With the recent acquisition of Michael Vick, the Jets suddenly have an enormous decision to make. Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, so it is in the team’s best interest to make their decision long before the season commences. Will 23-year-old Geno Smith retain his position or will 33-year-old veteran Michael Vick takeover as the starting Jets quarterback?
Geno Smith struggled mightily in his rookie season to say the least. Geno finished with 21 interceptions, the fourth most in the NFL last season. He showed flashes at times, and he certainly had some very good games, but there is a reason he slid to the second round in the 2013 NFL Draft. On the other hand, Michael Vick is fresh off another injury-plagued season that caused him to lose his starting job to Nick Foles in Philadelphia. Neither option is particularly spectacular, but it is crucial for the Jets to make the right decision.
Geno Smith would be the right decision.
With the Jets currently in a rebuilding mode, stunting the growth and confidence of a young quarterback would further harm the future of the team. When the Jets selected Geno Smith with the 39th selection in the 2013 draft, they expected a talented player that could become their franchise quarterback. Today, that option is still available, and allowing Geno to seize that opportunity is crucial to his development. Despite his rookie struggles, the Jets finished the season 8-8, one game out of the Wild Card playoff seed. Geno led his team to a somewhat respectable record, despite the lack of offensive weapons. Now that the Jets have signed WR Eric Decker and look to draft another offensive weapon early in the 2014 Draft, Geno Smith has a legitimate chance to better last year’s mark. Benching him for the rapidly aging Vick would be a waste of another high draft pick.
Not only would Michael Vick not help the Jets in the long-term, his short-term ability might be limited. Michael Vick started six games last season before being replaced by Nick Foles. For the purpose of this comparison, I’ll exclude Vick’s game against the Giants because he was injured early in the game after only attempting nine passes and throwing one interception. In the five other games, Vick threw five touchdowns and two interceptions for a total of 1,185 yards. While those numbers certainly aren’t horrendous, Vick was playing in a much more talented offense than the Jets offense and he still only averaged 237 passing yards per game. That is good enough for 19th in the NFL, barely edging out Matt Schaub.
In his prime, Vick was certainly a talented quarterback and he helped revolutionize the position. Today, he is average at best and would be more suited as a formidable backup for the Jets. Even if Vick wasn’t extremely injury-prone, his current talent on the field is hardly an upgrade over a much younger Geno Smith. Denying Geno the opportunity to earn his high draft selection would be another huge blunder for a team that just finished cutting ties with Mark Sanchez. But even if the Jets do make Vick their starting quarterback, you will inevitably see Geno Smith on the field after a few games anyway.
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