To be blunt, if Zach Wilson gets injured, the New York Jets are in trouble.
Joe Douglas and this coaching staff have done very little to address the backup quarterback role this offseason, despite loud cries from fans for a serviceable veteran. The franchise did eventually bring in Josh Johnson but after one preseason appearance, the 13-year vet ended up on the practice squad.
That put Wilson’s clipboard in the hands of Mike White, a former Dallas Cowboys fifth-round pick out of Western Kentucky. In that lone appearance this summer, Johnson outperformed both White and James Morgan — who’s now with the Carolina Panthers.
If we’re being honest though, neither is the long-term answer behind the BYU product. Morgan was meant to be that for Sam Darnold, but the decision to change playbooks sunk those plans. After a recent cut, Douglas now has a second chance at securing his high-upside backup of the future.
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Go & Get Jacob Eason
Message to Douglas, go and get Jacob Eason! In a total head-scratcher of a move, the Indianapolis Colts just waived the 2020 fourth-round pick that was initially drafted to be their starting quarterback after Philip Rivers.
The #Colts waived QB Jacob Eason.
That was before the franchise traded for Carson Wentz and selected Sam Ehlinger in 2021. Somehow, Eason ended up getting the shaft despite a strong preseason according to Pro Football Focus (81.5 offensive grade, 78.2 passing).
Eason isn’t some project, the former Georgia Bulldog was being touted as the number two pro-style quarterback prospect in 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings for the class of 2016 before an injury cost him his job.
After transferring to the University of Washington, Eason tore it up with over 3,100 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and a 143.9 rating in 13 games played. This large-framed QB has been compared to players like Andrew Luck and Wentz, so the fit with Indy felt like a dream.
For whatever reason though, the Colts decided to go another direction with Ehlinger, leaving Eason available for a team like the Jets.
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Eason Has Unteachable Traits
The former Huskies QB is not all that similar to Wilson, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t fit Mike LaFleur’s system.
Eason has unteachable traits, like a cannon for an arm and precision accuracy to boot. He excelled under center in college as a pocket-passer that utilized a ton of play-action, a staple of LaFleur’s offense.
Jacob Eason dropped a DIME to @PCampbell21 🎯
📺: #CARvsIND on @NFLNetwork (or check local listings)
📱: t.co/ItciNYd3S4
Wilson has actually struggled with the play-action game that this west coast system relies on, but that’s one of Eason’s greatest strengths. His major weakness is his mobility and his progressions.
The Washington product still needs some coaching, but you can’t pass on this type of talent — especially when your backups are White and Johnson.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein once stated: “[Eason’s] elite size and arm talent are reminiscent of Carson Palmer, but issues with pocket poise and getting through progressions cleanly are more reminiscent of Brock Osweiler. Eason is fun to watch when he’s ripping throws around the field and taking deep play-action shots, but a lack of mobility inside and outside the pocket is troubling, considering his ineffectiveness when pressured.”
Wilson and Eason could become the Jets’ new quarterback partnership for the better part of the next decade. Get it done.
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Jets Could Bolster Backup QB as 2020 Fourth-Rounder Becomes Available