When you think of young elite QBs, Sam Darnold may not be your first choice.
He may not even be your fifth choice considering his struggles this year. Interceptions and fumbles held together by inconsistent play may only strengthen your stance on this young QB from USC but what if your not seeing the whole picture.
His stat line isn’t that of legend but it does show flashes of something for the future.
Remember he is in his first season and doesn’t have the kind of team that oozes greatness. I mean Robby Anderson is your No. 1 receiver in fantasy and most casual fans can’t name many of the others. His future needs weapons on offense, but it may not take much.
Darnold has had a few great throws and some of his 15 interceptions this year weren’t his fault but he has been steadily improving through out the year.
Granted, he has only eclipsed 300-yards in the air twice this year but that shouldn’t stop him from improving in other ways.
He has one interception to six touchdowns in the last three weeks which is night and day from his start.
Adding 49 yards during that time and no fumbles all point to steady improvement.
Jared Goff started his rookie season with seven games and a stat line that was five touchdowns to seven interceptions, but just like Darnold he had a love for the game that flowed from his play.
Now look to the Chicago Bears and Mitchell Trubisky. Trubisky started his rookie season riding a train that was on fire but he turned it into a sophomore season where the fire sparked improvement.
Darnold is on a team that needs weapons and has been vocal about looking to free agency to get them.
He is also one of the few players that has a true passion for his craft and when you put all those things together you get a recipe for success.
Now sprinkle in a losing experience that will give him the want to try harder and grow his abilities. Darnold may not be much now but with the love for his sport and valuable game experience he could be the next big thing.
0oB
Guest
Dunno about "both sides of the ball" - the only area of the defense that I'd rate Cleveland clearly higher than the Jets is edge rush. Everywhere else it's Jets (interior d-line, by a MILE) or a close run thing (linebacker, safety, CB). But certainly on offense, which is obviously the more crucial thing, since we're talking about support for a QB. The Jets have 2 viable starters on OL (Beachum & Winters) - plus a guy who is a decent backup level RT (Shell), so that's a problem. RB isn't a huge issue - though the Browns have them covered easily nonetheless. Herndon @ TE has been good against my expectations, and the WR group isn't quite as bad come the end of the season - but baaad to start (Enunwa was always quality, but the difference came from Anderson coming good and Burnett coming in).. and the Browns aren't exactly rolling in talent at WR either.. Landry is a possession guy carrying a career-high drop rate, Higgins was considered likely to get cut before this year, Perriman was an outright bust prior to landing in Cleveland, Callaway was an extremely raw 4th round rookie with concentration problems who didn't play any football in 2017 - Mayfield & OC Kitchens made the most of that group. That's the key - some talent (particularly at OL, but also at least 1 receiving option) and then get a good offensive mind at HC or OC. Kliff Kingsbury would have been a nice gamble at OC, but has since gone to USC. Kitchens as a HC might be a gamble worth taking if the Browns try to leave him @ OC. Adam Gase seems like a great OC - but a guy who alienates people as HC.
Jeremy
Guest
That is a bit harsh. Darnold was easily the second best rookie passer this year. Mayfield was better but he had considerably more talent on his team on both sides of the ball. In at least 5 games this year Darnold lifted the play of those around him and showed his potential. In the games he struggled he had to deal with almost no running game to speak off, injuries to his few NFL-standard receivers and very conservative play calling. And he had a stellar stretch in the last month of the season where he was consistently at the top of the weekly QBR rating for all QBs. Mayfield ended up with almost as many picks as Darnold and, without checking the stats, all other rookie QBs had more fumbles than Darnold, which is significant considering Darnold's troubles at USC. Darnold had only 1 fumble all year that didn't occur because of a bad snap or while he was running.
Keagan Ryan
Roar Guru
It's all about the next hire for the Jets. The two examples you use (Trubisky and Goff) have arguably two of the best offensive minds in the NFL at their disposal. Maybe getting DeFillipo in as OC or QB coach could do the trick, or swooping on McDaniels. I don't think flavour of the month Zac Taylor is the answer
DL2191
Guest
I hope Darnold ends up being way more than the next Jared Goff.... he'll need to be because as noted, the Jets wont get all the pieces around him right next year the way the Rams did around Goff. (unless the sky falls in and they get McCarthy, sign both LeVeon and AB in FA and draft a killer pass rusher and DT). He's still got a couple of years on Mayfield and Mahomes, and three on Trubisky and Goff.... and his last month has him on a pretty solid upward trajectory considering what's around him. He is already very much in every conversation about 'elite young QBs' so everything the Jets from here needs to be about developing him.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
By the way, it is a solid piece, I would simply question the first couple of sentences; "when you think of young elite QBs, Sam Darnold may not be your first choice. He may not even be your fifth choice considering his struggles this year. " Perhaps should have read "he may not be your 25th choice considering his struggles this year".... By all numbers Jeff Driskel - the back up rookie in Cincinnati - playing with limited talent around him - had a better year than Darnold.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
I think it is hard to compare Darnold and Goff. I still don't think we know for sure what we have in Goff. The comparison is both had coaches that stunk in year 1 of their careers. But over the last two seasons the Rams have built a strong team around Goff with an offensive coach. The Jets just won't do that. Darnold's trajectory depends largely on who comes in to coach to aid his development next year and then how quick he can get out of New York.