Big shocker: the Jets need help just about everywhere in the offseason.
In short (well, not that short), the team could use some defensive backs that can actually cover receivers; a run-stopping DT who can absorb blockers like Snacks Harrison did so well in 2015; a play-making linebacker who can rush the passer (pick up the red courtesy phone, Jordan Jenkins); infusions of youth at WR, RB and OL; someone to determine if Brandon Marshall has anything left in the tank; someone to tell Darrelle Revis he doesn’t; and, oh yeah, a starting quarterback.
That is, unless you think it’s OK to start the 2017 campaign with either Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg under center.
Who’s more scared by that possibility: Jets fans or team management?
The talk is that the Bills are done with Tyrod Taylor, that he was a Rex Ryan guy who no longer fits in with what Buffalo is trying to do. I don’t think Rex gets much right, but I’ll give him props on Taylor. If Buffalo lets him go, the Jets should snatch him up. Fast.
What do I like about Taylor? A lot. He’s got solid experience, yet, at 27, he’s still young, particularly at a spot where you can be productive well into your late 30s (Tom Brady doesn’t stink). He also has very little wear-and-tear on him, as the six-year pro saw little action before joining the Bills in 2015, throwing just 35 passes -- and suffering only five sacks -- in his time in Baltimore.
Taylor has the athleticism to extend plays, yet the smarts not to do so foolishly. He throws very few interceptions -- just 12 in 29 games as the Bills’ starter. The Jets, meanwhile, tossed 41 INTs over the past two seasons.
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Yes, I’ve heard the knocks: Taylor runs too much and doesn’t win enough. As for the first point, I agree, but the QB was playing on a run-first team where his favorite target -- Sammy Watkins -- missed 11 games over the past two years. It’s an easily fixable issue. As for the second, Taylor went .500 in Buffalo. However, he more than did his part, leading the Bills to an average of 24 points a game. Buffalo’s D didn’t hold up its end -- or the opponent -- giving up 23 points a contest. Even Drew Brees can’t go .500 with a lousy defense.
The Jets own the sixth pick in the 2017 draft, and if Mike Maccagnan & Co. want, they can certainly grab one of the top QB prospects. As history has proven, though, that route is a 50-50 proposition. The odds are likely worse this year, when the No. 1 guy is someone named Mitch Trubisky, who no one has even seen play and wasn’t good enough to win the starting job at North Carolina -- over so-so competition -- until his fourth year on campus.
Personally, I’d go with Taylor in a heartbeat. He’s not a savior, but he is a solid QB who is only getting better. When’s the last time you could say that about a Jet?
