Better For The Jets: Mariota or Winston?

I’m not quite sure who will end up with the worst record in the NFL when the season is over, but the New York Jets are making their way towards the number 1 pick in 2015 with their current downward spiral. The Jets drafted Geno Smith in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and although the organization and its fans had high hopes for him, Geno does not look like he’s going to be the man to lead the Jets to any sustained success.

So if the organization feels the Geno experiment isn’t or didn’t work out, they need to look to a new “hope” for the future. Luckily for them the 2015 Draft will most likely have two star quarterbacks available. Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Jameis Winston of Florida State. Question is, which player would be better for the Jets?

Can Mariota Truly Lead An NFL Team?…

I’ve always been a fan of former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, and every time I watch Marcus Mariota play it is Cunningham I picture. They both had a very similar build in that they are tall and slender and have the same throwing mechanics. Cunningham had the stronger arm but the way Mariota moves around the pocket and evades tacklers is Cunningham-esqu. Mariota is a pocket passer first and a scrambler second. And in today’s NFL with the size and speed of defenders, it helps to have a QB that can run but only if necessary similar to Russell Wilson.

Wilson rarely takes big hits because although he can scramble, once he leaves the pocket his first instinct is to get out-of-bounds or slide once he senses danger. From watching Oregon games the past three years, Mariota is no different. Mariota is not a stocky QB so if he takes big hits on the NFL level he will have the same problems Robert Griffin III is having with injuries. Mariota doesn’t take unnecessary hits and only runs on designed plays or if it’s absolutely necessary. The Jets need a smart QB on and off the field that will focus on winning. Mariota is that guy. Where I would have questions is Mariota’s upbringing in this Oregon offense. Mariota has always had weapons galore at his disposal which took a lot of the pressure off of him to have to deliver big.

Also take into account the offense that Oregon ran under Chip Kelly and currently Mark Helfrich is nothing like the Jets have ever run. Mariota would be asked to do more because not only do the Jets run a pro-style offense, the Jets also haven’t shown that they can build a team around any of their recent QB’s. They have Eric Decker and Percy Harvin in their ranks now, but even with those two the Jets offense is very pedestrian. Mariota would need a strong offensive line and a very good running game to help in his maturation. The Jets aren’t particularly great in neither the offensive line nor running-back department.

And from watching the games that Oregon has lost with Mariota at the helm, his losses always comes to teams that out-physicalled the Ducks. Is that all on Mariotta? Absolutely not. But it’s something to think about especially in a league packed with teams that have great defensive linemen and good defense that will be looking to hit Mariota often to rattle him. Mariota may end up being a very good QB in the NFL in the right system under the right coaching staff. But I don’t think the Jets are that team.

Jameis Winston, the Talented Anomaly…

Jameis Winston is the most talented quarterback in college football. He has been for the last two seasons and he’s an amazing athlete. He has a big arm, he’s primarily a pocket passer with the ability to scramble and make things happen with his legs, and he’s as clutch a performer as they come. When most people’s Heisman moment come at some point before the Heisman trophy is actually awarded, Winston’s Heisman moment came on the final drive of the National Championship game to lead the Seminoles to a win over Auburn.

He’s a big game player that stands at 6’4 230 pounds, can take hits, shake of would be sackers and make magic happen out of nowhere. The best part of Winston is that with his talent and ability, you can just hand him the ball and tell him to win the game. There’s no special offense needed, there’s nor tricks, no smoke and mirrors, just a supremely talented football player. And when everything in his life is chaotic, he seems to play better which is all the more reason he’s one of the best QB’s anyone has seen ever play. But his off-field shenanigans leave a lot to be desired.

Winston doesn’t seem to understand what being a good disciplined citizen is. He seems to always be mixed up in something troublesome. He gets into these problems and still refuses to learn his lesson. Being the star quarterback in high school and college, and always having people get him out of trouble is a recipe for disaster in Winston’s case. So far Winston has managed to stay on the field for the most part and let his winning ways cover up for what he’s doing off the field. But college football in Tallahassee, Florida, is a completely different situation than professional football in New York City.

No one is going to be monitoring Jameis once he hits the NFL. He’s an adult and will be treated like one. Jimbo Fisher can’t protect him from the authorities in the real world and from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell has been known to throw the book at players, and with all the bad press the NFL has been getting in the last year over problems like the Richie Incognito/Jonathon Martin Drama, the Ray Rice domestic violence case, and the Adrian Peterson child abuse case, Goodell is in no mood to let things slide.

Jameis looks like a problem waiting to happen. He’s getting into trouble in rural Florida with a lack of income. Imagine 6 months off and millions of dollars to spend in the city that never sleeps. Not good. It also has to be said that the Jets aren’t the strongest organization when it comes to being stable. Woody Johnson the owner seems clueless, Rex Ryan is a player’s coach and probably won’t be here next season anyway, and John Idzik the GM already faces the ire of fans regularly. Everything about this seems like it would be a nightmare waiting to happen. But it is the Jets, and they do love stars and a good headline.

Neither quarterback would be great for the Jets but for two totally different reason. But if the Jets have to pick one in the event they are jumping ship on the Geno Smith experiment, then I guess drafting Winston would make the most sense for them. They would just be rolling the dice and have to hope he can stay out of trouble off the field. Winston would bring the Jets far more success on the field than Mariota would, but at what price will that success come when Winston leaves the stadium? I guess that remains to be seen. You’re on the clock, Jets. Good luck.

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