Brett Rypien Signed - Boyle Released

Edition #535

Good morning. ☕

Another day and another talking point. The Jets decided to sign Brett Rypien from the Seattle Seahawks practice squad, and in a corresponding move, they released Tim Boyle. Rypien was with Denver while Hackett was there so he knows the system and while his pro numbers are pretty abysmal, he does at least have some college production to hang his hat on, unlike Boyle who was pretty fortunate to be on an NFL roster.

It does show that the Jets are willing to cut players with close ties to both Rodgers and Hackett. But some would argue that he shouldn’t have been signed in the first place.

Through four years in the NFL as a backup and emergency starter, Rypien has completed 58.3% of his passes for 950 yards, 4 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. So I wouldn’t count on him coming in to save the day.

Rypien is a pretty underwhelming signing, and you have to believe it was his work with Hackett in 2022 that convinced the Jets to make the move, but he was outstanding at Boise State, and while they’re not a marquee team, tossing 90 touchdowns to 29 interceptions is noteworthy.

He started one game for the Rams this year and appeared in relief in another, completing 47.4% of passes for 172 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception, he was waived pretty quickly after that and picked up by Seattle.

I got a text saying the Jets were signing a QB from a practice squad and instantly hoped that it was Max Duggan from the Las Angeles Chargers, who’s also on their practice squad. I watched a fair amount of Duggan at TCU and while he doesn’t have an amazing arm, he has incredible leadership and toughness, which this team could do with on offence. Plus, if you’re going to take a shot in the dark at someone, I’d rather go with Duggan than Rypien, but that’s just me.

It does raise the question, was Tim Boyle the leak? But that’s pure conjecture on my part based on what’s happened today. It may be that the Jets just realised that Tim Boyle wasn’t very good, something his stats should have indicated a long time ago.

The truth is that Boyle has never shown the ability to be a starting QB in this league. He was awful at UConn throwing 1 TD to 13 interceptions over 3 years, and then he was poor at Eastern Kentucky where he threw 11 TD to 13 INT after transferring. He’s now thrown 4 touchdowns to 12 interceptions over 6 years in the NFL. In short, he should never have been the backup, and while the Jets may not have been able or willing to invest more money into the QB position after trading for Rodgers, rolling the dice with Boyle as the backup was a gamble that backfired mightily. He was brought in because he knew the Hackett system and had close ties to both Rodgers and the Jets offensive coordinator. I’m sure he’s a good guy, but he’s not a good QB.

🟢 Aaron Rodgers has a very spiky relationship with the media and he took shots at the report that came out on Zach Wilson this week during his weekly spot on Pat McAfee. I've never been a big fan of this stuff leaking, but when it does, you have to pay attention to it. “When you use sources to try and assassinate someone's character like that report does for Zach I have a real hard time with that. You're basically saying that this kid is quitting on the team and doesn't wanna play"

⚪ He also said he looked forward to taking the reigns back amongst all the change. I'm sure we're all looking forward to him taking back the reigns. "There's more developments happening this week but it's been a great learning experience. I believe in the guys there. I believe in the individuals in leadership. There are a lot of reactions that happen and some may be influenced by fans and pundits a little more than I'm used to...It's a wild ride and I'm looking forward to taking back the reigns really soon."

🟢 He later admitted the season had not gone to plan but he loves the passion of the fanbase. "I do love that about Jets fans, you know what I mean? They care so damn much. And this has been a sh*t season for sure. But we will be back."

⚪ As well as the Brett Rypien signing and Tim Boyle release, the Jets also announced that offensive guard Xavier Newman has returned to the practice squad and Tanzel Smart has been placed on practice squad IR.

🟢 Solomon Thomas has been named as the Jets representative for the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2023, an award that ‘acknowledges NFL players who excel on the field and demonstrate a passion for creating a lasting positive impact beyond the game in their communities.’ If you want to cast a vote for Solomon, then you can do so by clicking HERE.

📊 POWER RANKINGS