Hurley: Why are the New York Jets such dorks?

BOSTON -- The New York Jets had a ton of talent last year, but bad quarterback play. Very bad quarterback play. The worst quarterback play in the whole NFL.

So it's understandable, no doubt, that the team is looking to any and every avenue that could lead to an improvement at the most important position on the field. And it's likewise understandable that the team is going to do everything in its power to get that done.

But why, oh why, do the Jets have to be such dorks about it?

Can't the Jets just be normal?

It's a question that must be asked after the latest report from ESPN's Dianna Russini. She discussed the details of Derek Carr's free-agent visit to the Jets. Carr was of course recently released by the Raiders, for whom he played the quarterback position at a medium level for the past nine years. The Jets, apparently, see Carr as a much greater quarterback than he's proven to be throughout his career.

"They went through top to bottom of why Derek Carr can step in here and take this team not just to the playoffs, but to the Super Bowl," Russini stated on "NFL Live."

That alone is no reason for ridicule. The Jets had a top-five defense last year, when they also employed the offensive and defensive rookie of the year. With Breece Hall coming back from injury, plus a pick in the top half of the first round of the draft coming up, there's reason for real optimism in Florham Park. The Super Bowl may be an aggressive goal, but sure, aim high.

It's really what Russini said next that crossed several lines of reality.

"And they made it really personal, too," Russini reported. "They said, 'We believe if you come to New York and win, you could be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.' Right, so they went full in on Derek Carr here, letting him know that they really want him to play for the New York Jets."

Let's run that one more time:  They said, 'We believe if you come to New York and win, you could be a first ballot Hall of Famer.'

In football? Do you think they meant the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Or were they thinking of something else? Maybe it was something else.

But if they meant the Hall of Fame for football players, then again, we are left to ask this: Why are the New York Jets such dorks?

(Tedy Bruschi being unable to hold in his laughter is probably the only response necessary. Nevertheless! We'll trudge forward!)

Several years back, you may recall the Jets trying to woo Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower on his free-agent visit with some cupcakes and happy birthday messages on monitors inside their facility, while also sending Jets gear to his mom. Believe it or not, those efforts resulted in a swing and a miss.

It's unclear if the Jets offered any sugary treats alongside the Hall of Fame outlook. The projection to Canton -- on the first ballot, no less! -- was sweet enough on its own.

Again, really, everybody gets it. The Jets ranked dead last in team passer rating last year at 75.0. Zach Wilson was the worst quarterback in the league based on passer rating, with his 72.8 mark a good distance behind Kenny Pickett, who was second-worst at 76.7. Mike White, who made four starts, had a 75.7 rating. Joe Flacco, who also made four starts, had a 75.2 rating.

As a team, the Jets threw just 15 touchdowns all season, second-fewest in the league, ahead of only Pittsburgh with 12. (Twelve passing touchdowns in a whole season for a football team! In this economy?!) They were middle of the pack in pass yards and interceptions, but the lack of power from the QBs contributed to the Jets scoring in the single digits five times during the season. They scored 12 or fewer points seven times. Unsurprisingly, they went 0-7 in those games. When they scored between 13 and 19 points, they went 1-2, making them 1-9 when they scored fewer than three touchdowns.

On the flip side, when they scored 20 or more points, they went 6-1. So it's easy to see why their eyes might be getting big at the thought of adding a quarterback like Carr to their squad. Carr certainly isn't great, but he's more than capable. And he really could be enough to lift the Jets into real contention in their division immediately. With some decent QB play, they could leapfrog the Patriots and Dolphins and perhaps go toe-to-toe with the Bills for the division crown. Everybody gets this.

But, well, the Jets can't help but overdo this one.

Derek Carr. Hall of Fame. First ballot.

That is some real dork behavior.

You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.