New York Jets fans got their first look at rookie fourth-round quarterback Cade Klubnik during the squad’s first preseason clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night.
As Geno Smith was ruled out right before kickoff, Klubnik took over the team’s starting reps and ran with the first-team offense.
However, he oddly saw only 15 plays and attempted just seven passes before Aaron Glenn elected to move to Bailey Zappe, who struggled mightily. The reasoning behind the decision raised even more questions.
Throughout those seven passes, however, Klubnik looked comfortable, and both of the drives he commanded led to points. While there is certainly room for growth, it was hard to criticize his debut.
For Klubnik’s development, offensive coordinator Frank Reich’s role has been integral.
Reich’s impact on Klubnik
Each team has a different approach to developing QBs, and there is certainly a difference between working with a highly touted prospect and a Day 3 lottery ticket like Klubnik.
In Klubnik’s case, the Jets seem to be focused on keeping things simple to raise the rookie’s confidence.
The preseason is the best opportunity the Jets will have to evaluate Klubnik before finalizing their QB2 plans. During Klubnik’s limited sample size on Friday, Reich did a very solid job of presenting Klubnik with simple concepts, giving him the confidence to fire some passes into tight windows instead of just playing the short, conservative game.
Simplification is essential in the preseason, but when developing a rookie Day 3 quarterback, it becomes even more crucial.
That is the benefit of having a veteran play caller. While the Reich hire carries plenty of concerns, this is a perfect instance where Reich’s quarterback-development experience comes into play.
One of the top takeaways from Friday’s opener, largely due to Zappe’s showing, is that the Jets’ QB2 will almost certainly either be Klubnik or a veteran picked up around cutdown day. At the very least, that would be the wise approach.
The Jets’ approach with Klubnik on Friday night, though, was still questionable. Giving him only 15 total plays and seven passing attempts feels like they had him on too short a leash.
While it was promising to get a look at him with the first-team offense, a larger sample size is needed to evaluate Klubnik.
Perhaps we will see that in the final two preseason games, but with Smith out, it was the perfect opportunity to give Klubnik the whole first half to watch him do his thing, operate in the two-minute drill, and so forth.
Now, it’s in the Jets’ hands to make the most of their remaining opportunities to fully evaluate him before they must make a decision at QB2.
With a veteran coach in Reich handling his development, though, the Jets should feel confident that Klubnik will be placed in an ideal position to be fully evaluated whenever he takes the field.
