The Jets have been wholly woeful at the most important NFL position -- quarterback -- for the bulk of their 57 years of existence. Now the Jets are, ostensibly, about to change that. They traded a slew of draft ammunition to inch up three spots from the sixth pick to the third. And with one shrewd pick they can't necessarily erase decades of ignominy, but they can make the future a whole lot better.
We laughed last week when head coach Todd Bowles said his squad absolutely adored six or seven players currently on the draft board, which begged the best question of the draft: Why did you mortgage the farm to move up to number three when you could have gotten the player of your dreams at number six? It's the kind of thing only the Jets say and do, and perhaps you must live near the Meadowlands to understand how wholly acceptable, or at least prevalent, this sort of thing is.
But beyond their penchant for implosion, the Jets have shown some self-awareness, leading Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson out the door -- the former an incessant headache, the latter becoming one once he got his money. They showed enough restraint to not double down on their offer to Ndamukong Suh, another malcontent who does nothing to win a Super Bowl. They were accidentally wise in not signing QB Kirk Cousins, who is perfect for a loaded club like the Vikings, but would be battered and tattered by the time he was done with the Jets.
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Now, the Jets are in decent position to bag one of the franchise quarterbacks available later this month. Ironically, their fortunes may rest on the team that picks before them, which happens to be the team that shares their home field, competes for headlines, and a fan base.
Yes, Gang Green needs Big Blue to make a serious blunder, or at least inadvertently pick the wrong QB. Most reports have the Cleveland Browns taking Wyoming QB Josh Allen with the top pick. That leaves the Football Giants with three choices. They could do the Jets a serious solid and grab Penn State RB Saquon Barkley with the second pick.
It would be a horrible pick on its own, and it would have the ancillary benefit of giving the Jets two choices at QB -- USC's Sam Darnold or UCLA's Josh Rosen. The Giants could pick Darnold or Rosen, which leaves the Jets with the other QB still on the board. Or the Giants could deal their pick to another club dying for a franchise QB. Word is the Buffalo Bills are frothing for the No. 2 selection, and have already moved upward in the first round.
Frankly, if the Browns take Allen -- who played in Wyoming, against second-tier competition, and completed just 56-percent of his passes last year -- then they'd be doing the Jets a fine favor. Darnold and Rosen are the best prospects to potentially play for the Jets, and in the shadow of New York City. Both have prospered under the bright lights of big college programs, and proved they can handle the heat, pressure, and solitude of a big-city fishbowl.
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It says here that Rosen, the most accurate passer of the bunch, is the guy the Jets should covet. Should the Giants take Rosen, or trade the pick to someone who does, then Darnold is a darn good consolation prize. But any NFL personnel man of note says that the first thing he looks for in a pro QB is accuracy. More than size. More than having a howitzer for an arm. More than blazing through an IQ test.
Forget Jim Mora morphing into Benedict Arnold, knifing his former QB in the back, by saying Rosen gets bored and needs to be intellectually challenged. We've heard that about another QB -- Aaron Rodgers -- who may be the best player ever to toss a pigskin. It seems coaches named Mora have a way of making odd statements -- "Playoffs?!?!" -- at curious moments. Didn't his dad once hurl Peyton Manning under the bus during his fledgling years in Indianapolis?
The Jets and Josh. Sounds right. Feels right. It is right. That is if they get the chance to chose the Chosen Rosen.