The coaches in charge of the Jets’ quarterbacks spoke Thursday, bringing at least a little bit of clarity to the situation.
After quarterbacks coach David Lee raved about Geno Smith, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said the second-year pro would get at least 70-75 percent of the first-team snaps when the Jets report to Cortland for training camp next month.
That isn’t going to leave much work with the starters for Michael Vick, further fortifying Vick’s repeated assessments the job is Smith’s to lose and there is no competition.
“My duty is to continue to progress the young quarterback who has 16 games under his belt,” Mornhinweg said of Smith after divulging his quarterbacks’ respective workloads for training camp. “That has to happen.”
The two coaches said they continue to be impressed by the offseason as a whole turned in by Smith, who struggled in voluntary practices recently but did not throw an interception the first two days of mini-camp this week.
Lee said Smith is merely continuing the rapid progress he started showing last December, when the second-round pick rebounded from a brutal November.
Smith was 3-2 in December, completing 57 percent of his passes for 819 yards and four touchdowns against just three interceptions. It was the first month all season that Smith had more TD passes than picks.
That was in stark contrast to November, when Smith nearly lost his starting job while going 1-2 with a 39 percent completion rate, no TDs and five interceptions.
“Early December was when it first started happening,” Lee said. “He started finishing plays and knowing where people were.”
Added Mornhinweg: “The last part of the year, Geno really played at a high level.”
The difference, Lee said, was Smith’s willingness in December to start tucking and running instead of forcing throws that could lead to backbreaking turnovers. Smith ran for more yards (188) in December than he did the season’s first three months combined.
“He started hurting people by running more,” Lee said. “That wasn’t something he thought about in college. He was a pocket passer.”
Lee said Smith went to work immediately in the offseason and would often text him pictures from Florida of himself running up and down large hills with a parachute strapped to his back.
“He’s just faster,” Lee said of Smith. “His body is stronger, and he’s been in that weight room. He’s lost body fat. When you do all that, your mind is right — and his mind has been right.
“Geno is a strongly improved player at this point.”
Of course, Smith’s progress the final month didn’t keep the Jets from bringing in Vick to push him mentally and add some veteran spice to their quarterback picture.
Vick, 33, hasn’t done much on the field so far and appeared to struggle both days of this week’s mini-camp, but the Jets coaches say they love what Vick has brought to their locker room and his effect on Smith and their two other young quarterbacks, Matt Simms and Tajh Boyd.
“I’m so impressed with him, with the experience he brings into the room, the wisdom,” Lee said. “The kids love him.”
The Jets seem to love Smith more at this point, though.
“I’ve been really pleased with his progress,” Lee said. “He’s not forcing anything. He knows the offense now, and he’s not counting steps in his head. Now he can just go play.”