The New York Jets are rumored to be making a big change at quarterback, moving on from Geno Smith and possibly looking to trade up for Marcus Mariota.
The team has been clear in its plans this offseason, taking a close look at the different quarterbacks available in the NFL Draft. This has put third-year quarterback Geno Smith in serious danger of losing his starting job, which was already in trouble to begin with. In his three season in New York, he has failed to stand out, struggling with inconsistency and even being pulled for Michael Vick in a number of games.
Smith’s job already appeared in peril when the Jets signed veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, who could serve as a stopgap starter while the team works in a rookie.
Jets head coach Todd Bowles said earlier this year that it will be an open competition, with at least one more quarterback on the way.
“We want competition at every position. Ryan (Fitzpatrick) is going to compete, as well as Geno is going to compete, and we hope to add somebody else to compete with them, along with (Matt) Simms.”
While it’s expected to be a competition for No. 1, Fox Sports reported that New York Jets are rumored to be done with Geno Smith .
“Citing sources close to the Jets, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported on Sunday that general manager Mike Maccagnan ‘hasn’t ruled out’ trading up for a quarterback in this year’s draft. Bleacher Report NFL insider Jason Cole reported on Monday that the Jets ‘want to move on’ from Smith, who is ‘not the guy.’”
“It makes sense that the Jets would be willing to move on so soon from Smith, given that neither Macagnan nor head coach Todd Bowles had any hand in his selection two years ago. Smith also showed little improvement between his first and second NFL seasons.”
The Jets have also been rumored to be looking closely at Marcus Mariota, the Oregon Ducks quarterback expected to go No. 2 in the draft. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to snag Jameis Winston with the No. 1, and the Jets could have some ammunition to trade up.
The New York Jets rumors are not entirely surprising. Geno Smith was the choice of the previous management and coaching staff, and new coach Todd Bowles has been working to bring in his own players. Whether that includes Marcus Mariota remains to be seen, but the Jets may have to pay a high price for him. There are a handful of teams reportedly interested in trading up to draft him, which could inflate the price quite a bit.
[Image via Getty Images/ Ron Antonelli ]
