[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

Yes, a soon to be 39 year old McCown would be ideal... and I can't point to one instance where he's been an ideal mentor in past stints.

Shortly after I made that post, Manish Mehta made the argument for me. You should read that.

The one quarterback who can save the Jets if they don't sign Kirk Cousins

The glass-half empty crowd has already given up on winning the Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes, wallowing in life without the prized free-agent quarterback. Oh sure, Cousins is still exploring all his options and surveying the landscape before signing on any dotted line, but Jets Nation, conditioned to expect the worst, already is thinking about the next best move for a team that hasn't had a franchise quarterback since man first walked on the moon.

If the Jets lose out on Cousins, who could opt for a more ready-made team in Minnesota, there's one man who could help Gang Green, an oldie but a goodie who'd play an invaluable part for this rebuilding outfit last year.

Josh McCown could save the day.

The 38-year-old would be the ideal mentor and bridge for an incoming rookie quarterback. McCown's leadership, selflessness and quality of play proved invaluable last season. The lone problem — and it was a significant one — was that his bridge effectively led to nowhere given that the future answer at quarterback wasn't on the roster.

McCown must be paired up with a first-round quarterback this year. A McCown-Petty-Hackenberg (or equivalent) quarterback room isn't going to cut it this year. It'll be an abject failure if the Jets miss out on Cousins or don't draft one of the top four signal callers in this year's draft.

"We're just looking for the right fit, be it a veteran quarterback or a younger guy," Todd Bowles said last week at the Scouting Combine about the kind of quarterback he needs. "We got to make sure we got the right fit for our team. It doesn't matter what age he is."

Bowles revealed that the Jets have three or four plans to address the most important position in the sport, but make no mistake: All hope is not lost if Cousins isn't wearing green and white in 2018, as long as they pair McCown with a coveted rookie.

McCown would be a terrific presence for Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen or Baker Mayfield. You can make a solid case that a McCown-rookie first-round quarterback pairing might even be in the best interest for the organization's long-term health (even if it isn't necessarily in the best interest of the general manager or head coach). McCown's projected affordable salary (one-year deal for $6-$8 million) coupled with a rookie's four-year deal (with a fifth-year team option) would be peanuts compared to Cousins' likely annual salary of around $30 million.

McCown, who tied a career-high with 13 starts before breaking his hand in the final month, had 23 total touchdowns, only nine interceptions and a career-high 67.3 completion rate last season. He's made it abundantly clear this offseason that he'd like to return to the Jets for his 16th season. His familiarity with quarterbacks coach-turned-offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates is another reason why he belongs back here to help the rebuilding process.

McCown is an ego-less player in a league fueled by ego. There would be no better player or person to help guide a coveted rookie quarterback. Maybe McCown is the Week One starter that gives way to the younger guy at some point during the season. Maybe the rookie is the starter from Day One with McCown as his locker-room Yoda.

McCown is always willing to help. He can save the day in his own way.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...mmehta+twitter