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It would be really hard to find one scout, league-wide, who would give Matt Simms a higher grade than G.J. Kinne.
If you find one, let us know.
But the Jets released Kinne today. We asked them why in an e-mail, and got no response.
Kinne is generally a high-road kid. He’s very religious, a wonderful young man.
But you could tell he was pissed today at how Mike Tannenbaum treated him.
“I definitely didn’t get a fair shot, but I know God has a plan! Thanks for all the support,” Kinne tweeted.
I don’t want to make too big of a deal out of this story. After all, the Jets three quarterback spots are locked up, barring injury, with Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow and Greg McElroy.
But nothing Tannenbaum does any more surprises me. He is as cutthroat as any GM I’ve ever seen.
I’m not saying he’s a bad GM, just saying he’s cutthroat.
Kinne was a priority free agent coming out of the 2012 draft. Often times players rather be priority free agents than seventh round picks. Priority free agents (the top undrafted free agents, like Nick Bellore last year), often have many choices, and have a chance to pick the best situation, where they have a better chance of making a team. Seventh round picks don’t have this choice. Since the money is very close, most players rather be a priority free agents than seventh round picks.
Kinne, who passed for over 6,000 yards during his career at Tulsa, saw the Jets as a good spot. Mark Brunell and Kevin O’Connell were gone, so he could go into camp as the #4, and perhaps land a spot on the practice squad.
But you have remember one of Tannenbaum’s favorite expressions when talking about his GM style – “it’s a continuum.” He says it all the time.
So whatever Kinne was told by the Jets after the draft really didn’t mean much. Tannenbaum’s continuum mindset changes scenarios all the time.
They brought Matt Simms in for a tryout during OTA’s, and then signed him.
It seems like they see more in Matt Simms than the coaches at Louisville and Tennessee, where he struggled getting playing time.
While Kinne was setting records, Simms had a hard time getting into games.
So why would they cut Kinne today, and keep Simms? Better size and arm? Maybe, but that can be very overrated.
Maybe they are trying to look like big shots to his father, a prominent NFL broadcast figure – trying to curry favor with him. Phil Simms is a major, major NFL figure.
Otherwise, how do explain this?
Like I said before, I challenge everyone out there to find one scout, one GM (aside from Tannenbaum), who would rank Simms ahead of Kinne.
“Kinne has good feet and a quick-armed release,” said PFW’s Nolan Nawrocki. “He throws with conviction. Has backyard athletic ability, and throws naturally on the move and can make plays when the pocket breaks down. He is mentally and physically tough and will play hurt. He’s a tough competitive, Texas-bred passer. He has a gunslinger mentality.”
The way Tannenbaum treated Kinne is just wrong.
But the kid will overcome this, he’s tough as nails, as is his family.
His father, a Texas high school coach, was shot by a disgruntled parent in 2005. G.J. was told his father died. Then when Gary Joe managed to hang on, but was given a 10 percent chance to live. He was in the hospital for three months, and somehow pulled through.
G.J. will pull through as well.
July 28, 2012.
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