Woody Johnson

Woody Johnson has an uncertain quarterback situation with the Jets. (John O'Boyle | The Star-Ledger)

PHOENIX -- There's a long time between now and Week 1, and even between now and the start of Jets training camp, when the team will once again attempt to resolve its ever-rocky quarterback situation.

Is third-year pro Geno Smith the answer? Where does 32-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick fit in, after the Jets just traded for him? Will those two quarterbacks have an actual competition for the starting job this summer, unlike the charade of a non-competition the Jets conducted last summer between Smith and Michael Vick?

Or will the Jets completely overhaul their quarterback position by drafting Oregon's Heisman Trophy winner, Marcus Mariota, sixth overall next month? Mariota has been a popular projected pick for the Jets in recent mock drafts, for what that is worth (very little).

Jets owner Woody Johnson pondered that latter question Monday at the NFL's annual meeting. How would Johnson feel if his general manager, Mike Maccagnan, selected Mariota?

"I don't have any feeling about it whatsoever," Johnson said. "We're in the process of going through all the candidates and looking at tape and interviews and doing our research."

When asked for his opinion of Mariota, Johnson said, "It's always in relation to 'what.'"

He meant that the viability of Mariota as the Jets' potential starting quarterback obviously depends on their other options at the position. So how does Mariota rate in relation to Smith?

"We haven't made that determination," Johnson said. "Geno is probably way ahead of him at this point, believe it or not, whether you guys [reporters] have skepticism of that or not. Certainly, [Mariota's] college career was good."

That quote about Smith probably being "way ahead of" Mariota right now will raise some eyebrows.

But it's just Johnson acknowledging the reality that rookie quarterbacks often struggle in the NFL -- as Johnson witnessed in 2013 with Smith. Especially for spread offense quarterbacks like Mariota, transitioning to the NFL is an enormous undertaking. There are significant doubts about whether Mariota will be able to make this transition at all.

Plus, since Smith already has two (albeit uneven) NFL seasons under his belt, he would have a leg up on any rookie quarterback in that regard, despite Smith's struggles so far. These are all obvious things that Johnson was simply acknowledging in a candid manner.

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Major doubts linger about Mariota's readiness to consistently lead an NFL team to wins if he's asked to start Week 1 in 2015. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is considered a more NFL-ready player than Mariota, though it is highly unlikely that Winston would fall to the Jets at No. 6

Still, Winston is a controversial player, so would Johnson be comfortable having him on the Jets? Johnson punted on the question, one he almost certainly will never have to answer.

"I don't know who it is at this point, whether it's Mariota or anybody else," Johnson said.

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.