Content available exclusively for subscribers
Of course it’s important, but there’s more to it than that.
You are going to hear over and over this off-season the Jets need to get better weapons for Sam Darnold.
“We definitely are excited about the idea of putting players around Sam,” general manager Mike Maccagnan said at the combine. “That’s going to be one of our focal points this offseason.”
But beware of thinking this is the panacea for the Jets’ offense.
Because it’s not.
Truly informed football observers know that quarterbacks make receivers, and receivers don’t make quarterbacks.
This might hard for some fantasy football players and some reporters to understand, but it’s true.
Should the Jets go out and sign some quality weapons this off-season, absolutely – running back, wide receiver and perhaps another tight end to compliment Chris Herndon are strong possibilities.
But most important, Sam Darnold needs to take the next step as a QB – improve his field vision, go through his progressions better and take the next step reading defenses. Too often last year he was too married to his first read. This is very common for a young QB.
I had written before the Jets’ last game of the season in New England, how Darnold did some nice things against a pair of injury-ravaged secondaries against Green Bay and Houston, but a better litmus test on his progress would be what he would do in Week 17, against a healthy, fundamentally-sound Patriots pass defense. The Jets lost 38-3 and their offense was stuck in the mud that day.
Don’t get the wrong idea. I like Darnold as a prospect, but I’m going not to use the word “franchise QB” yet as you often see on the Jets’ social media platforms. It’s too early for that. He has a long way to go.
And if you think that perceived better targets will help read defenses better, you are wrong. It doesn’t work that way.
I have seen bad teams through the years load up on receivers to help their young, first-round QB, and it made no difference because the QB didn’t see the field well. The Buffalo Bills traded up for WR Sammy Watkins to help out E.J. Manuel. How’d that work out? The
Detroit Lions picked wide receivers in the first round three years in a row to help Joey Harrington. How’d that work out?
When Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a come-from-behind win over the Jets, I challenge most people to name the receivers he was throwing to aside from Devante Adams. But he got it done with a rag-tag group. Because in the NFL, “quarterbacks make receivers, receivers don’t make quarterbacks.”
The Patriots usually don’t spend big in free agency on receivers or draft receivers high in the draft. Because they know, if the receivers do what they are supposed to do in the offense, Tom Brady will find the open guy.
So beware of the fool’s gold that Darnold needs better weapons to take the next step.
Once again, the Jets should sign some quality free agents on offense. No doubt.
But Darnold still needs to improve his progressive scans to take the next step, which he very well might this year.
But it’s apples and oranges when you talk about reading defenses and weapons. It’s two different things, and better weapons don’t make a
QB read defenses better.
And that’s the fact, Jack.
March 1, 2019
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Monday.