Jets Head Coach, Todd Bowles, talks to the media about trash talk and not hitting the quarterback during certain practices. Wednesday, June 13, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

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FLORHAM PARK - The easy move for the Jets is to arm Sam Darnold with a clipboard and a headset, point him to a spot a few feet behind the coaching staff and let him take his time learning his place in the National Football League.

It is the safe move, allowing the just turned 21-year-old quarterback to watch and learn, safely providing hope for the fan base of a better future. But, while still a long way away, just two days into minicamp with plenty of time before training camp and preseason and then the Jets’ opening game in Detroit on Sept. 10, it’s worth noting that the Jets aren’t committed to that safe route.

While the team quickly cleared out the end of the bench pieces, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, there is a capable veteran to guide Darnold’s progress in Josh McCown and a wild card in Teddy Bridgewater, who is making his way back from a devastating knee injury and has shown signs that he is back and capable of playing again.

 
 
Photos: Day 2 of Jets Minicamp

But just as the Jets opted for action rather than patience in trading up to the No. 3 spot in the draft to chase a quarterback, there is an open mind to throwing the rookie directly into the fire.

“I don’t want to speak for the coach,” Jets offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates said. “He makes the final decisions, of course. But we’re here to play the best football players that give us the chance to win on Sunday.”

The decision holds a risk for both Darnold and the coaching staff. As long as they are keeping Darnold on hold there is a bullet in their gun, protecting them, a promise of a bright future just a short wait away. And for Darnold, a prospect with potential that the Jets haven’t seen since Joe Namath limped away, time is on his side.

But on the heels of a pair of 5-11 seasons head coach Todd Bowles can’t be blamed for putting the best players on the field, no matter the risk.

“He made some good throws,” Bowles said. “I mean, again, it’s two-hand touch. He made some good throws. He’s learning some things. It’s a process. He’s throwing the ball well. He’s learning every day. He’s gaining some confidence, as is Teddy and Josh and we just keep it moving. We just want him to play fast once training camp comes, so he’s taking in a lot right now and he’s handling it well. 

 

“He’s right where we thought he was. Obviously, putting in installs every day, he’s going to be learning, he’s going to be learning when we get to training camp. But he applies it well, he rarely makes the same mistake twice and we’re pleased with where he is.”

Darnold has made it through rookie minicamp and 10 voluntary OTAs and now the start of mandatory minicamp, and he has impressed coaches and teammates by his work ethic, working hard to master the playbook rather than coast on his talent. And the Jets have not made it easy, choosing to throw the entire playbook at him instead of opting to ease him into the offensive schemes.

He has had to adjust to a different style of play, learning to play under center and to run a huddle, but Bates said that there has been no slow curve.

“We threw the whole playbook at him, just like the same as Josh and Teddy,” Bates said. “(If you) treat him like a rookie they’ll become a rookie. So we threw the whole book at him, see what he can handle, what he needs to work on, just like the other two. And he’s done a really good job. There’s a lot of information there.”

 

Mistakes are made, but rarely the same one twice.

“It’s extremely important,” Bates said. “If you keep making a mistake over and over either we’re not coaching the right way or teaching the right way, or they’re just not getting it. He’s able to go watch himself on film, see what he did wrong and move forward. That’s a process of growing. That’s exciting. He’s going to continue to make mistakes. Josh is going to make mistakes, Teddy is going to make mistakes, I’m going to make mistakes. But as long as you grow from the experience that’s how you move forward as a professional.”

 

It might tell you something about Darnold that Bowles has taken this approach, giving the rookie more reps with the first team in camp than the veteran quarterbacks. Hackenberg never got a snap with the Jets, so just throwing a quarterback into the fire isn’t exactly his style. But Darnold is a far cry from Hackenberg as a prospect.

Darnold impressed again Wednesday in practice, but it’s still a long way from opening night.

“First and foremost I think growing as a quarterback for me, especially with a whole new offense and trying to learn everything that’s thrown at me,” Darnold said Tuesday. “I’m just really focused on becoming a better quarterback, and becoming a better quarterback in this system right now.”

Exactly what he becomes will likely determine the success of the franchise and the fate of this coaching staff. 

“That’s what we do,” Bates said. “We’re teachers. We’re coaches. We try to make every player as good as they possibly can be. From the first guy to the last guy we want everyone to succeed. We want everyone to be successful. We want everyone to grow. That’s just the nature of the business.”

Email: popper@northjersey.com