It’s safe to say that Pete Carroll‘s tenure as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach didn’t go according to plan. One of the players who got the short end of the stick was quarterback Geno Smith. Now that he departed the team, his former head coach opened up about him.
Pete Carroll spoke to Rich Cimini of ESPN, who covers the Jets, Smith’s new team. “I think I see him differently than a lot of people see him,” Carroll said about Geno Smith. “I love him and appreciate him differently.”
But then, he dropped the apologetic part of the message. “He’s a phenomenal quarterback, he really is,” the former Raiders coach said. “We should’ve had him better prepared for the things that happened, and that wouldn’t have happened. I take a lot of responsibility in that. We didn’t prepare him well enough in the offseason even though he looked great and we felt we had everything lined up. It was very, very disappointing for us both.”
Smith will work with an OC known for getting the best of QBs
Frank Reich is the Jets new offensive coordinator. He has a reputation of making the best out of working with underwhelming quarterbacks. Smith right now has been that, and he is looking or redemption. Reich worked with Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan. Rivers and Ryan were in their last stretches.
Reich has had mixed but overall positive results given his quarterbacks. Now, he has to go back into reviving the career of a soon-to-be 36-year-old Geno Smith. The Jets desperately need for this duo to work, otherwise their offense will be very stagnant.
Smith will have a very good couple of weapons to work with
Smith will have a certified top-tier wide receiver in Garrett Wilson. The Ohio State product has had three 1,000-yard seasons. The streak was stopped last year, but he only played in seven games. Now, Smith will have to target Wilson heavily if he wants to succeed.
He also has a very good running back. Breece Hall will also be back. He had 1,065 yards last season. But Hall is not only a good rusher, he is also a very good pass-catcher. Hall has had 350+ receiving yards in his three seasons as a full starter of the team. Hence, he will a viable escape valve for Smith.