April 26, 2018 on Twitter: ( FYI I retweeted some of these on my Twitter feed)

You know what the best part of Sam Darnold is? He’s not Josh Allen. #Jets

The #Jets traded up to 3 and were mocked. They have arguably the best QB fall into their lap and take him. Well done Maccagnan #NFLDraft

Uncle Sam gonna take us to the promise land

I have been saying it for 2 years now. Suck for Sam!!! And it came true. Spoke it to existence.. Welcome to the New York Jets Sam Darnold!!!!! #jets #nfl
#myqb #winner

The #Jets ended up with Sam Darnold. The @nyjets
I’m still in shock and filled with joy. Special shout out to the #Browns
and #Giants too for making this happen. Love it! #NFLDraft

Still hyped about the #SAMDARNOLD pick by the #Jets. Getting the best QB in the draft at 3 is a steal. #NFLDraft

There were MANY happy Jets fans gushing that they indeed did get the BEST QB in the draft in 2018, yet they all want to FORGET this and forget that it’s a process, DROP him and go with the new Shiny New Toy …. again. Yes, I know that Trevor was the talk of town yesterday against Georgia Tech. Yes, I know that beat writers and everyone who talks about football is gushing over him. And yes, I know Trevor Lawrence beat Alabama in last year’s championship and I am NOT taking that away from him BUT here is why Clemson won, and it was NOT because of Lawrence.

First off, the defense on Alabama only rush only four and drop seven into coverage.

Four didn’t get it done against Clemson. Note that Trevor Lawrence isn’t the most mobile quarterback in college football, but he didn’t need to be against Alabama because he was allowed to stand as long as he pleased in the pocket and pick out his receivers. With Alabama neutralized up front, that left the defensive backs vulnerable to Lawrence and his talented receivers. Lawrence completed 20 of 32 passes for 347 yards, and while he’s good, he needed star receiver Justyn Ross to bail him out on bad throws twice! ( Oh my God … he had bad throws … just like Sam makes at times!)

Last year it as “Tank for Tua.” Now, Tua Tagovailoa is a talented player, no question but he seems to have only have one gear. He did it twice against Clemson, with one pass returned for a touchdown and the second pick setting up another score. So the defense of Alabama scored not because of Trevor Lawrence. Alabama turned over the ball on downs three times, including once on that fake field goal. The problem is that Alabama’s offense can never waste opportunities, because its defense rarely creates turnovers. That has nothing do with Trevor Lawrence and everything to do with Alabama. FYI: when Nick Saban faked the field goal rather than having Joseph Bulovas try a medium-range kick, was he doing so because he didn’t like Bulovas’ odds of making it?

Right now Trevor Lawrence is the shiny new toy that everyone wants. The Jets haven’t done enough to surround Darnold with actual, talented football players, and chances are, if Trevor Lawrence is put in a similar situation, he might not be better off. The Jets need a blueprint on how to properly nurture and develop a QB, they had Josh McCown here during Sam’s rookie year, but they stupidly let him go after that. Remember, draft picks mean nothing unless you can develop young players; the Jets are the epitome of that notion.

Now I know passing on a “once in a lifetime talent ” at quarterback might be a mistake, but drafting one and setting him up to fail — like his predecessor — might be a bigger one. You can’t just always go for the SHINY NEW TOY. It’s like relationships, people give up on those these days way too easily. They don’t want to put in the work, they just want the perfection and the trophy. To have a relationship you need to start with a foundation before you can have the roof. To have a winning team you need to have the core and build around it. To have success you can’t keep dumping and building. Go ask those who given up if they succeeded, they will have to tell you that they failed. You can’t look back at where you’ve been, but where you are going. Yes, the past shapes us in every aspect, but if we ever want to be in the promise land we can’t keep making the same mistakes.

Dropping Sam Darnold for Trevor Lawrence is making the same mistake. Especially if you look at Tanehill’s numbers post-coach Gase: With Gase 65.9% COMP PCT Without Gase: 69.9% COMP PCT With Gase: 93.2 Passer Rating Without Gase: 115.4 Passer Rating.

So may be the answer for Sam Darnold is simple: Once Gase goes, Sam’s stats go in a better direction: UP.

But giving up on him, should not be the option. Surrounding him with talent and a coach that showcases his strengths not highlights his weaknesses should be the first thing Joe Douglas does. If the Jets ever want to be successful, then they need to stop the madness and save the Quarterback who has the skills and the talent needed to be their franchise for the next ten years. Or they risk giving another team that opportunity when they trade him for the shiny new toy. Maybe one day the Jets can thank themselves for not giving up on Darnold but for believing in him and building a team around him. Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.

“Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”