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Part Four of our series . . .
Davis Webb has a lot of potential, but it’s always best to have a #2 QB with extensive real game regular season NFL experience. Over the course of the 2016 and 2017 seasons, new Jets backup QB Trevor Siemian started 24 games in Denver.
So he’s faced “real bullets” as they say. Webb hasn’t. And Siemian wasn’t terrible in his 24 starts, throwing 30 TD’s and 24 picks.
Look, after missing the playoffs the last eight years, and coming off a combined 14-34 record the last three years, the Jets need to win this year. And if Sam Darnold gets hurt, they need an experienced backup who has proven he can move an NFL team under the bright lights on game day. Siemen has done that.
Look, I’m not putting Trevor in Canton. He’s best served in the backup role, but he can “get you through a few games” as scouts like to say. His accuracy is so-so and sometimes takes off running too quickly when he senses pressure, instead of keeping his eyes down field, but he’s a solid #2 QB. The Vikings gave up a fifth-round pick for him a year ago to serve as Kirk Cousins backup. Siemian is valued around the league as a capable #2.
And the Jets will save $8 million on this position compared to last year. in 2018, they paid Josh McCown $10 million and Siemian will make $2 million.
The Orlando-native is extremely bright, an honor student at Northwestern, who will pick up the Jets’ system fast.
One of the Jets’ first moves in free agency was re-signing center Jonotthan Harrison.
For some reason, there is a perception out there this was a depth move. There’s a narrative out there that he’s a backup player.
There’s a good chance he’s going to start for the Jets. The Jets gave him a two-year deal for $5 million with $2.5 million guaranteed.
This is a player who has 32 career starts, and is now in his prime at 27. He knows what he’s doing out there.
He’s a powerful man, at 6-4, 300 pounds, with muscles on top of muscles. He’s also very bright and good at making line calls. He was raised by a strict Jamaican mother who punished him when he got his first “B” in school. He had been a straight “A” student up to that point. He’s a hard-worker who is very studious and prepared.
Look, the Jets could sign another center to compete with him in camp, but he’s the front-runner to start right now.
I think one of the reasons there is some negativity about the player in the Jets’ Nation is that an agent, who is also a Jets fan, was very active on social media pushing the Jets to sign his client, who was one of the top centers in free agency. When that player signed with Carolina, this inflamed some Jets fans . . .
After the Jets passed on matching Seattle’s large offer to kicker Jason Myers, the Jets went out and signed Chandler Catanzaro. He struggled in Tampa last year (what kicker doesn’t), but was very good for the Jets in 2017 connecting on 83.3 percent of his field goals and all his extra points. He’s comfortable kicking in MetLife Stadium, which can have tricky winds. He’s also used to the wild Jets’ media scene, which isn’t for everyone. He had good relationship with reporters in 2017.
March 21, 2019
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