A year ago, Geno Smith finished dead last in ESPN NFL Insider Mike Sando's first annual quarterback rankings, based on the opinions of coaches and talent evaluators. When I asked Smith about the survey in training camp, he replied with this rather startling comment:

"The thing about it is, you have to climb up. If I'm No. 32, by this time next year or the year after, I expect to be in the top 5."

Well, it's next year, and the New York Jets' quarterback still has a ways to go.

In Sando's new rankings, in which he solicited the opinions of 35 league insiders, Smith placed 32nd. Again. Tough crowd.

Frankly, I'm not sure if Smith is 32nd or 28th or 26th; does it really matter? The point is, he's in the lower tier, and that has to change if the Jets hope to accomplish anything in 2015. One of the anonymous quotes in Sando's story is particularly insightful. One of the unnamed coaches blames some of Smith's struggles on the offensive system (see: Marty Mornhinweg), saying it was far too complicated for Smith. Another offensive coach says the Jets "ran every play in the history of football."

I agree. Smith was a bad fit for a West Coast offense, particularly Mornhinweg's version. His successor, Chan Gailey, hopes to change that by employing a quick/easy-read system that, in theory, should allow Smith to make fast decisions and deliver the ball on time. Basically, the plan is to "clean up his reads," as they like to say in the business.

Smith "cannot process fast enough," according to another unnamed coach. "He is not a natural guy, sliding in the pocket and knowing when to run it." Those comments are fair, but what we don't know is how much the old system contributed to that. We'll find out in the coming months.