Pennington gives Mangini, Jets the best chance to win

By Connor Byrne  |   Thursday, August 03, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

New York Jets
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Without question, the biggest story in New York Jets training camp thus far has pertained to the quarterback situation. The Jets are the only team in the National Football League to have a quartet of different contenders attempting to win the No. 1 job. Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, Brooks Bollinger and Kellen Clemens are all competing to helm the franchise in 2006.

Recent rumblings have abounded that Pennington has been named the starter by first-year head coach Eric Mangini, but those rumors were quickly shot down. Despite that, the Jets' best bet in terms of moving forward should be Pennington. Although the 30-year-old has been accused of possessing a noodle arm throughout his career and has dealt with injury issues, he's been successful when healthy.

A six-year veteran, Pennington took the starting job in 2002 after the team began the season 1-3 with Vinny Testaverde under center. The Knoxville, TN native stepped in and proceeded to lead New York to an 8-4 mark and a postseason berth. In the process, the former first-round pick tossed 22 touchdowns against six interceptions and amassed a stunning efficiency rating of 104.2.

Since, however, the ex-Marshall University star has fallen on hard times. Over the last three seasons, Pennington has started in just 25 games thanks to various injuries - mostly rotator cuff problems.

Because of his inability to stay healthy and throw the ball downfield, the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder has drawn the ire of Jets fans and various media outlets. Finally, though, it appears Pennington is relatively healthy and set to regain his former starting spot.

As it stands now, few expect the Jets to be anything but terrible in the upcoming season. Those who believe that are expecting a mess at the quarterback position. On the contrary, if Pennington returns to his original form, it's not out of the realm of possibility to think New York won't at least be average in 2006. The overall team talent isn't great and the coaching is green, but the QB might be good enough to guide the franchise from the league's basement.

In the event that Mangini doesn't think Pennington's the right man for the job, the frontrunner is probably Ramsey, who was acquired from the Washington Redskins earlier in the offseason. Also a former first-round choice, the 27-year-old has shown a few positive signs in his four-year career. Still, he hasn't been on the Pro Bowl level that Pennington's visited before.

The third option is Clemens, a second-round pick back in April who hasn't impressed in camp. The main knock on Clemens is a lack of arm strength, which is also the knock on Pennington. Thus, why would Mangini, in his first season, decide to start an unproven rookie over a proven yet weak-armed veteran? The answer's simple - he wouldn't.

Currently, the New York Jets' final option at quarterback is Brooks Bollinger, a three-year veteran. The chances of the 27-year-old winning the job are about the same as winning the New York lottery twice in one day, so don't expect him to be guiding the organization anytime soon.

When asked about the current four-way battle for the top signal caller's job, the 35-year-old Mangini didn't hint at who would be the last competitor standing. "All I can tell you is I'm the head coach of this football team. The rotation will continue and there's no change in that status," he said.

Ultimately, Mangini will end up hedging his bets with Pennington, who has a career starting record of 22-17 and a 92.1 rating. The only way that won't be the case is if the rookie coach believes his team would be better off rebuilding. In that situation, Ramsey or Clemens would be No. 1.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

Stay with Realfootball365.com for plenty of news on the New York Jets' quarterback situation. Sign up for free email alerts at the top right-hand corner of the page for updates.
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