Geno Smith is being given a second chance. After two roller coaster years with the New York Jets, the team is taking another chance on him after avoiding both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota in the NFL Draft. Heading into the offseason, Smith was considered on the chopping block and the trade to acquire Ryan Fitzpatrick reinforced that idea. While head coach Todd Bowles is open to adding more quarterbacks to the rotation, not drafting Mariota or Winston means Smith is the man in charge.
Smith does not believe his job is up for grabs as he enters minicamps as the starting quarterback with Fitzpatrick healing from a broken leg. The quarterback is very confident that the Jets are his team, something players like Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker have echoed. The Jets did not appear to share the same beliefs, but avoiding a first-round quarterback shows they still have some faith in Smith.
"You have to expect anything [with the draft], but going out there, I believe this is my team," Smith said, via ESPNNewYork.com. "I'm not going to sit here and talk about it. I want to lead this team the right way, and I want to continue to get better as a player. I really hate to talk about myself, because it's more about this team and the way that we're going. There's always other guys, and there's always going to be competition. I've always welcomed it, and I still do. I don't listen to the outside noise. I don't think it's important at all. I don't think it motivates me. I'm motivated by the fact that we need to win."
There are still quarterback options for the Jets. Good players are available in later rounds as they have worked out Brett Hundley, Bryce Petty and Garrett Grayson, but for now the ball is being handed to Smith until he gives them a reason to take it away.
Instead, the Jets are committed to adding talent around Smith for him to work with. They made a step in the right direction acquiring Marshall and signing Stevan Ridley, but the team still needs more.
"He's going to mature," Johnson said, via New York Post. "He's not going to be making rookie mistakes anymore and he's not going to be making sophomore mistakes anymore, hopefully. If he can carry over the way he finished last year, when he played against the Dolphins (in the season finale) he played OK. So if he can keep that going we're good. We're going to get him more targets."
The Jets drafted Leonard Williams in the first round which could force a trade of Muhammad Wilkerson in the coming days. Round two will likely see a wide receiver for the Jets as players like Jaelen Strong and Devin Smith remain the best available.
