Tag: Zach Wilson

Another NFL Draft, another chance for teams to get right at quarterback

For these three clubs, the hope is 2024 brings a player to build the foundation around

In sports, there might not be a more important position than the quarterback in football. While some teams have had unprecedented success finding their guy to build a team around, others have gone through purgatory to find something remotely close. With the NFL Draft behind us, there were front offices everywhere who spent countless nights trying to make sure they have the right QB (if they don’t already) to be the face of the franchise. This is especially true for three clubs, all who have had tremendous difficulty finding someone to lean on for various reasons. It’s time to dive into why they may have finally got it right, or maybe, why their search will continue far beyond this draft.

The obvious team to start with is the Chicago Bears, who had the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year. The Bears haven’t had a bonafide starter since Jim McMahon was the man during the 1980s. Since then, the quarterbacks who have played in the Windy City have provided mixed results at best. Rex Grossman (Remember him?) was the man when Chicago went to the Super Bowl in 2006 (losing to the Indianapolis Colts), and the franchise thought the found their man in Jay Cutler in 2009, but inconsistencies and turnovers equaled disappointment at the end. The latest experiment involved Justin Fields, who the Bears selected with the 11th pick in 2021. The reasons for why Fields would end up being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers can and have been debated for weeks, but the next man is former USC QB Caleb Williams. The feelings about Williams will be discussed later, but for now, let’s say the belief in him isn’t as high as what the mainstream media displays.

Sitting with the second pick of this year’s draft was the Washington Commanders. Like the Bears, it’s been musical quarterbacks for the better part of the last three decades for Washington, who have seen 27 players take their turn at the position since 2000. In 2012, they thought they had their man in the form of Robert Griffin III, and there was reason to believe this was the case after Griffin III won the Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately for the player and the team, injuries would derail RGIII’s career, and the Commanders would turn to Kirk Cousins, who was taken in the fourth round of that same draft. Cousins played pretty well overall, but was never able to lead Washington past the wild card round of the playoffs during his tenure. Since seeing Cousins leave to sign a record contract (at the time) with the Minnesota Vikings before the 2018 campaign, they haven’t settled on a consistent starter. The latest contender, Sam Howell, was just traded to the Seattle Seahawks last month. So who is next to try their hand at solidifying the QB position in Washington? That question seemed tougher to answer than it would be for Chicago, but former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is the choice. For the Commanders’ sake, let’s hope No. 28 is more consistent than the last 27.

Lastly, let’s slide down the draft order to No. 12, where the Denver Broncos resided. In the grand scheme of things, the Broncos haven’t been as bad off as the first two squads. After all, they have been fortunate to see two of the best quarterbacks ever to wear their uniform (John Elway and Peyton Manning). Outside of those years, it’s been up-and-down. Before the 2022 season, Denver felt they had a roster that was ready to compete for a championship, and the missing piece was that QB. So they decided to trade a nice haul of draft picks and players to the Seahawks for Russell Wilson, then signed him to a five-year, $245 million contract extension. The two years that followed were nothing short of disastrous, and Wilson is now with the Steelers (like Fields). Meanwhile, the Broncos are eating $85 million in dead cap money, and they’re once again in the market for a quarterback. In an attempt to remedy this ongoing problem, they acquired Zach Wilson from the New York Jets Monday, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if they reached for another one. As it turned out, it’s Bo Nix who could be next in line, depending on who wins the competition to start that’s coming in Denver.

It’s no secret the quest to find the quarterback of the future is never-ending in the NFL. A few teams (the Kansas City Chiefs among others) get it right, but it appears most of them can’t. More often than not, it’s different year, same problem. In this year’s edition of the quest, six of the first 12 picks were QBs. The Bears, Commanders and Broncos hope this is the year they end their nightmare search. Of course, we have to see these men actually get on the field and play before making any determinations, but if we’re going off of a projection before the draft, I would say nay on Chicago, yay for Washington and neutral for Denver. Personally, I felt Daniels was the best quarterback in the draft, and was never high on Williams (probably an unpopular opinion). For Nix, I can see a solid starter, but that probably won’t be enough for starving, impatient fan bases. The beauty is we’ll start to get right or wrong answers soon enough, and for these three teams, a rest off of the QB carousel would be close to heaven.

Same overhype, and probably same results coming for Jets

There’s a lot of noise coming from New York, but chances are it will be just that

It’s getting close to the start of another NFL season, and with that comes the renewed hope for teams and their millions of fans, the belief that says this could be the year where a Super Bowl victory parade can be seen in their city. Of course, there are some places that deserve the hype more than others, but a few that is going to get bulks of conversation simply because of where they reside. The New York Jets are one of those clubs, and if they weren’t in the nation’s top media market, it would be hard to imagine them receiving the hype they get every season. It’s not like their play on the field gives reason for conversation (unless it’s staying in purgatory). The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since 2010, and have had seven last place finishes in the AFC East since their last postseason appearance. Coming into this season, there’s actually championship talk centering around New York, and with hype machines ESPN and HBO’s “Hard Knocks” driving the bandwagon, that talk is going nowhere fast. Last time it’s been checked, no team has ever won a title on paper, and here are reasons why the Jets might stay that way when the season is finished.

Before diving into those reasons, let’s be frank by saying there’s more cases for belief than any other season in memory. New York has a legit quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, replacing Zach Wilson as the starter. They have a defense (led by Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner), who was one of the top units last season, returning the majority of their players. The team even have some shiny toys as weapons (with Offensive ROY Garrett Wilson among them) for Rodgers to throw to. With the Jets, the roster looks like one that can compete with any in the NFL, but the offensive line is a worrisome spot that could derail any dreams of glory days. Last season, New York quarterbacks were sacked 42 times. The QBs that were back there, whether it was Wilson, Mike White (now with the Dolphins) or Chris Streveler, weren’t that good. That’s no secret, but with the protection they were getting, there aren’t many quarterbacks who would thrive under those conditions. Wilson, in particular, has more issues on his own, but he was far from the only problem. Yes, Rodgers should be a significant upgrade at arguably the most important position in all of sports, but the offensive line better be upgraded along with him. If not, a record hovering around .500 could once again be in the Jets’ future. No QB likes getting knocked down, and it’s not uncommon for other people start getting blamed for it, especially if it’s Rodgers telling the story. When New York City is the place the drama unfolds, it’s a totally different beast. Either Rodgers gets protection, or it’s going to be open season in the tabloids.

Of course, nothing happens if things that can be controlled aren’t taken care of, but even if that does happen, there’s a lot of competition in the aforementioned AFC East that could eliminate New York. The Buffalo Bills, who have won the division the last three season, are still the favorites to win the crown once again. The Miami Dolphins, coming off of a playoff appearance a year ago, look to be formidable with an explosive offense and improvements on defense (at least through transactions). As for the New England Patriots, they’re never an easy team to face, and they seem to beat the Jets no matter when they play. Long story short, if New York wants to become the team to beat, it’s going to be tough to get through division battles alone.

Let’s say the Jets are to make it out of the AFC East as champions. If that happens, the conference as a whole doesn’t lack for quality teams that look to be in the running for a Super Bowl berth. The defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, won’t give the title up easily. The Cincinnati Bengals made it to at least the AFC Championship Game two seasons in a row. In Jacksonville, the Jaguars are young and hungry. The Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and Los Angeles Chargers also figure to make some noise. New York can turn out to be a good team, but how much better is a significant question. They won seven games last year, and their win total odds are set at +9.5. Even if they go over, it still might not be enough to make it to the playoffs, not because the Jets aren’t formidable, but because there are other teams that may turn out to be better.

This isn’t an effort to rain on the optimism for fans in the city that never sleeps and beyond. It’s merely a caution, warning against getting blinded by the hype. New York has a good roster, and it’s easy to believe they could be ready to win right now with the addition of Rodgers. Of course, we’ll start getting answers soon, but don’t be surprised if the Bills win the AFC East, and it’s a struggle for the Jets to make the playoffs as a wild card. The conference is loaded with good teams, and hype machines are known to set people up for heartache. Consider this an effort to help bring realistic expectations to the table, so if (and probably when) the Jets get grounded, there should be no one saying there wasn’t people seeing things with clear eyes. The buyer beware sign is out, and now, it’s time to see how the bandwagon looks after each passing game.