Best of the Jets on WFAN: Cade Klubnik concerns

Chris McMonigle (0:00)

Found out the news that we were expecting about Cade Klubnik being the backup quarterback, officially the backup quarterback for the Jets. And I just think it's a bad idea. I've been on board saying it's a bad idea from the beginning. I know that they don't have any options outside of that right now, because they, I guess, thought this was the plan from the second that they drafted them. And the reason why I don't like it, and I don't really care so much about like the preseason performance, is the fact that it's just very hard for a guy who was drafted in the fourth round to come in at any point in his rookie season and be any good. And we have seen so many of these younger quarterbacks, these guys that aren't any good, put on that jet uniform and be thrust into action because of an injury, and then the season goes to hell. I mean, Brady Cook was one of those guys. You know, he's no longer here as they release him, and he is, I forget where he got picked up yesterday, but so now you've got another one of these situations. Miami, where Brady Cook went. So now you have another one of these situations. And if Geno Smith stays healthy and plays well, you don't have to worry about it.

But if he goes down, you got to worry about it. And if he starts playing poorly, this is the other side of it, because I think most jet fans are not like me, who look at Cade Klubnik as probably a liability. They're excited at the fact that he is the backup quarterback. It's a rookie. It's the unknown. It's the excitement of the unknown.

He could be our guy. And no matter how many of these guys have come through and been bad, whether you're a Browns fan or a Jets fan or any other team that has struggled at the quarterback position, you get excited about the potential of it because you don't know who he is. Let's say Geno has a couple of bad games. Then all of a sudden, here we go.

Gio (1:55)

Put the rookie in, put him in, put him in.

Chris McMonigle (1:57)

Because if you don't have a guy back there that you know stinks, you don't know that because we haven't really seen him play.

So that's what you're going to get. So this is another one of those missteps, I think. I mean, Mugee has to be blamed for this as well, but I think this is one of those missteps in the Aaron Glenn tenure that seems like a small thing, but could lead to his ultimate demise as Jets head coach.

Evan Roberts (2:19)

It's possible. I also think, and I don't disagree with you, go out and get a veteran quarterback, but if Geno Smith isn't any good, the season is going to go to hell anyway. You look at those, we've talked about the schedule a thousand times, don't need to bring that up again, but who do you want? I mean, there's a Jimmy Garoppolo, I guess.

Craig Carton (2:37)

It's too late now, but this is the problem.

Chris McMonigle (2:39)

It's too late now.

Evan Roberts (2:40)

I mean, you can still make moves. I mean, Joe Milton was released by the, which shocked me, to be quite honest.

Chris McMonigle (2:45)

Is he going to get re-signed, though? Is that one of these roster moves where he ends up coming back?

Evan Roberts (2:48)

Potentially, but he was initially on the 53-man roster when they released it on Sunday night.

Sam Howell played his ass off on Friday night, and I really think won the job Friday night. But Milton was actually pretty good. And I remember Phil Simms was talking about Milton a couple of years ago when he was at New England.

Chris McMonigle (3:04)

Yeah, he loved him, yeah.

Evan Roberts (3:05)

Yeah, so, I mean, there might still be a path to do that. There's always going to be an available backup veteran quarterback that you can go out and get. I just think if Geno Smith isn't good, this season's going to go to hell very quickly.

Chris McMonigle (3:20)

It will, but this is the issue with that is like, this is not the first year of Aaron Glenn now. This isn't the first year of the regime. This is his second year and everybody who is evaluating all the head coaches in the league put him at the top of the list for guys on a hot seat.

Evan Roberts (3:36)

100 percent.

Chris McMonigle (3:36)

So, you can't, like if you're Darren Muji or Aaron Glenn, well especially Aaron Glenn, because I think Muji will probably stick around. But you can't have this as your backup plan if you're actually trying to win games. Now, if you're telling me that Geno Smith goes down, the season goes to hell, I know that I'm protected because we're just starting this thing and we'll get a high draft pick and I'll stick around and it won't be a big deal.