Would you start Sam Darnold from Game 1?

[Sarge4Tide]

Regardless of how he plays in Training Game / Preseason, if you were in charge, would you start Sam Darnold from Game 1 and just let him learn on the job?

[flgreen]

On my way to take the +$360 on Darnold. 

[Jimmy 2 Times]

Regardless of how he plays?

Hell no!

If he earns the job?

Hell yes, and I’d stick with him.

[chrisfaceoff]

Lets wait and see what happens in the coming weeks.

 

If he shows he's ready, yes.  If he's not I want us to try and win games.  We can become an attractive destination next year for FAs and we shouldn't screw it up if he needs time to develop.  The kid will more than likely see the field at some point this year.

[slats]

16 minutes ago, Sarge4Tide said:

Regardless of how he plays in Training Game / Preseason, if you were in charge, would you start Sam Darnold from Game 1 and just let him learn on the job?

The answer to this question is, "no." Not regardless of how he plays in camp/preseason. 

What I'd be looking for from him would simply be competence. Does he understand the offense? Is he calling the right protections? Are his teammates responding to him as their leader? If he looks the part, I'd be willing to absorb the rookie growing pains and roll with him from Day One. I tend to believe that's the feeling at One Jets Drive, too. 

[FlagmanL11]

If he is totally ready yes, if not he can sit for a while and watch from the sidelines.  We don't need another Sanchez situation.  Plus if Bridgewater wins the job then we have a marketable 25 year old QB that can possibly fetch some draft picks before the trade deadline.  O line needs to show they can protect as I am sure Darnold will be holding the ball for a split second longer as he gets used to the speed of the game.  

[Jetster]

You guys do know McCown has never won 3 straight & he's on his way to 40 right? Right? 

Seriously, what's the worst that can happen compared to Josh McCown leading the way? If he's totally overwhelmed of course you can't start him but if he makes you think for 1 second about starting him due to what you see in camp & preseason, your damn right you start him. It's a new era baby!

He just turned 21, imagine how good he could be surrounded by talent at 23, just 2 more drafts & free agent periods from now.

[The Crusher]

Yes.

1. sign him

2. play him

3. profit

[UntouchableCrew]

Yes. These aren't the old days.

1) QBs are more ready to play than ever before

2) Under the new CBA the best way to improve is real game reps. There isn't practice time for backups to develop. He won't improve holding a clipboard.

3) Darnold is the best QB prospect we've drafted since Namath.

4) Getting the most out of a QB early in his career when he's cost effective is important.

There's no doubt he should play Week 1, IMHO.

[bitonti]

A football team needs to be a meritocracy. Even Sam Darnold needs to earn his reps. He should play, if he's better than both McCown and Bridgewater.

If he isn't better than the others on the depth chart, he shouldn't play.  It's as simple as that.  It's not fair to the other players to give any job away, especially the job of QB. 

All of this needs to be put in the context of 3 games in 11 days. What if he gets hurt? 

"Probably Not" 

 

[RoadFan]

Multiple threads on this already...

My thoughts?

I don't like 3 games in 10 days followed by a road game at the Jags defense to start the season.

Only if Darnold is far and away the best QB in camp.  If it is close... start one of the veterans.

Final thought; If Bridge can play, the Jets franchise should NOT trade him.  After decades of mostly sh*t, it would be moronic to get rid of a good one until we are sure Darnold can play.  The Jets might finally have a QB situation we can be proud of and some are actually hoping to break it up.  I find that fascinating.

[Drums]

1 minute ago, RoadFan said:

Multiple threads on this already...

My thoughts?

I don't like 3 games in 10 days followed by a road game at the Jags defense to start the season.

Only if Darnold is far and away the best QB in camp.  If it is close... start one of the veterans.

This is my main reason for hesitating on starting him. 

[UntouchableCrew]

I honestly can't believe people in this thread are saying things like "if it's close start the veterans." Some of you guys are out of your minds.

[Jetster]

7 minutes ago, UntouchableCrew said:

I honestly can't believe people in this thread are saying things like "if it's close start the veterans." Some of you guys are out of your minds.

Right? It should be if it's close start the kid! McCown has zero future here except as Bates QB coach!

[slats]

13 minutes ago, RoadFan said:

Final thought; If Bridge can play, the Jets franchise should NOT trade him.  After decades of mostly sh*t, it would be moronic to get rid of a good one until we are sure Darnold can play.  The Jets might finally have a QB situation we can be proud of and some are actually hoping to break it up.  I find that fascinating.

The Jets and Teddy Bridgewater entered into a one-year marriage of convenience. The Jets get a relatively inexpensive insurance policy for their oft-injured veteran and a hedge against their rookie not being ready, Teddy gets a stage to show off his wares. Darnold is about to get north of $30M guaranteed from the Jets. He's the guy the team is hitching their wagon to. They're not also going to pay Teddy, and Teddy isn't going to want to sign on to be a backup before exploring starting options. He's gone next year. Really, the only way he's back is if no one in the league sees him as starting material. Either way, it's better to get something for him this year if they can. 

[Warfish]

1 hour ago, Sarge4Tide said:

Regardless of how he plays in Training Game / Preseason, if you were in charge, would you start Sam Darnold from Game 1 and just let him learn on the job?

Regardless of how he plays?  Absolutely not. 

Best player playing the best plays, merit, merit, merit! 

Once Darnold is that player, he plays.  Not before.

The world will not end if he sits a wee while.  He is better served (if he truly isn't ready) and the team is better served (by being competitive while we wait).

I think we all hope Darnold is the best player in camp, thus making this issue moot.

[Jetster]

17 minutes ago, slats said:

The Jets and Teddy Bridgewater entered into a one-year marriage of convenience. The Jets get a relatively inexpensive insurance policy for their oft-injured veteran and a hedge against their rookie not being ready, Teddy gets a stage to show off his wares. Darnold is about to get north of $30M guaranteed from the Jets. He's the guy the team is hitching their wagon to. They're not also going to pay Teddy, and Teddy isn't going to want to sign on to be a backup before exploring starting options. He's gone next year. Really, the only way he's back is if no one in the league sees him as starting material. Either way, it's better to get something for him this year if they can. 

Sh*t yea! We might get 1 of our second rounders back if he looks good in preseason & a team like Tampa comes a calling. They've got freaking Fitz & the finger looking good idiot on that team. I'm sure Winstons teammates love him, lol. 

Watch their faces during that finger looking good pep talk he gave B4 a game. Dudes a born leader.....not.....his offensive teammates were looking at him like he had 3 heads and most were just snickering. Just imagine Tom Brady pumping up the Pats the same way. 

[Jetster]

17 minutes ago, Warfish said:

Regardless of how he plays?  Absolutely not. 

Best player playing the best plays, merit, merit, merit! 

Once Darnold is that player, he plays.  Not before.

The world will not end if he sits a wee while.  He is better served (if he truly isn't ready) and the team is better served (by being competitive while we wait).

I think we all hope Darnold is the best player in camp, thus making this issue moot.

It seems absolutely ridiculous to me that Sam Darnold will be a better player 3 games into the season, why? What could he possibly learn after an entire camp, 4 preseason games in that extra 3-5 weeks that he wouldn't already know? 

Speed of the game? He still hasn't played, so no. The playbook? ok, maybe, but he's gonna get a LOT OF REPS from Friday till the season starts, and didn't Bates claim he doesn't make the same mistake twice? 

I just find it hilarious that starting McCown does anything good for this team other than prolong the inevitable Sam Darnold era. 

[RoadFan]

32 minutes ago, slats said:

The Jets and Teddy Bridgewater entered into a one-year marriage of convenience. The Jets get a relatively inexpensive insurance policy for their oft-injured veteran and a hedge against their rookie not being ready, Teddy gets a stage to show off his wares. Darnold is about to get north of $30M guaranteed from the Jets. He's the guy the team is hitching their wagon to. They're not also going to pay Teddy, and Teddy isn't going to want to sign on to be a backup before exploring starting options. He's gone next year. Really, the only way he's back is if no one in the league sees him as starting material. Either way, it's better to get something for him this year if they can. 

If he signs elsewhere for a big deal... aren't they entitled to a compensatory ?  Maybe as high as a 3rd or 4th...

Still, in what universe are the Jets in a position to trade a potential quality starting QB unless they are sure they already have one?  Especially with $80M in cap space next year?

[David Harris]

I did the Youtube thing where you can watch every single one of his throws from specific games. The good news is the kid has some magic-he is great when the play breaks down and he is on the move. The bad news is he looks sloppy back there, and I think it would be beneficial to let him get more practice so I’d prefer him starting week 4-8

[slats]

Just now, RoadFan said:

If he signs elsewhere for a big deal... aren't they entitled to a compensatory?

Yes. Maximum comp pick would be a third rounder (mid-90s overall) in 2020, but that would have to be a really huge contract. We'll see how he performs in the preseason. Either way, if they could get a third rounder for him in 2019 it would be higher and sooner than the comp pick, and they should jump at it. If he's really looking solid, they might be able to do better than that. 

[Joe W. Namath]

1 hour ago, UntouchableCrew said:

Yes. These aren't the old days.

1) QBs are more ready to play than ever before

2) Under the new CBA the best way to improve is real game reps. There isn't practice time for backups to develop. He won't improve holding a clipboard.

3) Darnold is the best QB prospect we've drafted since Namath.

4) Getting the most out of a QB early in his career when he's cost effective is important.

There's no doubt he should play Week 1, IMHO.

1- False.  Darnold is young, hasnt played the position very long and actually took a step back in his final year of college.

2- He will improve holding a clipboard.  A month or 2 of mental reps and seeing how the pro game works is tremdous for a young qb.

3- True, but that has no bearing on if he should play now or a month or 2 into the season.

4- Total nonsense.  The last 15 super bowl winners, 12 have high priced qbs.

[Jetlife33]

He should sit the first quarter of the season. 3 games in 10 days including 2 prime time games is really a lot for any rookie and then a road game in Jax. Let McCown or Bridgewater have those 4. 

[UntouchableCrew]

7 minutes ago, Joe W. Namath said:

1- False.  Darnold is young, hasnt played the position very long and actually took a step back in his final year of college.

2- He will improve holding a clipboard.  A month or 2 of mental reps and seeing how the pro game works is tremdous for a young qb.

3- True, but that has no bearing on if he should play now or a month or 2 into the season.

4- Total nonsense.  The last 15 super bowl winners, 12 have high priced qbs.

1) Yeah, it is true. If you don't think it's true you are clueless about the history of the position and the development of QBs at the college level.

2) Mental reps? GTFO with that nonsense.

3) Of course it does.

4) Yeah, you're just completely wrong about this. Since 2012 (the year after the new CBA) only 1 team out of 6 has won the Super Bowl with a QB making over $20 million.

[Thai Jet]

2 hours ago, Jimmy 2 Times said:

Regardless of how he plays?

Hell no!

If he earns the job?

Hell yes, and I’d stick with him.

Hard to argue with this logic. There's a steep learning curve and I would think he'll start at sometime this year. Game #9 ?

[ChuckkieB]

If he performs anywhere close to McCown and Bridgewater in camp and in preseason games, he should be the day 1 starter IMO.

[slats]

14 minutes ago, Joe W. Namath said:

4- Total nonsense.  The last 15 super bowl winners, 12 have high priced qbs.

Stop. Much easier to build a team around a starting QB making $30M over four years than it is to build around a QB making $30M/year. It's not debatable. 

[jetspenguin]

1 hour ago, Jetster said:

You guys do know McCown has never won 3 straight & he's on his way to 40 right? Right? 

Seriously, what's the worst that can happen compared to Josh McCown leading the way? If he's totally overwhelmed of course you can't start him but if he makes you think for 1 second about starting him due to what you see in camp & preseason, your damn right you start him. It's a new era baby!

He just turned 21, imagine how good he could be surrounded by talent at 23, just 2 more drafts & free agent periods from now.

The worst that can happen is that the kid isnt ready, cant call the protections correctly, gets killed on a hit that damages his knee (ala Teddy) and then we have to go to the option we probably should have gone with in the first place if he wasnt ready.

Let him earn it, along with the respect of his teammates.

[Losmeister]

Week 5

[ljr]

10 minutes ago, Losmeister said:

Week 5

What I'm looking for too

[Joe W. Namath]

12 minutes ago, Losmeister said:

Week 5

Sounds about right.  I am saying btwn week 5-8.  McCown cant last much more then that at his age.  

Sam should be well prepared by then to run this team.

[TheSage]

Possibly if the Oline shows it can protect him and if he shows he has offense down and tools we believe he has.

[Sperm Edwards]

4 hours ago, Sarge4Tide said:

Regardless of how he plays in Training Game / Preseason, if you were in charge, would you start Sam Darnold from Game 1 and just let him learn on the job?

Well the thing is this is the entire basis for the answer. You can't remove the #1 reason to start (or sit) him and then say ignore that reason.

- If he's not ready and is lost, he isn't going to learn on the job; he's just going to take sacks and develop panicky habits.

- If he's ready, then sure go ahead and start him.

- If you're not sure, they're certainly in no rush to start him for an extra 2-6 weeks (whenever it is TB and/or JM get injured) when he's just turned 21 years old. If he works out you're talking about a 15-18 year career. No biggie if it's plus or minus a month on a 2018 team with a comparatively weak OL.

[BCJet]

4 hours ago, Sarge4Tide said:

Regardless of how he plays in Training Game / Preseason, if you were in charge, would you start Sam Darnold from Game 1 and just let him learn on the job?

How could someone make an intelligent decision while disregarding the preseason or TC?

Look, this debate is going to take care of itself as 1 of 2 things are going to happen.

1.  Mccown or Bridgewater outplays Darnold and its clear to the team that he isnt the best option under center.  I hope its Bridgewater if thats the case but either way it will mean Darnold isnt starting week 1.

2. Darnold shows enough of a grasp of the offense and enough physical ability to make the race close enough to give him the nod (either by a nose or in a landslide)

Anyone who thinks we should simply "not rush him and wait until week 5" is essentially saying this team is going to be 5-11 on the year.   If we start Mccown or TB week 1 and by week 5 the team is doing so poor that its "time to start darnold" that means we are putting a rookie into a 1-3 or even 0-4 situation which I for one wouldnt want.  There is simply nothing that he can learn sitting on the bench and not getting in-week reps for 4 weeks that would suddenly vault him into the starting spot unless the team is struggling.  If Mccown or TB is doing well and the team is 3-1, then we are looking at a week 10 or later situation for him starting once we are out of contention.

Lastly, while Watson had more starts then Darnold in college, he had many criticisms (turnovers, spread offense, arm strength) that the pundits said required him to sit and learn, and he clearly had no issues thriving when he got on the field.

Personally I hope he shows enough mechanical improvement and grasp of the offense to allow us to move TB to recoup a pick and have Sam start the year.

[Warfish]

4 hours ago, Jetster said:

It seems absolutely ridiculous to me that Sam Darnold will be a better player 3 games into the season, why? What could he possibly learn after an entire camp, 4 preseason games in that extra 3-5 weeks that he wouldn't already know? 

Speed of the game? He still hasn't played, so no. The playbook? ok, maybe, but he's gonna get a LOT OF REPS from Friday till the season starts, and didn't Bates claim he doesn't make the same mistake twice? 

I just find it hilarious that starting McCown does anything good for this team other than prolong the inevitable Sam Darnold era. 

Who said anything about starting McCown?  I certainly didn't.