Though many have speculated, no one knows who will be the New York Jets starting quarterback (Mark Sanchez or Geno Smith) when Week 1 rolls around. General Manager John Idzik said Saturday that when the pick is finally made, it will be a unified decision, according to ESPNNewYork.com.
Idzik was speaking to reporters at Jets training camp and said he plans to have a “pretty big role” in selecting the starting QB. The GM said the decision will be completed using a “collective opinion” that includes analysis from scouts and assistant coaches.
Although head coaches usually have the final decision on who gets to play, Idzik would not say Rex will have that privilege when it comes to Smith and Sanchez.
"When you look at who's going to play, Rex and I will talk about that freely," Idzik said. "When you put in the time and effort, and when you make that decision, you feel like it's a 'we' decision, not an individual decision. It's not like someone will drop the gavel and do something counter to what the Jets want to do."
After finishing 8-8 in 2011 and 6-10 last season, Rex Ryan is likely coaching to keep his job after 2013.
"It's safe to say I won't be here if we draft [Jadeveon] Clowney," Ryan joked. Clowney, a defensive end for the South Carolina Gamecocks, is projected to be the number one overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft.
However, Idzik said there is no “pressure.”
"Pressure is perceived," the GM said. "Our guys don't feel pressure. Rex doesn't feel pressure. I don't feel pressure. Our players, hopefully they don't feel pressure so they can perform."
When asked about Ryan’s Clowney comment Idzik said, “That’s pretty funny.”
Both Smith and Sanchez present positives and negatives at the quarterback position.
Sanchez is coming off a sub-par season in which he had the second lowest passer rating in the NFL (66.9) and had five more interceptions than touchdowns (13 TD and 18 INT.) However, Sanchez has more experience than Geno Smith and has proven he can lead the Jets deep into the playoffs.
Smith is a fresh arm and is much more mobile than Sanchez. However, the West Virginia product ran most of his college offense out of the shotgun and has struggled to learn offensive coordinator Marty Morningweg’s West Coast system.
Hopefully for Rex Ryan’s sake, the Jets “collective opinion” points to the quarterback that will help him keep his job.
