Joe Douglas knows he needs to fill the holes on the Jets roster. The offensive line, cornerback, pass rush and wide receiver are the obvious gaps, but he should also target finding a good, veteran backup quarterback for Sam Darnold. 

We talked about the top backups the Jets should target, but there are also a lot of quarterbacks they should avoid. If the Jets want to make sure the offense operates at a high level should Darnold go down with injury, they need to find someone who is a mix of experienced, proficient and cheap. They won’t be able to find someone that’s all three, but they definitely can’t afford to sign someone who isn’t either experienced or proficient.

Here are the top four backup quarterbacks the Jets shouldn’t sign.

Marcus Mariota

Mariota is an intriguing option as a player but wouldn’t fit well with the Jets and Adam Gase, who prefers pocket-passers over mobile quarterbacks. Mariota can do both, but Gase needs someone who could step up at a moment’s notice and there’s no real indication Mariota could do that without understanding the offense. 

Another problem with Mariota is his inability to avoid sacks. He was sacked on 13.5 percent of passing attempts in 2019 for the Titans despite only playing in seven games. His backup and eventual replacement, Ryan Tannehill, was sacked on 9.8 percent of passing attempts. 

Mariota does have promise, though, which could be a negative thing as a Jets backup. For one, he’d likely command a salary the Jets shouldn’t spend on a backup. For another, Gase can’t afford to roster a backup that the fans could clamor for if Darnold has another disappointing game. It could zap his confidence and hinder the team’s long-term success.