New Jets coach Robert Saleh praised quarterback Sam Darnold … to some extent.
Saleh made many pleasant statements about Darnold during the coach’s introductory press conference on Thursday, but did not go so far as to say that Darnold would be the team’s quarterback in 2021.
“He has incredible talent for the arm,” said Saleh. “There is a reason why he was the No. 3 choice in the draft. He’s fearless in his pocket. He has a natural pitching motion. He’s mobile. It is extremely smart and tough as nails. His reputation in the locker room is unquestionable. In general, there is a reason why he was the third choice in the draft and you can see all these qualities on the tape and around the building in the way people talk about him. “
The Jets have a big decision to make in Darnold. He has been a disappointment for the first three seasons, but he is only 23 and many people believe he can improve in a better offensive system and with better players around him. Saleh hired Mike LaFleur as his offensive coordinator to implement the Kyle Shanahan attack, which is friendly to the quarterback.
Jets have choice number 2 in the draft and can select the second best quarterback in the draft. The Jaguars are expected to recruit Clemson’s star, Trevor Lawrence, with overall No. 1 choice.
Last week, there was also media and fan pressure for the Jets to explore an exchange for disgruntled Texas quarterback Deshaun Watson. Jets general manager Joe Douglas was asked about Watson, but was unable to say anything because of the NFL’s tampering rules.
“I can’t get into any discussions about a player who is not on our team,” said Douglas. “To like [Saleh] alluded to and I will say now, our next step in the process is to get together as a team, examine all the guys that are on our team, really get their perspective by watching the tape and include the perspective of the people who have been here in the last few years. It will be a very good meeting, which really sets the foundation for our off-season. “
Douglas said the only conversations about players he had with Saleh were during the interview process. Saleh has focused on building his technical team. They can now begin their assessment not just of Darnold, but of everyone on the list.
“There are a lot of things we have to do in the future,” said Saleh when asked if Darnold would be the starter on the training ground. “We are just putting employees in the building. There are so many things that we have to do from the evaluation point of view regarding the entire roster, not just the quarterback. Giving you that answer now would not be fair. There are many discussions that need to be done with Joe’s team and himself. To give you that answer now would be a little premature. “