again no weapons.  

People really need to stop acting like Fitz is a Jet. He's not.There's QB drama with the Jets, of course, but there is currently no drama as far as whether or not they should carry 4QBs b/c they only have 3 QBs on the roster.