It seems it hasn't taken new New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles or GM Mike Maccagnan long to realize that quarterback Geno Smith is not the franchise's long-term answer at the game's most important position and thus, that they must target another potential franchise signal-caller in the looming 2015 NFL Draft.
According to a report from Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, Bowles and Maccagnan are ready to "move on" from Smith and have targeted former Oregon quarterback and Heisman Trophy-winner Marcus Mariota in late April.
"The Jets want to move on from Geno Smith and want to find another answer at quarterback. They don't believe that Geno Smith is ultimately going to be the guy for them," reports Cole.
The Jets brass have been checking out nearly every available top quarterback prospect in the draft - Jameis Winston, Brett Hundley, Bryce Petty, Garrett Grayson - but per Cole, they now have their sights set firmly on Mariota - though sitting at No. 6 in the first-round and within striking distance of the top two selections, the Jets won't rule out Winston, the player they really want despite not viewing him as a realistic option at this point.
"They're going to look at trying to get either one of those two because they really like Winston but expect that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to stay put, take Winston, or ask for a king's ransom to move down from that pick - a ransom that not even the Jets are willing to pay."
Mariota is widely considered the second-best quarterback option available and, per Cole, the Jets will continue to explore trade-up options from their current spot to potentially the No. 4 or No. 2 slot with teams like the Oakland Raiders and the Tennessee Titans respectively, both of whom already have presumed franchise signal-callers in place, in order to nab the former Duck.
Last season, his junior year, Mariota amassed 4,454 yards passing with 42 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He also added 770 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
While he's viewed as player who needs time to work his way into a pro-style offense, making full-field reads and operating under center, and may not be ready to take the field right away, the Jets added veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick this offseason and he can take the lion's share of snaps early on while Mariota adjusts to the NFL.
