alt=Dick HarmonRobots, computers and cell phones can all be reset, but it’s not often humans get to do it with their careers. Zach Wilson will do exactly that now he’s been traded from the Jets to the Denver Broncos.
Whew, it is about time.
Some say New York got rid of Wilson in a fire sale.
Actually, Wilson is running away from getting killed in a bonfire, AKA the Jets offense.
New York all but tortured Wilson over everything including his play, off-field drama and locker-room rumors.
Yes, Wilson was responsible for a chunk of it.
But the gauntlet in New York is relentless. He’s been dissected, disassembled, scrutinized, injured and in rehab from physical trauma. He’s recovered and has light bulb burn scars from time under the Big Apple microscope.
The movie “Escape from New York” is a real thing these days. Wilson is the latest to buy a ticket.
Well, actually, the Jets are footing half the bill for Wilson to restart his NFL career in the Rocky Mountains.
The Jets, who traditionally have struggled mightily to develop rookie QBs, are happy to send Wilson back West. Now they have a new chance to put another QB draftee through the wood chipper.
New York is happy. Wilson’s got to be happy and relieved. Bronco fans are always optimistic, supportive and passionate. Unlike New York, they rarely eat their players.
That Wilson will be tutored by the legendary Sean Payton is a home run.
If a QB is undergoing a reset, Payton is your man.
“I think it will be great for Zach to link up with a coaching staff that has so much time and experience together succeeding in the passing game in the NFL,” according to his private throwing coach on the West Coast, John Beck.
“Sean Payton wants a highly efficient offense that is guided by the quarterback and his decision-making and accuracy. This will be a great opportunity for Zach to continue his development as a pro and to learn from one of the best offensive minds in the game.
“I also think Davis Webb, his quarterback coach, is one of the up-and-coming coaches in the NFL, and it will be great for Zach to be with him and have someone in the room that has played the position and is now coaching it.” Beck works as a throwing coach at 3DQB in Huntington Beach, California.
The Denver Post put it this way: “In a quarterback-as-commodity world, the Broncos picked up a distressed asset on Monday.
“They did so when they agreed to acquire Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, from the New York Jets in a swap of late-round picks.
“The strategy: Buy low. Then see what happens,” wrote Parker Gabriel.
The cost: A sixth-round pick (No. 203 overall) in this week’s NFL draft for Wilson and a seventh-rounder (No. 257). The teams are set to split Wilson’s $5.5 million salary for 2024.
The popular sports commentator Pat McAfee told the New York Post this trade is a great opportunity for Wilson to leave the roller coaster ride he’s been on in New York and get on with his career.
McAfee said Wilson knows of all the “chitter chatter about him” and experienced the New York media, all the failures, and being tossed about by different coaches. “It’s a chance to cleanse himself,’ McAfee said.
Brian Costello of the New York Post reported the Jets drafted Wilson No. 2 expecting him to become the franchise QB they’d sought for decades.
“Instead, he was a disappointment on the field and unpopular with teammates off the field and only showed flashes of ability during his three seasons with the team.
“The Jets went 12-21 in games started by Wilson,” reported Costello.
On ESPN, Rich Cimini said Wilson needs to fix his lower body mechanics, make the easy short passes and get over “panic” issues that grew in his game in New York.
Panic passes?
What causes panic passes?
Could it be that a QB slides into a panic kind of mindset because he is experiencing survival instinct; he doesn’t want to get generally killed?
Remind me, how many plays did Aaron Rodgers last in the Jets offense, working in a Jets pocket behind Jets offensive line caliber protection?
Was it three, four, five plays?
Yes, this is a reset.
And its about time Wilson parted ways with the Jets where QBs go to fail, sans Joe Namath.
