Geno Smith anyone? - UPDATE SIGNED

[Formula 21]

[Heatmiser]

Geno had a decent game (only one he played last season). Maybe he is maturing. But when he was a starter he was erratic, could not read a defense, was inaccurate, did not use his ability to run (he is very fast) effectively, held the ball too long. and he struggled with leadership and teammates. Is that enough to explain why so many of us are not excited? His claim to fame is getting his jaw broken during a fight with a teammate in preseason!

TH

[SDFan]

probably signed him so he and Jones could push each other for the backup spot. team always talks about having competition for roster spots, might turn out better than handing #2 QB spot to a guy like Clemons every year with no competition.

[Panamamike]

Geno had a decent game (only one he played last season). Maybe he is maturing. But when he was a starter he was erratic, could not read a defense, was inaccurate, did not use his ability to run (he is very fast) effectively, held the ball too long. and he struggled with leadership and teammates. Is that enough to explain why so many of us are not excited? His claim to fame is getting his jaw broken during a fight with a teammate in preseason!

TH

He alao had the worst group of offensive skill positions in the NFL. By the time they added talent he lost his job to a sucker punch. Low risk signing,i have no probs with it.

[Bolt-O]

I'm not excited by the signing, but the "use by" date for Clemens has passed. I want to see what Cardale can do, but Smith to me already is a known quantity. However, there are maybe only a few FA backups worth a signing that might be on a par with Smith (and Manziel isn't one of them.) Maybe Tolzien, but he also sucked in the starter role. I'm hoping that Geno won't be the one to break PRs starting streak, ever.

[Formula 21]

Two issues noted here. Bye to Clemons? And the Bolts will add a qb in the draft?

Chargers challenge Cardale Jones, add competition to QB room with Geno Smith signing

10:07 AM PT

• Eric D. WilliamsESPN Staff Writer

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- By signing backup quarterback Geno Smith to a one-year deal on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers put Cardale Jones on notice that he will have competition for the No. 2 quarterback job during training camp.
"He's a very young player," coach Anthony Lynn said about Jones at the NFL scouting combine. "People forget this guy never lost a college football game. He's 6-foot-5, 260, can move around pretty well and has a strong arm.

In addition to signing Geno Smith, the Chargers may add a quarterback through this year's draft as well. Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports "Every day in practice he makes throws that make you shake your head. He's a highly intelligent young man. There's no reason why he couldn't be our future quarterback."
The addition of Smith doesn't mean the Chargers won't select a quarterback in this year's draft. General manager Tom Telesco and the rest of his staff have been doing extensive work on this year's quarterback class.
The Chargers met with Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield before his pro day and met with Lamar Jackson after his pro day. Lynn attended the pro days of Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen, too.
Telesco also watched Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen and Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph play in person last season.
In Smith, the Chargers bring in a player who Lynn is familiar with and who fits his desire to have a mobile quarterback who can threaten the defense with his legs.
"When you have a guy who can move around a little bit like Lamar, you make a defense play 11-on-11," Lynn said about Jackson at the combine. "And sometimes, they think that's not fair. But when the offense can go 11-on-11, that's a defensive coordinator's worst nightmare. That's what he brings to the table."
Lynn spent two seasons with Smith during the 2013 and 2014 campaign when he served as running backs coach for the New York Jets.

Smith backed up Eli Manning last season. He started Dec. 3 when Manning was benched for a week. Manning had been the NFL's active leader in consecutive starts at 210.

Smith was solid, completing 21 of 34 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in a 24-17 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, the 27-year-old Smith adds another quarterback to the mix of players competing for a spot on the roster and perhaps serving as an eventual replacement for Philip Rivers.
A 2013 second-round selection by the Jets, Smith never lived up to lofty expectations during his four seasons with the team.
Smith had his share of issues with the Jets. Smith was sucker-punched by linebacker IK Enemkpali, forcing him to spend time on the injured reserve, and he also lost the starting job to Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015.

And Smith was benched against the Chargers in 2014 because he missed a meeting the day before the game. He got the meeting time mixed up because they were on the West Coast. Michael Vick started, and the Chargers rolled 31-0.
However, the physical tools are still present for the talented quarterback from West Virginia, and the Chargers provide Smith another opportunity to prove his worth in the league. For his career, Smith has competed 58 percent of his passes, throwing for 6,174 yards, with 29 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.
The addition of Smith to the quarterback room likely means Rivers' good friend Kellen Clemens, who served as the backup quarterback for four seasons, will not return.
And along with Jones, Smith likely will have additional competition in the quarterback room from this year's draft. The Chargers have not selected a quarterback in the draft during Telesco's tenure since drafting Brad Sorensen in the seventh round of the 2013 draft.

[Formula 21]

You may not like Geno, but there's a good chance he is the #2 qb this year because he is experienced and cheaper. And he probably has a better chance of winning a game than Clemons does.

[Heatmiser]

[Gwynning_Spirit]

You may not like Geno, but there's a good chance he is the #2 qb this year because he is experienced and cheaper. And he probably has a better chance of winning a game than Clemons does.

If Rivers got shaken up late in a game and was forced to come out, I would much rather see someone like Geno come in than Clemens. If the other team's D who prepped all week for Rivers and already played against for like 3+ quarters, having Geno come in might cause some problems for them that Clemens wouldn't... especially if Geno can hold onto the ball and not do anything too dumb for once.

But we shouldn't trip too much on G.Smith being signed. In between the Clemens and Lemons we've signed in the past, guys like Kyle Boller, washed up Jim Everett, that time we drafted John Crompton, I don't see how this is worse, but that's just how I feeley about it.

Hopefully Cardale has learned a bunch and will improve. I can't recall having seen anything from him. Maybe it'll be a Mettenberger replay and just be some guy whose old team gave up on him, so we gave him an extra shot before we give up as well.

[Attack]

You may not like Geno, but there's a good chance he is the #2 qb this year because he is experienced and cheaper. And he probably has a better chance of winning a game than Clemons does.

I think Geno is an upgrade over Clemens, as sad as that is. Clemens was done years ago, and somehow stuck around probably because of Rivers', at least in part, support of him. There really isn't anything out there as far as decent backup QB talent. Some teams have gone 20+ years without having a top tier QB, and I hope we don't end up being one of them post-Rivers.

[Coachmarkos]

I'm not a Geno fan, but no harm can come from this signing. Low risk/high reward.

[Heatmiser]

No backup QB or starting RT ever cut it with this crowd! ....and it goes back years....

TG