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          NFL Nation

          Can Jets rookie QB Bryce Petty make a serious run at Geno Smith's job?

          Thanks again, folks, for all the questions. Your New York Jets' mailbag in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

          @RichCimini: I'll tell you what I've seen from Bryce Petty, Rob: Arm talent. His arm is good enough to make all the throws. But, as you know from watching Geno Smith, it takes more than a good arm to be an effective quarterback. We won't know about Petty's intangibles until we see him in game conditions, facing a live pass rush. Some fans might be hoping he pulls a Russell Wilson, a middle-round pick who blows away everyone from day one. The Jets would love to see that happen, but Wilson's advantage was that he already was well-versed in the Seattle Seahawks' offense, having played in a West Coast system in college. That's not the case with Petty, who played in an up-tempo spread at Baylor. There will be a steep learning curve. I also can tell you this: The coaches like Petty's moxie. He has that "it" factor, but, again, we have to see how it goes when things get serious on the field.

          @RichCimini: Petty is part of the post-Geno plan, John, but it's hard to imagine the Jets handing him the keys to the franchise unless there's evidence he can handle the job. In other words, he'd have to get on the field this season and be good. Failing that, they'd have to go out and get a veteran quarterback -- again. Right now, the top free agents for 2016 are Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Sam Bradford, Nick Foles and Wilson. You have to assume Manning, Rivers and Wilson will re-up with their current teams. Quite frankly, I don't think the Jets will have the cap space to make a major acquisition, anyway. They'd better hope the current personnel works out.

          @RichCimini: Todd Bowles hasn't revealed his plans yet, so this is guesswork on my part. I think it'll be the same as always. Smith will play a series or two in the opener, a quarter or so in the second game and about three quarters in the third game. Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the bulk of his work in the first and second games, and Petty will get the fourth. Obviously, things can change based on performance and injuries. The objective is to get the starter, presumably Smith, ready for the regular season while evaluating the others. It's a delicate balance. Rex Ryan never handled it very well; we'll see if Bowles does a better job.

          @RichCimini: This smacks of a fantasy-related question. Amaro is coming off an underwhelming rookie season, and he has to be better in all facets of his game. He finished with 38 catches for 345 yards last season, and I expected those numbers to increase -- but I wouldn't write him down as a 60-catch tight end. Watching him in practice and games, I haven't seen any special qualities that make you say, "Wow, he's gonna be a great one." Amaro can start by cutting down on the drops and playing with more urgency. If he doesn't, he'll give Rex Ryan more fodder for his next Amaro rip job.

          @RichCimini: At punt returner, Jeremy Kerley is the favorite. And you know what that means -- a lot of fair catches. The kickoff-returning job is wide open, with Saalim Hakim, T.J. Graham and Chris Owusu in the mix. Walt Powell also will compete at both spots. None of these options are terribly exciting. Where have you gone, Leon Washington? Hey, Joe McKnight is looking for a job, so maybe ... kidding. I don't think Devin Smith factors into the equation. If he's involved in special teams, it probably would be as a gunner on the punt-coverage team. He was terrific in college.

          @RichCimini: I see where you're going, Rob. In theory, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker should open the middle for Kerley and the tight ends. But I'm curious to see how the slot position plays out over the course of the season. Right now, Devin Smith doesn't have the skill set to be an effective slot receiver, but he has one advantage over Kerley -- pure speed. Mike Maccagnan didn't use a high second-round pick on Smith so he could sit on the bench, so they will be looking for ways to get him on the field. I'm not saying he will be used exclusively in the slot, but he could be out there with Marshall and Decker in three-receiver packages, with one of them sliding into the slot.

          @RichCimini: I'd be a little surprised if he gets cut. Maccagnan traded a seventh-round pick for Zac Stacy, so I'm sure he wants to make it work. Right now, I'd say four running backs will make the team, with only three active on game day. Depth is important because of the injury rate at the position.

          Scheduling note: It's that time of the year. I'll be stepping away for a little bit, re-charging before training camp. The Jets' page will remain active with new posts every day, including our AFC East roundtable discussion. See you when there's football.