The New York Jets have made their moves at quarterback this offseason, including trading Justin Fields and landing Geno Smith. Getting rid of Fields was necessary for the Jets entering the offseason, as he was horrible for much of last season.
However, as the Jets navigate the offseason, they’ll need to figure out who to land to back Smith up.
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the Jets are now looking at some veteran quarterback options after missing out on a few targets. With New York shifting its focus toward finding a veteran backup, there are a few ways it can go. One of them could even be the draft if the Jets want to get creative.
Cimini had the latest on the Jets situation.
“Backup plan: The Fields trade means the Jets need a veteran backup for Smith. Carson Wentz and Andy Dalton, both linked to the opening because of their ties to new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, are now off the board. Wentz re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings; Dalton was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“The options are dwindling. One of them is re-signing Tyrod Taylor. He'd work well with Smith -- they have a good relationship -- but the concern with Taylor, 36, is that he's injury prone. Another option is Cooper Rush, 32, cut recently by the Baltimore Ravens. Other free agents include Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson. You can never rule out a trade -- Mougey has made 12 player trades since last year -- but the asking prices remain high,” he wrote.
Missing out on Carson Wentz and Andy Dalton isn’t the worst thing, as they aren’t the best. However, it’s important to remember how long both of them have been in the league. Even if neither of them would do a whole lot for the Jets, they’re probably better still at this time than a lot of young guys on the market.
A reunion with Tyrod Taylor could make sense given his time with the team, but he also struggled a bit in recent years with the Jets. Cooper Rush gives them starting experience in some sense, but he’s not much to write home about.