Geno Smith cannot catch a break. The New York Jets rookie quarterback has not exactly had an easy start to his professional career, but that was to be expected considering the team that drafted him. He was criticized for changing his agent after the NFL Draft, not attending Jets West camp and having a reported "diva attitude." After saying he just wanted to focus on football once entering training camp, Smith is once again under fire after reporting out of shape at camp.
Smith is currently in a highly publicized quarterback competition with Mark Sanchez. While Smith may have a skill set that makes him a more likely choice as starter, he is lagging behind in the conditioning area. Brian Baldinger of the NFL Network reported that Smith appeared out of shape and winded during sprints following practice. He noted Smith could not keep up with Sanchez or anyone else in his group.
"He looked good yesterday until they ran gassers at the end of practice, and Geno Smith looked like he had done no conditioning," Baldinger said of Smith. "It was actually embarrassing to see how far behind he was behind Sanchez, [Matt] Simms and everybody else that's there."
Smith is known for his speed after running a 4.6 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but if Smith was winded like reported, then Sanchez took the offseason more serious than the rookie. So, how much will this play into the overall race to become the starter for 2013? Honestly, very little. Conditioning can be fixed with workouts and diet over time. Run the same sprints next week and Smith is likely to have improved. Mechanics are harder to fix and Smith has no issue with those.
Heath Evans also of the NFL Network reported Smith excelled during quarterback drills. He looked good getting in and out of the huddle. He got the ball out of his hands quickly and displayed a lot of accuracy and zip in this throws. These are the kind of things that will matter when the season gets ready to start.
Both head coach Rex Ryan and John Idzik will play a role in deciding who gets the starting spot. Ryan told the media that they are making a mountain out of a mole hill, but what does he expect? Every bit of Smith's and Sanchez's play will be under a microscope throughout the entire football season. Even after a starter is named, many will speculate when the replacement is put in.
