New Jets head coach Todd Bowles said at his introductory press conference today that he has a vision for the kind of team he wants to build in New York.
“Going forward, we’re going to be a tough team, we’re going to be an intelligent team. We’re going to do things the right way,” Bowles said.
But what neither Bowles nor new Jets G.M. Mike Maccagnan would say is whether the Jets’ Week One quarterback is currently on the roster. Michael Vick becomes a free agent in March, but Geno Smith is still under contract, which means that if Bowles and Maccagnan think highly of Smith’s potential, they could keep him for another year.
However, neither Bowles nor Maccagnan had anything noteworthy to say about Smith. Maccagnan avoided offering any opinions about Smith, saying he doesn’t “want to get too far ahead of ourselves.” Bowles referred to Smith as “a great college quarterback” while not saying whether he thinks Smith is a good or bad NFL quarterback.
Realistically, it’s hard to see the Jets going into training camp with Smith as their starter. They will most likely either sign a free agent, trade for a quarterback or draft a quarterback. Smith has had two years to prove himself, and he hasn’t done so.