On Monday afternoon, the Jets announced the signing of seventh-year quarterback Brady Quinn.
"It's a great opportunity," the new No. 9 said. "The Jets are a historic organization. I think just to be able to work with a guy like David Lee and Coach [Marty] Mornhinweg is a great opportunity for me."
"You just try to get the best 53 that you can find that's out there to help your team," head coach Rex Ryan said. "That's what we're trying to do."
With QBs Mark Sanchez and Greg McElroy hurt and having made the decision to keep Geno Smith off the field, the Jets picked up recently-released QB Graham Harrell to back-up Matt Simms in the preseason finale versus the Eagles. Harrell's lone drive of the game consisted of kneeling the ball to run the clock out and secure a Green & White victory.
Harrell's name was excluded in a weekend full of a couple dozen roster moves and emerged as one of four QBs kept on the initial 53-man roster. On Monday, however, Graham was released, Quinn was brought in.
His role with the team and his spot on the depth chart remain unknown.
"I've been brought in to do whatever I can to help the team," adding he's unsure if he will be given a chance to fight for a starting spot this Sunday. "I've got a lot of my plate. I just got here late last night and I'm still trying to get adjusted to everything."
He could be a temporary solution while Sanchez, currently day-to-day, heals his right shoulder.
Sanchez missed this afternoon's practice, although Rex has not yet ruled him out for the season opener six days from now.
"We'll see how he progresses in these next days," the head coach said of the injury.
Or Brady Quinn could settle in and stay for the long haul, possibly climbing his way up the depth chart.
After an illustrious career at Notre Dame, Quinn was selected by the Browns in the first round, 22nd overall, in the 2007 draft. He spent three seasons in Cleveland before joining the Broncos for 2010 and '11 and the Chiefs in 2012.
He moved to the Seahawks this offseason but despite his throwing for two touchdowns without any interceptions and boasting a 97.6 passer rating during the preseason, Seattle released him in the final cuts on Saturday, deciding to go with eight-year veteran Tarvaris Jackson as the only backup to Russell Wilson.
In his first six seasons, Quinn has played in 24 regular-season games, compiling a 4-16 record as a starter with 12 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and a 53.8 completion percentage.
Quinn's looking forward to working with his new position coach. Lee might be the best out there at helping QBs with their fundamentals, he said. "He does a great job working with footwork, progressions, reads, understanding the game from the quarterback position."
In addition to working under Coach Lee, he's happy to be reunited with former teammate and ninth-year veteran Kellen Winslow, who played with Quinn in '07 and '08 while the two were in Cleveland.
On a Thursday night game in November '08, the Fighting Irish product threw a pair of touchdowns without an interception in his first NFL start. Winslow was on the receiving end of both scores to top off a 10-reception, 111-yard night.
"We hooked up a lot that game," Winslow said. "Brady Quinn's a good quarterback. A great quarterback." "I loved playing with him in Cleveland," the QB said of the TE, "so it's good to see a familiar face like that."
