Brian Costello "There is a feeling among people around the league that Douglas is a fan of Wilson while members of the new Jets coaching staff are advocating for keeping Darnold"

[Jetsbb]

 

https://nypost.com/2021/03/25/zach-wilsons-pro-day-a-huge-moment-in-jets-qb-decision/

The Jets are finally going to get their close-up with Zach Wilson.

The BYU quarterback will have his pro day Friday in Provo, Utah. Jets general manager Joe Douglas will be in attendance along with other representatives from the team. It is their first chance to see Wilson in person after COVID restrictions prevented scouts from attending college games in the fall and the NFL Scouting Combine was canceled.

For Douglas, this is a huge day in his quarterback decision. Douglas wanted to see the college quarterbacks up close before making a final decision on whether to draft one No. 2 overall or stick with incumbent Sam Darnold. After seeing Wilson on Friday and Ohio State’s Justin Fields on Tuesday, Douglas’ evaluation will be nearly complete.

The feeling in league circles is the Jets are going to trade Darnold and draft Wilson. There is a feeling among people around the league that Douglas is a fan of Wilson while members of the new Jets coaching staff are advocating for keeping Darnold. No matter how much debate occurs, though, this will be Douglas’ call in the end.

Wilson is a fascinating evaluation. He had a monster 2020 season for BYU. He completed 73.5 percent of his passes for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions. But there are questions about the level of competition he faced, with the Cougars playing teams like Troy, Texas State and North Alabama.

Wilson’s name skyrocketed up draft boards this year like Joe Burrow’s did last year. He was not even the clear-cut starter at BYU entering summer camp. He had to win the job after throwing 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2019.

“I can tell you this,” former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said, “and I’ve very confident in saying it: His physical traits, his physical talent, his ball placement, his flick of the wrist throws, his creativity, his torque upper body, those physical traits are what makes a good quarterback in the NFL right now. The two questions I have about Zach are, and I’m not privy to this: What kind of leader is he, and why wasn’t he voted a captain? Those are my two big questions.”

The captain question has been debated. He was not voted a captain by his teammates initially but was named to the team’s leadership council. He was named a captain before Week 1 after an injury to one of the other captains.

The Jets will get time to ask Wilson about that in pre-draft Zoom calls. There are no in-person interviews this year due to COVID restrictions.

On Friday, Douglas will get to see Wilson up close, see how the ball comes out of his hands, how he interacts with teammates and also see if he truly is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds as he is listed.

[Larz]

Yup

Its fields 

[HawkeyeJet]

Gonna be showdown round these parts

[JoJoTownsell1]

I can't wait until this forum turns this "feeling around the league" into "omg there is a chaos in the Jets organization"

[T0mShane]

Spoiler alert: the Jets want someone to trade up to 2. 

[joewilly12]

THE GODDAMN JETS 

[freestater]

I'm already in love with Dimples McTwink. I'm gonna be so heartbroken when we run it back with the ginger boogie boarder and Kyle Pitts. 

[Sarge4Tide]

[section314]

If there is anybody who honestly thinks that after all the time JD and Saleh spent together before he was hired that they aren't on the same page regarding the QB decision, then I don't know what to tell you. JD would have never hired him, nor would Saleh ever have taken the job. Common sense fellas.

[Grandy]

Wasn't there a random twitter guy that reported this a few days ago?

[Mike135]

Sam fans:  Linebacker types like Saleh.  Strong, tough, strategic. 

Wilson fans:  Fat executive types like JD.  Need naps too.

[joewilly12]

1 minute ago, Grandy said:

Wasn't there a random twitter guy that reported this a few days ago?

Was his name enahSm0T 

[adobolo2]

This is hilarious if true, couldn't make it up or maybe joe is!

[Alka]

7 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

Spoiler alert: the Jets want someone to trade up to 2. 

It makes perfect sense.  Douglas and the coaches got together, and they agreed that Douglas would want Wilson, and the coaches want Darnold.

The reason for this is that when Darnold is the QB this year, the coaches, who have to work with Darnold every day, can say that they lobbied for Sam, and they won out.  Sam can feel good about the coaches behind behind him.  

If they did it the other way, then Darnold would have a problem with the coaches, so the higher ups decided that it is better for the coaches to want Sam.  

This of course incentivizes other teams to trade with the Jets for the pick, since they feel that Joe will draft Wilson, since he wants him.

[Integrity28]

How it started: fire the gm, keep the coach

How it’s going: fire the coach, keep the gm

 

[Augustiniak]

JD controlling the narrative that the jet coaches love darnold so much and JD is the bad guy here.  Very clever.  They’re Tom Sawyering teams to trade for darnold.

[slimjasi]

5 minutes ago, Mike135 said:

Sam fans:  Linebacker types like Saleh.  Strong, tough, strategic. 

Wilson fans:  Fat executive types like JD.  Need naps too.

I mean, Douglas is a former offensive lineman. 

[slimjasi]

yea, i don't really buy this. 

[football guy]

Make no mistake, Douglas is in the Darnold corner too, but the front office is trying to not let emotion dictate their direction. It’s highly unlikely Douglas is going to let himself get beat in a trade for #2 if the offers aren’t there, at which rate trading Darnold would seem to be the likely play since there are more teams willing to meet that price than there may be for #2. 

As far as why the coaches like Darnold: they believe (1) he has all the requisite tools to thrive in the offense they’re installing; (2) he is more prepared to “win-now” than a rookie would be; and (3) potentially trading the pick will result in an immense talent influx for years to come... assuming of course there’s a hot market for the pick.   

[Mike135]

Just now, slimjasi said:

I mean, Douglas is a former offensive lineman. 

Who now naps during games.

[K_O_Brien]

1 minute ago, Mike135 said:

Sam fans:  Linebacker types like Saleh.  Strong, tough, strategic. 

Wilson fans:  Fat executive types like JD.  Need naps too.

Admittedly, I did doze off through most of our games last year. I just didn't have it in me to stay awake and see if Sam could throw for more 200 yards for a change. 

[New York Mick]

How many more days until the draft? This is getting as bad as the elections 

[Paradis]

Just when i think they've ran out of bullsh*t to throw against the wall--

[Jetlife33]

Truly a fascinating situation the Jets are in. 

[Jetlife33]

[derp]

With accuracy of the leaks regarding the Jets’ free agency plans, the stories about league wide perceptions of what they are expected to do at hopefully the most important selection of Joe Douglas’ tenure should carry a lot of weight.

We’ll find out April 29 unless they move the pick before that. I’d be stunned if he’s tipped his hand this much by late March.

[Barry McCockinner]

21 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

Spoiler alert: the Jets want someone to trade up to 2. 

I don't agree with you much, because you're usually wrong, but this is painfully obvious.

[PS17]

35 days

[Beerfish]

17 minutes ago, section314 said:

If there is anybody who honestly thinks that after all the time JD and Saleh spent together before he was hired that they aren't on the same page regarding the QB decision, then I don't know what to tell you. JD would have never hired him, nor would Saleh ever have taken the job. Common sense fellas.

I do not think it is that simple.  I do not think Douglas had or has made up his mind 100% either way.

I still think that even if he likes Wilson (but does not class him as 'must have') he will trade the pick if the offer is high enough.

[Jetlife33]

7 minutes ago, football guy said:

Make no mistake, Douglas is in the Darnold corner too, but the front office is trying to not let emotion dictate their direction. It’s highly unlikely Douglas is going to let himself get beat in a trade for #2 if the offers aren’t there, at which rate trading Darnold would seem to be the likely play since there are more teams willing to meet that price than there may be for #2. 

As far as why the coaches like Darnold: they believe (1) he has all the requisite tools to thrive in the offense they’re installing; (2) he is more prepared to “win-now” than a rookie would be; and (3) potentially trading the pick will result in an immense talent influx for years to come... assuming of course there’s a hot market for the pick.   

Really a difficult decision, at this point I don’t even know what I want the Jets to do, and at this point I really don’t care as long as they get it right. Just get it right for once NYJ. Please. Thanks for your insight as always FG. 

[Mark78]

27 minutes ago, HawkeyeJet said:

Gonna be showdown round these parts

Amazing movie!

[IndianaJet]

It’s doesn’t seem like it was so long ago that the general belief was “Don’t believe anything you read on the internet”

Not sure people follow that credo anymore. 

[Grandy]

17 minutes ago, football guy said:

(2) he is more prepared to “win-now” than a rookie would be; and  

This is the most fascinating one. The tools and scheme arguments are valid but this one puzzles and scares me. 

He posted worse numbers and film last year than most rookies, and doesnt do various things that Wilson and Fields already can.

To me, Darnold is the equivalent of a rookie QB right now in terms of how far along he is, if not more raw. With Darnold showing more concerns than any draft guy as well.

I think too many people focus on the idealized version of Darnold more than what he's actually done.

[football guy]

4 minutes ago, Jetlife33 said:

Really a difficult decision, at this point I don’t even know what I want the Jets to do, and at this point I really don’t care as long as they get it right. Just get it right for once NYJ. Please. Thanks for your insight as always FG. 

It truly is fascinating. The coaches see Darnold as someone who is more talented than Garoppolo, and given how their scheme does a lot more to promote QB efficiency and clean play, they don't think Darnold is as big of a risk as the media/fans make him out to be. They were there to see Garoppolo lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl, and they think that caliber of player is a realistic floor for Darnold.

It really all comes down to the market for #2. I have no idea if Atlanta will be interested in moving up, Carolina executive acting coy about trading up, Denver interested in Darnold more so than making a big draft-day move, haven't heard anything about San Fran moving up/Jets moving outside the top 10, and I'd be shocked if they considered dealing a QB to New England, even though the front offices get along. 

I do think Carolina would trade if push comes to shove; not buying that they're passing up on QBs this year. The sleeper team is Philadelphia. They've done wild things before so can't rule them out entirely. 

[rangerous]

so just what did Costello say beyond nobody knows which the jets are going.  Douglas is playing really close and he doesn’t have anyone leaking to the twerps like maneesh.  That’s a good thing.