Wide receiver Eric Decker had a strong season catching passes from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015, so it comes as little surprise that Decker wants to see Fitzpatrick and the Jets sort out their differences in time for Fitzpatrick to return for another year with the team.
What did come as a surprise to Decker was that the Jets drafted quarterback Christian Hackenberg in the second round. Decker said Tuesday that he trusts General Manager Mike Maccagnan and the personnel team “saw something special in him,” but that he thought the team would be looking in other directions.
“Honestly, we have certain needs,” Decker said, via NJ.com. “But again I’m not in the war room, I don’t scout and say, ‘Hey, this is what our five-year projection looks like.’ Because of what we did last year with Fitzpatrick and ... to get a quarterback in the second round, that’s a big decision. You’re saying a lot about him and what he means to the franchise.”
Decker added that he believes the Jets need “a veteran presence” at quarterback for a team he thinks is “ready to win now,” something fellow wideout Brandon Marshall has intimated as well while discussing his own desire to see Fitzpatrick back with the team. Even with that opinion, Marshall seemed less taken aback by the Jets’ move for Hackenberg than Decker.
“I think that it’s a smart move,” Marshall said. “Whenever you can get better and create competition, it makes the whole team better. You’ve also got to understand that some of us are getting older, so we need these young guys to hand the torch off to, and someone that will be able to carry it. I think that this kid is really good. He’s smart. And he’s going to be a great pro.”
Owner Woody Johnson’s latest update on the Fitzpatrick front was that there’s no update at all, which leaves Geno Smith in position to be the one handing off balls, torches and anything else in the Jets’ offense. Based on how last season played out, that might have felt like a surprise as well in January but it’s become less of one as the months have passed.
