Here we go again.
Jets coach Rex Ryan left open the possibility the team could use a two quarterback system this fall with Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith just months after scrapping the failed Tim Tebow experiment.
Ryan answered a question about using Smith in a role similar to what the 49ers did with Colin Kaepernick early last season before he became the starter, and said yes the Jets could do something similar with Smith if he doesn’t win the starting job.
“I know what everybody’s thinking if we did that — didn’t we try that last year?” Ryan said, taking a playful jab at himself over the Tebow situation. “I think certainly that’s a possibility. To probably make assumptions now probably isn’t the thing to do, but we’ll let this thing work out and pan out and we’ll see.”
The Jets saw Kaepernick’s ability first-hand in Week 4 last season when he ran for 50 yards and a touchdown, subbing for Alex Smith, in a 34-0 San Francisco win.
The difference between Kaepernick and Smith, though, is Kaepernick ran a pistol offense in college that was similar to the read-option offense the 49ers used last year with him. Smith ran some read-option plays early in his college career at West Virginia but not in the system the Mountaineers ran the last two years.
According to ESPN, Smith attempted just 11 designed runs in 2012 and averaged 2.6 yards on those carries. He did scramble for 253 yards. Despite this, Ryan said he believes Smith can be effective in the read-option, which has become the latest fad in the NFL.
“I think he’s got the athleticism to do that,” Ryan said. “He has the skill set to where there’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to do that. With that being said, I think you have to be smart with what you ask your quarterbacks to do or you’re going to have a whole bunch of them. I think that’s the way people are going to start attacking these quarterbacks.”
Quarterbacks coach David Lee said Smith does not have the speed of a Kaepernick or a Robert Griffin III.
“Geno’s fast,” Lee said. “He’s got good speed, but he’s not Kaepernick fast. That guy’s a jet. He can accelerate. Geno can run, but I wouldn’t put him quite the RGIII speed or Kaepernick speed of last year.”
Smith said he is open to the idea if the coaches decide that is the best way to use him.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes for us to win games here in New York and if it’s running the read-option, if it’s adjusting from being primarily in the shotgun to being in the West Coast system under center, that’s a part of being coached,” Smith said.
The Jets wrap up their minicamp today, and they don’t reconvene until training camp at the end of July. The coaches are not giving either Smith or Sanchez an edge in the competition.
“We’ll know when we know, but we don’t know right now,” Lee said.
Lee said Smith is struggling with some basic things and is having a tough time adjusting to the NFL offense, but he expects to see a jump when they get to training camp.
“We’ll know when he’s ready,” Lee said. “He’s not ready right now. He’ll tell you that right now.”
As for Sanchez, Lee said he has stressed cutting down on turnovers after Sanchez committed 52 in the last two years.
“I said, ‘You’ve got to focus on what you’ve got to do,’ ” Lee said he told Sanchez. “ ‘You’ve got to take care of the ball. You’ve got to get in and out of the huddle. You’ve got to hit what you’re aiming at, avoid disasters and that will give us a chance to win.’ ”