[ad_1]
Just three years ago, Sam Darnold was the potential franchise quarterback savior for the Jets. Now it looks like he’s leaving town.
All signs point to the Jets selecting BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the second pick in the April 29 draft. Wilson will then have his chance to be the franchise quarterback the Jets have sought for 45 years.
The question now is what can Jets general manager Joe Douglas get for Darnold in a trade and who the potential business partners might be. Several teams that looked like possible partners found other options at the quarterback over the past month. The Colts, 49ers and Washington have all gone in other directions after being suggested as landing points for Darnold.
So who is left?
Darnold won’t be seen as a day one starter by anyone. It’s clear. The most likely business partner is a team that has a starter in place that it is not completely sold on. Darnold could provide some competition in training camp or be a solid replacement who can become the starter if the current QB1 stumbles.
The Broncos make the most sense in this category. They have Drew Lock in pencil right now. Denver loved Darnold when he made the 2018 draft. The Broncos have seen a change at the top since then. George Paton is their new general manager although John Elway remains with the team.
Denver has the No. 9 pick overall. It’s possible the Broncos could draft the fifth quarterback taken this year, or they could try to move up. But it feels like the top four picks will all be quarterbacks, so the Broncos may not be able to get high enough to even get their fourth pick.
The Panthers are in a similar situation. The signals were clear that Carolina was going to give Deshaun Watson a run if the Texans made the star quarterback available. This happened before Watson faced multiple lawsuits from women alleging harassment and sexual assault. If Watson is not on the table, the Panthers may have to enter 2021 with Teddy Bridgewater as the top quarterback. Darnold and Bridgewater attended training camp in 2018 with the Jets. Could they be reunited in Charlotte? Like the Broncos, the Panthers are in no man’s land when it comes to the draft. They hold the No.8 pick and could see their best four quarterbacks by then.
The scenarios with the Broncos and Panthers raise the question of the timing of any Darnold trade. The Jets wanted to complete their college quarterback evaluations before dealing with Darnold. These evaluations are almost complete. Justin Fields of Ohio State has his professional day Tuesday. Medical checks will take place April 8-10 in Indianapolis, and Wilson’s surgically repaired shoulder will be examined so the Jets can see if there are any issues. The trade window will most likely open wide then.
The Jets may have to wait until the second day of the draft to strike a deal. At this point, they’ll have Wilson, and teams like the Broncos or Panthers might be ready to step up after missing a quarterback in the first round the night before. The Jets may be able to get one of their Day 2 picks along with something else. Most people around the NFL project the Jets so they can get a second-round pick and a mid-round pick. These choices could however arrive in 2022.
Other teams that are possible trading partners would be the Bears and Steelers. The Bears have signed Andy Dalton and are passing him off as their starter, but their number 2 right now is Nick Foles. Would Chicago prefer Darnold to compete with Dalton? The Jets still need a veteran backup, and maybe Douglas would like Foles to return to the business. He won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2017 with Foles.
The Steelers have Ben Roethlisberger back in 2021, but it looks like it will be his last season. Pittsburgh could take Darnold, evaluate him for a season, and try to re-sign him for 2022 if he likes what he sees.
[ad_2]
Source link