Jon Gruden On Geno Smith: 'He Is Getting Better ... I See Progress'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Geno Smith was very disappointing for the Jets in 2014.
The young quarterback, entering his third season in the NFL, is expected to be the starter for New York this upcoming season. But he'll have a lot to prove coming off two subpar campaigns.
One pundit in his corner is ESPN analyst Jon Gruden. The former Raiders and Buccaneers head coach still believes in Smith.
"As painful as it is for some Jets fans, I see some progress," Gruden said Tuesday on a conference call with reporters.
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The other quarterbacks on the Jets' roster are Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Simms. Many experts predict that general manager Mike Maccagnan will select Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota in the NFL draft later this month, but the prospect could very well be off the board when the Jets pick at No. 6.
"Geno Smith, as polarizing as he is to most of the people I hear talk about him, he is getting better," Gruden said. "He is showing some progress, and they are adding some players around him. Brandon Marshall comes to town to potentially give him a go-to target.
"I think (Jace) Amaro, the young tight end, has a chance to be a factor in the passing game. Maybe (adding) another offensive lineman, maybe another year of (Smith) spending time with a solid backup like Fitzpatrick will be beneficial. But I'd be surprised if the Jets pulled the plug on Geno."
In 14 games last year, the 24-year-old completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 2,525 yards. He threw 13 touchdowns to 13 interceptions and fumbled eight times. On the ground, Smith rushed for 238 yards and a touchdown.
"I'm really impressed with what they've done," Gruden said in regard to the Jets' offseason. "They've added a lot of good players – three really good corners. They've improved their secondary tremendously, and that was the weak link of this football team last year."
