The Jets continued their search for a true successor to Joe Namath when they invested a fourth-round pick in Bryce Petty in this month's draft.
"He's a great player," Briles told the New York Daily News. "Was Joe Montana in a system? Is Tom Brady in a system? Everybody's in a system. It's just about how you adapt. He'll do well in whatever he's asked to do. ... RG3 won an NFC East title and was NFL Rookie of the Year. Then he got 'systemized.' So, I mean, let them play."
"To me, here's his football IQ: 8,600 yards, 61 TDs, nine INTs, two Big 12 titles," the coach added. "That's a pretty good IQ. It's about how you produce on the field. Did you win? Are you a leader? Do you have the intangibles? Do you love the game? Yeah, he's got all of those, but the most important one is that he wins. He's a winner."
Briles believes the Jets have finally hit on a quarterback.
"Jets fans are in for a big treat," he said.
It's not unusual for a college coach to gush about a former pupil, which is certainly the case here. But Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan deserves credit for importing Petty, who comes with big upside at an affordable cost.
- The latest Around The NFL Podcast reacts to the most recent "Deflategate" news and discusses the current state of all 16 NFC teams. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.*
