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New York Jets Should Pursue QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

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By @LTJ81

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Before everyone in New York loses their minds at the thought of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick heading to the New York Jets, let me first explain a few things. The Jets are in dire need of more options at quarterback. They surely can’t head into the upcoming 2015 NFL season with quarterback Geno Smith penciled in as a starting option.

What the Jets need to do is gather plenty of options at quarterback to have a real competition come this summer during training camp. I’m not talking about the nonsense they called a “quarterback competition” last summer where Smith got 80 percent of the snaps compared to Michael Vick. I’m talking about a real competition to see who will be under center for the Jets next season.

In an ideal situation, the Jets need to have a veteran quarterback in place before the 2015 NFL Draft. I’m pretty confident Vick won’t be an option, as he’ll either leave in free agency or the Jets won’t bring him back. With very few quarterback options in free agency, the Jets might want to think about giving a call to the Houston Texans to see if a trade can happen for Fitzpatrick or if he’s released, make a serious push to acquire him.

The Jets need a veteran quarterback who can come in and win a quarterback competition for the starting job against Smith, Matt Simms and what I predict will be a future franchise quarterback added in the draft. That way the Jets will have much to review and ultimately pick a clear-cut winner to run the offense come next season. It also would prove that Smith isn’t ready and neither is Simms which should give Fitzpatrick more than enough confidence that he should be able to beat anyone in training camp.

Fitzpatrick put up some decent numbers in 2014 by throwing for 2,483 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. A key statistic is his consistency, which saw his overall quarterback rating stand at 95.3. This is far better than anything Jets’ quarterbacks did this past season, especially Smith.

I honestly believe the Jets rushed Smith at the start of his pro career and threw him to the wolves without properly training him and surrounding him with the necessary talent to be successful. I also firmly believe Smith could end up being a decent quarterback down the road, but for now he needs to hit the bench and effectively take a year off from starting to learn from someone like Fitzpatrick.

Come draft day, the Jets have the No. 6 overall pick in the first round. There is a slight possibility that a top notch quarterback will be available for the taking once the Jets are on the clock in either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota.

Regardless of which one is available, the Jets absolutely must pick a future franchise quarterback. Once they draft either of the aforementioned players, they can then develop them the right way. It’s hard to fathom this due to the way the NFL operates at the present age, but developing a top quarterback from the draft by coaching him from the bench works wonders for their careers.

Once the Jets have their veteran quarterback in place, Smith established as a backup and a future franchise quarterback who is two to three years away from starting, the Jets could finally have their dream quarterback they haven’t had since Joe Namath was making Super Bowl guarantees to the world. Imagine what a player like Winston or Mariota would be like after learning the ins and outs of the league through a quarterback like Fitzpatrick who could show them the ropes early on in their careers?

Overall, the Jets need to once and for all address their quarterback issues if they are to enjoy some success in 2015 and for years to come. By no means will they actually be able to contend in the NFL Playoffs next season, but this idea would be a building block for a very bright future if the Jets find their future franchise signal-caller.

Luis Tirado Jr. is a New York Jets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @LTJ81, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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