QB dept. : Sam & Josh ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

 -- After the get-acquainted small talk, New York Jets coach Adam Gase turned his first sitdown with Sam Darnold into an infomercial. It could have been called, "The Adam Gase Way: How I Plan To Turn You Into A Star."

Gase had prepared specific cut-ups from his coaching past, and he punched up the plays on a monitor in his first-floor office at One Jets Drive. Peyton Manning appeared on the screen, from his Denver Broncos days, circa 2013. Gase was Manning's offensive coordinator, only 35 and fast-tracking toward big things in the NFL. You might say he was the Sam Darnold of coaching, shiny and full of promise. This was before his reputation was stained by a three-year run with the Miami Dolphins that ended with a pink slip.So on a relaxed day in April, Gase was sharing his glory days with his new prodigy (really, his first prodigy), showing Darnold how good he could be in Gase's offense. The emphasis was on tempo. Look how Peyton does it. Darnold was pleasantly surprised to learn that Gase's offense, in its purest form, is a no-huddle attack. It reminded him of high school and college, when he thrived in hurry-up systems. To use one of Darnold's favorite words, he was "stoked" after meeting with his new coach.

Darnold and Gase. They're the new "it" couple in New Jersey and the key to the future of the franchise.

Personality-wise, they couldn't be more different. Darnold is California chill, always relaxed, never flustered and uncommonly mature for a freckle-faced 22-year-old who grew up in a beach town. Gase is uniquely wired, even for his profession. He's so intense that he likes to take a hit of smelling salts before each game, so intense that, according to a recent story in The Athletic, he left his wife in the operating room soon after she gave birth via C-section so he could get back to practice."We might be different personalities, but we have that one commonality -- and that's football," Darnold said. "As long as we're on the same team and we're trying to win games, we're going to get along. We'll be solid. I think the whole NFL will notice that by midseason."

The relationship began in earnest in the spring, when they talked tempo and became fast friends. Right now, at this point in their careers, they need each other.Darnold, coming off a roller-coaster rookie year that ended on a rise, is expected to be the franchise messiah. In theory, he should flourish under Gase, the team's first offensive-minded head coach since Rich Kotite (1995-96). The organization hopes that Gase is to Darnold what Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay is to Jared Goff -- a progressive thinker who can accentuate his quarterback's strengths.It will be a radical change from Todd Bowles, a play-not-to-lose coach who entrusted Darnold to an offensive coordinator (Jeremy Bates) who was out of coaching from 2013 to 2016. Bates appeared overmatched at times, and his inability to communicate with the entire offense sparked frustration among players, team sources said. Former backup Josh McCown buffered Darnold from the dysfunction.

Former Jets star Keyshawn Johnson, who knows Bates from their days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said it was a mistake to hire him, claiming, "You don't take a guy out of the middle of the mountains and make him your offensive coordinator." (Bates hiked the Rockies during his sabbatical.) "I mean, come on. You don't do that. Bates coached me in Tampa, and he's cool, but I'm not going to get a dude who was shooting deer and now, all of a sudden, he becomes OC, and my livelihood depends on it."Gase, too, spent time in the Rockies, and that's where he made his bones as an offensive coach. Some say he rode Manning's coattails, but there's no denying that his game plans got the Canton-bound quarterback to perform at a historic level -- a league-record 55 touchdown passes in 2013. Gase went from Manning to a set-in-his-ways Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears) to a pedestrian Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins) before landing the golden ticket with a gifted, still-impressionable Darnold.

Gase sees an instinctive, quick-thinking player capable of leading a fast-break offense. He also loves Darnold's appetite for knowledge.

"He's good at asking, 'How would Peyton do this?'" Gase said.

Said Darnold, "I'm always in his office, bugging him. It's nice to be able to have that guy to talk to."

Much like Manning was as a player, Gase can be obsessive. Darnold said he once received a midnight text from Gase in the spring, complete with a breakdown of a particular play from that day's practice. Like clockwork, Darnold receives late-night emails that contain play sheets and practice scripts for the next day. Darnold is a sponge, and Gase is his water faucet.

"It's cool, man," Darnold said. "He does his own thing, and he's been doing it for a long time. I don't want to mess with his flow."

He laughed.

"It works perfectly," he added. "It's funny. He can be intense and all that stuff -- which he is, for sure -- but when we sit down and we really get talking about some stuff in the film room, he can be very calm. He's very chill to talk to."Darnold didn't have that kind of relationship with the previous coach because Bowles was preoccupied with the defense. Now he has a coach who sees the game through the eyes of the quarterback, which is bound to help his development. In addition to X's and O's, he and Gase talk about organizational culture and team building. It makes Darnold feel invested in the process.At first, Gase wasn't sure how Darnold would react to hard coaching. That perception changed on the practice field in the spring, when he scolded Darnold for botching a pass-protection scheme."He turned around and looked at me and said, 'It's about time you yelled at me. I've been waiting for this for the last few months,'" Gase recalled with a smile.

Gase was an unpopular hire among fans because of his 23-25 record in Miami, where his offenses ranked 26th, 28th and 17th in scoring -- hardly the stuff of genius. He defends his record, claiming the talent didn't measure up to what he has with the Jets. That probably explains why he tried to shorten games with a glacially slow offense. From 2016 to '18, the Dolphins ranked 32nd in tempo, with one play every 29.8 seconds on the game clock, according to ESPN Stats & Information. By comparison, Manning & Co. averaged 25.3 seconds (third) in 2013.Now, with Darnold, Gase wants to recreate what he had in Denver. He wants to hit the fast-forward button as he looks forward. You saw it in the preseason opener against the New York Giants. The Jets came out in no-huddle and needed only 3:07 for a seven-play touchdown drive -- a rate of 26.7 seconds per play. They did the same thing against the Atlanta Falcons in the second preseason game, albeit at a slightly slower pace.

When Darnold heard the hurry-up plan in April, he was ecstatic.

"That got me excited because I've been in an offense where last year was more slow-paced," he said. "We were huddling and breaking the huddle with 15 seconds [on the play clock], which is more like an old-school, pro-style offense, which I was fine with. I thought we executed well at times. In high school and college, I was in those fast-paced, no-huddle offenses. I just kind of felt more comfortable doing that kind of stuff. It's going to be a lot of fun this year."A no-huddle has a few advantages for a young quarterback. It simplifies the defensive looks because the defense doesn't have time to make pre-snap adjustments. It also allows Darnold to have Gase in his ear. When he gets to the line of scrimmage with more than 15 seconds on the play clock (when the coach-quarterback radio shuts off), Darnold can receive "tips and reminders" from Gase on the sideline. Those, he said, are a huge help before the snap.

Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes Darnold can thrive in an up-tempo system because he's "a frantic player. He's got great second-reactionary attributes. But a lot of times, when a quarterback is playing with a little bit of tempo and no-huddle, it just seems like they're more focused on getting the ball out of their hands quicker. There's a little bit less thinking that goes on and a little bit more reacting that goes on, so that suits him as a player."

The downside to a fast-paced attack is that it will tax the defense if the three-and-outs start to pile up. It's easy to see that becoming an issue for fiery defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, whose mentor -- Buddy Ryan -- once punched out an offensive coordinator for that very thing.Darnold has the innate ability to remain calm while processing information at a rapid rate. Some quarterbacks freak out when it's chaotic; the former USC star is ... well, chill. That composure, Gase said, makes it easier to call plays and communicate during games. It also could help Darnold reduce the number of tight-window throws. The faster he plays, the less time the defense has to react.In 2018, nearly 20% of Darnold's attempts were of the tight-window variety. That was the fourth-highest rate in the league among qualifying passers, per NFL Next Gen Stats. (A tight window is defined as less than one yard of separation between receiver and nearest defender when the ball arrives.) Some of that is on the receivers, whose job is to separate, but the Jets' hope is that the new-style offense will allow Darnold to make quicker decisions.

Darnold also needs to make better decisions, especially on first and second downs. Ten of his 15 interceptions came on the early downs, an unusually high number when you consider pass coverages often don't get sophisticated until third down. Gase, well aware of this trend, has stressed the importance of using checkdown options instead of forcing the ball to his No. 1 read. With Le'Veon Bell in the backfield, Darnold has one of the best pass-catching backs in the league.

Darnold & Co. looked sharp in the preseason. The preseason can be deceiving, though.

"I can't sit here and say Adam Gase looks like a totally dynamic playcaller right now," Orlovsky said. "He seems to have a good pulse for what his team is and hiding some of the deficiencies, but I want to see it on a consistent basis."

It all comes back to Darnold, whose development will determine if the Jets -- a non-playoff team since 2010 -- can match the preseason hype. Their young franchise quarterback is in a good place, knowing the man in the head coach's chair is "hyper-focused" (Darnold's description) and hell-bent on restoring his reputation as an offensive guru."It's fun to hear his ideas on building a culture and building a team, especially being a young guy who wants to do great things here in New York and with the Jets," Darnold said. "It's cool to have a coach come in and explain what he sees for the next five years or the next 10 years. Hopefully, we can be in this for the long run together."

>    https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/80685/adam-gase-plan-jets-qb-sam-darnold-play-like-peyton

[kelly]

Le’Veon Bell is not just a running back and a rapper. He’s also the Jets’ emergency quarterback.That’s what Adam Gase told ESPN’s Lisa Salters at halftime. If Luke Falk goes down with an injury, Bell would go under center.

The Jets were forced to insert Falk after starting quarterback Trevor Siemian — already filling in for the sick Sam Darnold — went down with a gruesome ankle injury. He is officially out for the rest of Monday’s game. New York promoted Falk to the practice squad earlier in the day in response to Darnold’s case of mononucleosis.

Obviously, the Jets weren’t prepared to lose Siemian, but there’s not much they can do at this point. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Bell is next up on the quarterback depth chart.

>  https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/09/16/leveon-bell-is-the-jets-emergency-quarterback/

[kelly]

The New York Jets are signing quarterback David Fales to back up Luke Falk for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, a source confirmed to ESPN.The Jets (0-2) have been left to scramble at the quarterback position with starter Sam Darnold sidelined with mononucleosis. He missed Monday's 23-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns and will miss Sunday's game at New England as well. He said Tuesday during his weekly spot on ESPN New York's The Michael Kay Show that he is feeling better and his goal is to return for the Jets' Week 5 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets have a bye in Week 4.

Trevor Siemian started Monday night's game but was lost for the season when he suffered torn ligaments in his left ankle on a late hit by the Browns' Myles Garrett. Falk, who had been elevated from the practice squad before that game, went 20-for-25 passing for 198 yards in relief and will start against the Patriots.Fales, as well as Falk, played for Jets coach Adam Gase in Miami and are familiar with his offense. Fales last played in a regular-season game in 2017 with the Dolphins; he is 31-for-48 passing for 287 yards with one touchdown and one interception in three games in his career.

The news of Fales' signing was first reported by the New York Daily News.

ESPN's Rich Cimini contributed to this report.

>    https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27643175/jets-signing-fales-back-qb-falk

[ItsTheSameOldJets]

Omg I have not seen Kelly~~ seen the JI boards, so much nostalgia right now!

[kelly]

-- The downside to Trumaine Johnson's doghouse residency is that it basically confirms the New York Jets wasted an enormous amount of money on his contract, one that will impact their salary cap even after he's released next offseason. So much for the theory that being reunited with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will revitalize Johnson's career.The upside to Johnson's Monday-night benching is that it illustrates a new mentality at One Jets Drive. If you don't perform, you sit. It's a meritocracy, and it's the best way to create a winning culture. Coach Adam Gase and Williams, unhappy with Johnson's Week 1 performance, turned him into a $14.5 million-a-year backup.

The size of a player's contract is "irrelevant to me," Gase said Wednesday.  "I don't care how much money you make."

Yes, the Jets are reeling at 0-2, looking at 0-3 as they prepare to start third-string quarterback Luke Falk against the heavily favored New England Patriots, but they already have delivered a loud and much-needed statement: Mediocrity isn't good enough.Even if the Jets finish with a losing record, which seems to be the direction they're headed, they can get something positive out of this season by setting a foundation for the future. Gase and Williams might bruise some feelings along the way, but they have to consider the macro view. It will benefit the team in the long run. The coach they will face on Sunday -- Bill Belichick -- has been running that kind of ship for two decades.The same thinking applies to Jamal Adams. While Gase insisted his decision to pull Adams late in the game wasn't performance-related, it certainly was perceived that way by the Pro Bowl safety, who said Tuesday on his weekly WFAN radio spot, "Yeah, I got benched. They benched me." An emotional player, he blew off some steam by removing the Jets from his social-media bios.

Adams was on the bench for the last five defensive plays of the game, so we're not talking major pine time. Still, the sight of Adams on the sideline -- he missed only one defensive snap last season -- had to be a strong visual for the other players. If it can happen to Jamal, it can happen to anybody.

Gase explained the decision by saying Adams seemed frustrated and"fired up pretty good,"and he didn't want his defensive leader doing something he would regret.So they sent him to"timeout."Good for the coach.If the player can't handle tough love, too bad.This is the NFL, not Pop Warner. Adams is frustrated by the losing, and it's understandable because the Jets have dropped 25 of 34 games in his two-plus seasons. That sort of losing can beat down the most optimistic and passionate players. I've seen it happen. Many years ago, star linebacker Mo Lewis told me he never forgot as a young, impressionable player the sight of a distraught James Hasty, sick of it all, crying in his locker after a game.Hopefully, Adams never sinks that low. If he's a strong and resilient leader, he will bounce back from this and be a better player. But that doesn't make him immune to accountability. No player can be above the team.

Look, Gase had his share of personality conflicts during his time with the Miami Dolphins, so we know he doesn't always push the right buttons. But to succeed in New York, he has to take a strong approach and it has to start early. Todd Bowles was criticized by fans and media for being too soft on the players -- he rarely benched anyone -- and it created a comfort zone. Gase is trying to do something about it.

>    https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/80962/adam-gase-tries-to-set-new-culture-even-if-it-means-upsetting-players

[kelly]

19 hours ago, ItsTheSameOldJets said:

Omg I have not seen Kelly~~ seen the JI boards, so much nostalgia right now!

dear  it'sthesameOl, hi !  .. No worries, i'm Like a BAD habit... i keep coim'  BACK  

[kelly]

Seth Walder     ESPN Analytics 

When Devin McCourty intercepted Luke Falk in the third quarter, the nearest Jet was Robby Anderson — over 12 yards away, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

 

>    https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

Following Sunday’s 30-14 loss to the Patriots, Adam Gase suggested that some of his players didn’t know what was going on — at least not nearly as well as his novice starting quarterback.Gase, asked for a review of Luke Falk’s first-ever NFL start, took the opportunity to defend the third-stringer while simultaneously criticizing the guys around him.“There was a lot of things he did really well that he didn’t get a lot of help with,” Gase said after the game. “That was frustrating to see that the guy that’s in his first NFL start knows what’s going on and other guys aren’t executing the way it should be done.”

For a few reasons, that was a rather interesting way for Gase to respond.

For one, Falk didn’t perform well (12-22, 98 yards, 1 INT, 47.1 rating), though that’s to be expected when any quarterback — let alone a first-time starter — doesn’t get protection up front. There were also a few instances, such as the interception, where it appeared Falk’s receivers either ran the wrong routes or didn’t complete them.So Gase isn’t exactly wrong in what he said. What makes the quote interesting, though, is that Gase has a reputation for defending his quarterbacks and throwing other players to the wolves. He did that frequently in Miami despite a carousel of underachieving arms, and there were multiple cases of the coach rubbing non-quarterbacks the wrong way.Right or not, this is the second time Gase has done this in his short Jets tenure. This could all be coincidental, but it is curious how often Gase does this, especially after a performance that featured little for Falk to write home about.

Finally, it’s an eye-catching quote because Gase is talking about his players. If Jets players — especially the ones on offense — don’t know what’s going on, that’s a reflection on the head coach, and a poor one at that. Gase may have been distancing himself from the blame for another loss — another thing he’s been criticized for in the past — but in reality, he told on himself.

Players have to execute and know the plays, but the man in charge should probably be on top of that.

>    https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2019/09/23/adam-gase-hints-that-his-players-dont-know-whats-going-on/

[kelly]

Rich Cimini   ESPN Staff Writer 

The Jets have signed QB Mike White to their practice squad. He was a 2018 fifth-round pick of the Cowboys, who cut him at the end of the 2019 preaseason. He passed for 305 yards, 59.5 pct, 1 TD and 1 INT in the preseason. The Jets now have Sam Darnold and Luke Falk on the 53, with White on the PS.

>    https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

Sam Darnold is the future of the Jets franchise, but for two years the team has not employed a backup quarterback capable of leading the team in Darnold’s absence. That needs to change this offseason after Darnold missed three games with mono a year after missing another three games with a foot injury. The Jets went 0-6 during those games without Darnold, and Joe Douglas should invest more money in the position as he begins to explore free agency.There are some good options in free agency for Douglas to look at and bring in behind Darnold. They’ll look at quarterbacks with a good mix of experience, age and production that won’t cost more than $5 million against the cap in 2020. Yes, that’s a lot of money to pay a backup, but considering how poorly the likes of Luke Falk and David Fales played in 2019, it’s worth it.

Here are five backup quarterbacks the Jets should look at in free agency.

Case Keenum

Keenum should be No. 1 on the Jets’ backup quarterback radar. He’s experienced and productive enough to play in a pinch, but not a real threat to Darnold’s job and not so old that he couldn’t run an offense. Keenum, who recently turned 32, has 62 starts for six different teams in nine seasons and even lead the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship game in 2017. During his career, he’s completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 14,368 yards and 75 touchdowns – including two 3,000-yard passing seasons as a full-time starter for the Vikings and Broncos from 2017-18.The Redskins gave Keenum a one-year, $3.5 million deal in 2019; he’d likely command a similar contract this offseason. While not too expensive, that’s still $650,000 more than what the Jets gave Trevor Siemian and David Fales combined this past season.

Matt Moore

Moore has the perfect blend of experience and production to be a great backup for Darnold. He’s started 32 games in his 11-year career with a career completion percentage of 60.1 percent. Gase loves his old quarterbacks, too, and Moore started five games for him in Miami from 2016-17. Moore finished 2-3 as a starter under Gase and threw for 1,582 yards, 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions.Despite his age – he’ll turn 36 in August – Moore still put together a solid season in Kansas City when Patrick Mahomes missed two games with a knee injury. Moore went 1-1 in those contests but threw for four touchdowns without an interception in the three games he played in Mahomes’ relief. It wouldn’t cost much to sign Moore, either – he only earned $1.03 million with Kansas City in 2019.

Chase Daniel

Daniel is a career backup, which makes him one of the better free agent options if Douglas wants a guy who can quickly learn an offense and play if called upon. He’s played for four teams over his career and spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Bears on a nice two-year, $10 million contract. Daniel has played sparingly over his 10-year career with just five starts and  five touchdowns on 218 passing attempts.He’d be a great mentor for Darnold, especially considering Daniel played for some of the best coaches in the league – Andy Reid, Sean Payton and Doug Pederson — but he would come at a cost. Daniel’s past three contracts have been worth between $10-11 million, and there’s no reason to believe he’d play for less.

Kyle Allen

Allen proved to be a competent starter the past two seasons for the Panthers but isn’t good enough to take over the role for a team full-time. He’d be a risky backup choice given he’s only a year older than Darnold – 23 – and was a part of the same draft class. However, his stats at times made him look like a quality quarterback and he could be a solid backup for the Jets if Gase and Douglas are interested in keeping his quarterback room cheaper and younger.In 12 starts this past season, Allen completed 62 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He’s a pure pocket passer, something Gase obviously likes in his quarterbacks. Allen would also be a lot cheaper because of his age and experience.

Blaine Gabbert

Gabbert is a good mix of experience, youth and ability that the Jets could use behind Darnold. He’s started 48 games in eight seasons, recently turned 30 years old and has almost 15,000 passing attempts to his name for 9,063 yards. Gabbert isn’t a good quarterback – he’s only completed 56.2 percent of his passes and has 47 interceptions to his name – but he’s cheap and can play better than his stats give him credit for.There hasn’t been much expectation for Gabbert since the Jaguars let him go in 2013, but he’s performed admirably since then. His completion percentage rose to 59 percent between his stints in San Francisco, Arizona and Tennessee and he’s been able to lead multiple teams. Gabbert isn’t going to win games for the Jets, but he might not lose them if he needed to start.

> https://jetswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/20/2020-nfl-free-agency-jets-targets-backup-quarterbacks-case-keenum/

[kelly]

Rich Cimini  ESPN Staff Writer 

For those wondering if rookie QB James Morgan will see action this season, forget about it. Adam Gase has no plans to make him the QB2, saying he's "a ways off from that. That would be tough for me to put him in that position, considering he hasn't had preseason games and reps with those guys. That's not something you want to do." Morgan, a fourth-round pick, has been inactive for every game.

>    https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[vic]

Just watching Justin Fields play against Indiana. Very unimpressed so far Two interceptions, missing a wide open receiver... I would not trade him for Sam. Lawrence is the only Qb that is an upgrade in my opinion, if he is gone I stay with Sam.


Sent from my iPad using JetNation.com mobile app

[kelly]

Rich Cimini   ESPN Staff Writer 

QB Sam Darnold said he made "two bad decisions" — his two INTs. "Those suck," he said. "I missed a couple of throws. I have to be better. Didn't play well enough to win a ballgame today." Darnold disagreed with Adam Gase's belief that he's pressing. Asked about the possibility of going 0-16, Darnold said, "No. I mean, we'll find one."

>  https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

Rich Cimini   ESPN Staff Writer 

Coach Adam Gase has no intention of benching Sam Darnold. It's really a non-issue, but Gase was asked about it. "I think Sam is the starter and we need Sam to play as many snaps as possible," Gase said. He said Darnold made "some mistakes" yesterday, but that it's unfair to blame him for the offensive struggles. Gase said Darnold can improve over the final five games, adding, "I think there are things we can fix very quickly."

>  https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

Rich Cimini   ESPN Staff Writer 

QB Sam Darnold called the win "an amazing feeling." He was efficient, avoiding turnovers and throwing the ball away when under duress. As Adam Gase said, "There was no panic." If the Jets decide to trade Darnold, this was the kind of performance that will appeal to suitors. Asked about the Trevor Lawrence speculation, Darnold said, "It doesn't affect us."

>    https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

Until the Jets defeated the Rams in Week 15, it seemed like Sam Darnold would unquestionably be replaced by Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick.

But now New York is presumably out of the sweepstakes for the Clemson quarterback, since the club’s two wins helped Jacksonville secure the No. 1 overall pick. And that means the Jets drafting a quarterback isn’t as much of a foregone conclusion.For his part, Darnold has maintained he’d like to continue his time with the Jets and further develop as a QB.“I absolutely believe my best days are ahead,” Darnold said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN. “I know we all like to think of hypotheticals and what-ifs, but I’m a Jet right now.

I love being here. I love the guys in the locker room. I love going to work every single day here.”Darnold is 13-24 in 37 games as a starter since being drafted at No. 3 overall in 2018. This season, he’s completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,942 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. That works out to a 72.3 passer rating, which is the worst among 36 qualified players.“I think there are stretches where I didn’t play nearly as well as I should’ve, and I’ll be the first to admit it,” Darnold said.

The Jets seem likely to fire Adam Gase after the season concludes on Sunday. Time will tell if Darnold will be replaced in 2021 as well.

>    https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/12/31/sam-darnold-i-absolutely-believe-my-best-days-are-ahead/

[kelly]

Rich Cimini    ESPN Staff Writer 

QB Sam Darnold admitted for the first time that his future is uncertain. Asked if this was his final game with the Jets, he said, "I'm not sure." Darnold said he will speak with GM Joe Douglas tomorrow or in the near future: "Whether I stay, whether I leave, whatever happens, I'll deal with it when it comes." He took full accountability, saying, "I didn't play well this year...I think I can definitely play better in the future." Chances are, it will be elsewhere.

>    https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[kelly]

QB Index: Ranking the 59 starting quarterbacks of the 2020 NFL season

We took the reins of the QB Index at midseason, as Chris Wesseling's second battle with cancer intensified. Last Friday, Chris passed away at the age of 46, crushing everyone here at NFL Media and the scores of people he touched during a life well lived.So here we are, trying to pick up the pieces and do what Wess would've wanted us to do: Passionately and playfully live in the moment ... even when the moment calls for ranking men who throw an oblong sphere for a living.

For this season finale of the QB Index, NFL.com editors Ali Bhanpuri, Tom Blair, Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr created a composite ranking of all 59 quarterbacks who logged an official NFL start during the 2020 campaign. (And before you ask, no, the official record keepers did not credit anyone with a QB start in Denver's Week 12 loss, when the entire Broncos quarterback room landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Kendall Hinton, you're mercifully off the hook.)

These rankings were formulated with one simple question in mind :

Who had the best 2020 season, playoffs included ?

Past performances and future projections were NOT taken into account. Rather, this list is meant to reflect where each QB stood in the 2020 campaign alone.

~ ~ Rank 36

Sam Darnold

New York Jets · Year 3

Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 35 | Blair: 36 | Filice: 36 | Parr: 36

2020 stats: 12 games | 59.6 pct | 2,208 pass yds | 6.1 ypa | 9 pass TD | 11 INT | 217 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost

Parr: No QB with more than 110 pass attempts had a lower passer rating than Darnold (72.7). His flashes in leading the Jets to consecutive wins over playoff teams late in the season (Rams and Browns) could help inspire teams to make a trade offer for him, though. 

~ ~ ~ Rank 46

Joe Flacco

New York Jets · Year 13

Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 43 | Blair: 44 | Filice: 48 | Parr: 46

2020 stats: 5 games | 55.2 pct | 864 pass yds | 6.4 ypa | 6 pass TD | 3 INT | 22 rush yds | 0 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost

Filice: Since guiding the Ravens to the franchise's second Super Bowl title in 2012, Flacco's gone 44-51 as a starter with a dull 82.5 passer rating. Not exactly elite.

rest of above article : 

>     https://www.nfl.com/news/qb-index-ranking-the-59-starting-quarterbacks-of-the-2020-nfl-season

[kelly]

It is hard to think of a quarterback career arc analogous to Carson Wentz's. In the span of three years, he went from leading MVP candidate on a team that went on to win a Super Bowl to arguably the worst full-time starter in the NFL. And he's still just 28. All the things that accompanied that bizarre journey -- the blockbuster contract extension just 20 months ago, the injuries and rapid regression, the drafting of Jalen Hurts -- led to the implosion of what had once looked like a long-term marriage between the Philadelphia Eagles and a true franchise quarterback.

Wentz's trade to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday is the next big spin of the dizzying quarterback carousel of 2021, but given what it may mean for the player -- as well as the team he left and the one he is joining -- it could be among the most momentous (pending a Deshaun Watson resolution).We obviously can't know for sure how this trade will work out, but we can take an educated look at the early fallout and prospects of Wentz's move.

~ ~  3) The market for Sam Darnold: If you're the Jets, the compensation for Wentz probably doesn't bode well for the return if New York decides to trade Darnold. As bad as Wentz was last season, over the course of his career, he has been better than Darnold, and the Eagles still did not get an outright first-round pick for him. If Darnold becomes available, there will probably be more suitors for him, but the Wentz deal shows a trade for Darnold won't reap a windfall for the Jets.

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>  Carson Wentz trade: Who are the winners and losers? (nfl.com)