GROWING REINS
Richardson: Hackenberg has ‘ways to go’ before he can run offense
WHEN you ask Sheldon Richardson about the difference in Christian Hackenberg from a year ago, he won’t tell you there are five reasons why the locker room is better this season ... but he won’t rush to spout a ny sugar - coated party line either.
“Slowly prog ressing ... still got a little ways to go. ... He’s getting better every day ... that’s pretty much it. Slowly progressing, man,” Richardson said.
“He still needs to get past the learning curve. It’s still too fast for him. But other than that, man, he’s still got a cannon. He’s firing it. When he’s on point, he’s on point, but when he’s not, he’s not, so got some growing still.”
Coach Todd Bowles, following a 5-11 season, doesn’t have the time to wait for Hackenberg to grow up. It is why Josh McCown, if he still is standing at the end of training camp, will be the starter, and the open quarter back competition initially will be Hackenberg versus Bryce Petty for the No. 2 job.
Hack en berg’ s throwing motion appears noticeably smoother, but he still has yet to throw a regular-season pass in anger, and it remains true that Rome wasn’t built in a day.
“Quicker release,” cornerback Buster Skrine said. “Way quicker. He used to wind up a little bit, but now it’s just out, out.”
But for all the accurate throws Hackenberg makes on a cloudy day at the end of May — a beautiful deep ball that Charone Peake could have caught for a touchdown, for example — there are enough that remind you that Hackenberg wasn’t built in a day either. Or rebuilt in a day.
“It’s still early,” Richardson said. “Ain’t no telling what he comes back and [does] in training camp, but it’s still early.”
Richardson was asked about the difference in Petty, who worked third behind McCown and Hackenberg on Tuesday, from a year ago at this time.
“Way better,” he said. “Him and Josh are going at it, they’re competing on every play.”
Does Richardson think the quarterback battle is between McCown and Petty?
“That’s just how I feel,” Richardson said. “Me personally.”
Based on Bryce having more experience than Hackenberg?
“Yeah, and actually by showing production on the f ield,” Richardson said.
Except Petty (three touchdowns, seven interceptions, 56.4 completion percentage) hardly distinguished himself at the end of last season once the Ryan Fitzpatrick Era unceremoniously ended, nor did he distinguish himself at Tuesday’s OTA, for what it’s worth on a cloudy day at the end of May.
His worst moment was a
throw right to linebacker Randell Jo hnson. Petty ’s best moment came when he threw a dime down the seam to rookie tight end Jordan Leggett. It drew a “Good shot!” from offensive coordinator John Morton.
“It’s more of a competition mindset of, ‘OK, he made a great throw. I’m gonna make a better throw.’ That kind of thing,” Petty said.
There is more invested in Hackenberg, the controversial 2016 No. 2 pick, than Petty, the 2015 No. 4 pick. Hackenberg likely will be The Chosen One — actually Chosen Two — if he learns the new offense quicker than Petty.
“He’s reading things a lot faster,” Skrine said.
Teammates can’t help but notice a change in Hackenberg’s body language.
“He learned from a guy that was really smart in Fitz, and so I think he’s taken that confidence over into this aspect,” receiver Quincy Enunwa said. “He has the ability to get it deep, short ...”
Hackenberg had a short pass that appeared to be tipped and dropped by rookie safety Jamal Adams, the Jets’ first-round draft pick.
“Missed opportunity ,” Adams said. “It came out wobbly. I definitely had to make the play.”
Adams will be a Day 1 starter. Hackenberg didn’t see the field as a rookie.
“Steps forward. ... Last year, he probably didn’t know what to expect as a rookie coming in and all that stuff,” running back Matt Forte said, “but mentally, he’s getting better. Josh is a great guy for him to be around because he’s been around a long time and can give him so much wisdom and advice towards the game and towards being a quarterback, on and off the field. So he’s gonna keep growing.”
Hackenberg is growing. Just not without the growing pains.
“He’s doing a lot better with his decisions and everything,” safety Rontez Miles said. “Looking forward to see how these guys do in the preseason ... when it counts.”
When we’ll get a better read on whether Hackenberg truly can hack it.