NFL Off-Season: Top QB Competitions

Jun 17, 2014; Florham Park, USA; New York Jets quarterbacks Matt Simms (5), Geno Smith (7) , Michael Vick and Tajh Boyd (3) with quarterback coach David Lee during New York Jets minicamp at Atlantic Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets
Geno Smith vs. Michael Vick vs. Tajh Boyd

What Has Been Said:
Head Coach Rex Ryan
“I think there is competition, there’s no doubt. As a coach, you love it. I’ve said from Day 1 that I think Geno will be hard to beat out. ‘But I’ve also said Mike will have an opportunity to compete, and he definitely will. I think we’ll let it play out a little bit. It’s the second day of OTAs, so it’s not a closed competition.”

Geno Smith
“I just believe with the experience I’ve gained and the direction we were heading in as an offense and where I see myself as a second-year player,” said Smith. “I just believe I’m more than capable of being the starter.”

Michael Vick
“I feel like I’m a legitimate starting quarterback in this league,” Vick said on SNY’s “Daily News Live.”

[table id=7 /]

Prediction:
Now don’t get my wrong, there are times when I thoroughly believe that taking Geno 39th overall was a mistake, however I believe that if Smith had a better offense surrounding him then he would have done much better than he did during the season. This season Smith’s offensive line allowed him to be sacked a whopping 47 times, 6th most in the NFL this season. As well, Smith and the Jets had only one receiver catch for over 500 yards and that was Jeremy Kerley who caught 43 passes for 523 yards in 2013. One of the main reasons why Smith ended up throwing 21 interceptions and 10 touchdowns and fumbling the ball 7 times in 2013 can be blamed on himself, but at the same time on his offensive line and receivers. If a QB isn’t protected all the time, it is no wonder that Smith was forced to throw the ball. At the same time it doesn’t give Smith an excuse to play poorly at the QB position and throw 21 interceptions.

As for the rookie Tajh Boyd, who was selected later in the draft, I expect good things. Although many may not agree, I believe that Boyd was one of the most underrated QBs in the draft. Luckily the Jets grabbed him in the later rounds, but still. His career numbers at Clemson were nothing to scoff at. Over his last three seasons as the starting QB, Boyd averaged 3,858.3 yards, 34.3 touchdowns, 65.1 completion percentage and a 158.5 QB rating. Yet because of off-season evaluations, Boyd has been considered by many to be worse off than some other QBs. Sure he may have thrown and errant ball or two during some off-season workouts, but does that mean we should totally ignore his great career stats? Regardless, Boyd is now a New York Jet and should see at least some playing time -or rather- proving time during the pre-season. If he can complete all of his passes and make plays during the pre-season, he should be able to make the week one roster. Currently Geno Smith is the QB of the Jets, however after last season’s atrocious showing at QB, his job could be in jeopardy if either Michael Vick or Boyd show that they have what it takes.

With Jace Amaro and company to combine with Eric Decker and the Jets receiving corps, Geno Smith and all of the other Jets’ QBs should have more than adequate receiving targets next season. If the Jets do fail to resurrect their 31st-ranked pass offense, it is time for either a QB change or a coaching change. Amaro should be used in the goal-line situations due to his size and leaping ability, while receivers like Jalen Saunders and Shaq Evans should stay towards the inside at the slot position for some quick screens or even on the outside for some deep bombs. The key though is that they have the talent to make something great. It is now up to the players to perform and the coaches to mold those players into great athletes. The addition of Michael Vick adds an interesting element to this Jets’ offensive passing game. While Vick isn’t quite the runner he used to be, he can still throw the ball with the best of them. I believe that in the case that Geno continues to throw intercepts and miss easy throws, we could be seeing Vick starting some games for the Jets in 2014. I think Geno gets the starting nod week one, however mid-way through the year is when Vick could potentially be getting his first playing minutes. Geno has a revamped receiving and running game with Eric Decker and Chris Johnson. If he can prove able to manage the offense, then the job is his for the taking. However, Vick’s experience and playoff caliber leadership show that this Jets’ QB competition is much more complicated than it seems. Keep an eye out for pre-season folks, that is when things will start to get dicey.