Quarterback clashes, questions
Two battles, three hot-seat candidates create camp intrigue
There is nothing like a quarterback battle to steal all the attention at an NFL training camp.
And that is what is happening, for the most part, at five camps this month.
There are two teams that will decide on starters after open competitions: the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. But even though Geno Smith of the New York Jets, Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins and Josh McCown of the Cleveland Browns are penciled in as starters, they, too, are on notice. If they slip up, there could be a quick hook. They are squarely on the hot seat.
With intrasquad scrimmages this weekend and preseason games beginning next week, here is a look at the competitions and the quarterbacks on the hot seat.
BUFFALO BILLS
Battle: EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor.
Of all of the quarterback quandaries, Buffalo’s situation might be the one best built for success.
The Bills — who added running back LeSean McCoy, tight end Charles Clay and wide receiver Percy Harvin in the offseason — boast a stout defense replete with pass rushers.
Whoever earns the spot heading into Week 1 will have a simple task: manage the game and limit turnovers. The competition, according to coach Rex Ryan, should become clearer after an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday.
“You’ll see the cream rise to the top that day, generally,” Ryan said Monday. “And that’s when it needs to.”
Outlook: Cassel should be in line to win the job. He’s a 33-yearold definition of a bridge quarterback: a short-term option put in place to limit mistakes. Opposing defenses know what they’ll face when they line up against Cassel. He won’t surprise anyone with his arm strength and accuracy, both of which are average.
But with new offensive coordinator Greg Roman bringing in a rush-heavy attack, Cassel won’t have to be the star of the offense. Manuel, though more athletically gifted, is more prone to mistakes, and Taylor is more of an unknown — all of which point to Cassel leading the team in the season opener. HOUSTON TEXANS
Battle: Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett.
In Texas, the battle comes down to two former New England Patriots, which makes sense given coach Bill O’Brien’s ties to the organization.
No matter who wins the job, it’s likely not for the long term. Barring exceptional play from Hoyer or Mallett in 2015, Houston likely will continue to search for a franchise quarterback in next year’s draft or free agency. Despite that, O’Brien has had to fight off rumors, calling a report that Hoyer was named the starter untrue.
“Eventually I will tell you who it is,” O’Brien said Monday. “I am not going to keep it a secret. When we are ready to make a decision, I will tell you who it is.”
Outlook: The starter’s job got a lot tougher this week when star running back Arian Foster went down with a groin injury, leaving him expected to miss the first half of the season. And his injury could affect O’Brien’s decision at quarterback. Hoyer (17 career starts in six seasons) has more experience and a reputation as a game manager. Mallett has a far stronger arm but is more of an unknown commodity. In limited action last season with the Texans, Mallett couldn’t lock up the starting spot. There’s no reason to think that will be any different this year.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Hot seat: Josh McCown. Playing time in Cleveland seems to be more settled. After Johnny Manziel’s ineffective rookie season in which he couldn’t supplant struggling Hoyer, the Browns signed McCown in February to a three-year contract.
“I don’t think anything has changed,” coach Mike Pettine said when the Browns opened training camp. “The repetitions will be handled that way with Josh as the No. 1.”
Pettine wouldn’t guarantee McCown would be the starter in Week 1 but said the veteran “is that much further ahead” than Manziel from an experience standpoint.
Outlook: The message is fairly clear: Manziel, who spent a large chunk of the offseason in rehab battling substance abuse issues, will need a heroic effort to unseat McCown.
That doesn’t mean Manziel can’t eventually compete for a starting spot, but if it does happen, it likely won’t be this season.
NEW YORK JETS
Hot seat: Geno Smith. With a new coaching staff and an offseason haul in which the Jets added receiver Brandon Marshall and bolstered a stout defense, this might be Smith’s last chance to make it as a starter in New York.
General manager Mike Maccagnan said Saturday that it will be coach Todd Bowles’ decision on who starts. When asked Tuesday, Bowles made it clear Smith has the early advantage.
“He’s on the first team, so he takes first-team reps,” Bowles said.
There has always been one question with Smith: Can he put all his physical tools to use on a consistent basis?
After Smith’s two roller-coaster seasons in New York in which he turned the ball over 41 times, the answer to that question isn’t clear, and his early-season production likely will determine his fate with the franchise.
Outlook: The new coaching staff has hinted that if Smith’s inconsistency continues, Ryan Fitzpatrick could become New York’s short-term answer. He is familiar with coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense and could step in as a short-term Band-Aid.
But the staff needs to see what it has in Smith, so if a change eventually happens, it likely won’t come until the middle of the season. If it does happen, expect the Jets’ move to be permanent.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Hot seat: Robert Griffin III. Like Smith, RG3 already has been benched during his young career. In a tumultuous first season as coach last year, Jay Gruden replaced Griffin with backups Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy, and the franchise faced constant criticism over its handling of the position.
It was clear back then that Griffin’s skill set — with an emphasis on his speed and making plays on the move — wasn’t a true fit in Gruden’s offense. The questions haven’t dissipated, either.
“You can’t worry about what other people say,” Griffin said last week when Washington opened camp. “That’s not who you play for. You play for your teammates and your coaches and your city. All I can do is be the best player I can be for this team to help this team win.”
Outlook: Washington exercised Griffin’s fifth-year option, keeping him signed through 2016. Whether Gruden likes it or not, the 2012 trade that cost the Redskins four draft picks — three first-rounders and one secondrounder — means Griffin will get at least one more shot.
But the 2016 option is guaranteed only for injury, so the team could cut ties if Griffin can’t prove himself this season.
Even though Griffin isn’t a perfect fit in Gruden’s offense, he simply has better physical tools than McCoy or Cousins.