As the Jets off-season begins now, with Robert Saleh in his place as head coach and his hired employees, all eyes are on the quarterback.
What will the Jets do in the most important position? Will they stay with Sam Darnold for the fourth season and build around him? Will they make a monster move for Texan star Deshaun Watson? They will choose Zach Wilson or Justin Fields with general election no. 2?
It is a fascinating story that will surely present many twists in the coming weeks and months. ESPN reported Sunday that the Jets have launched calls from teams interested in trading for Darnold. Not surprisingly, the teams call, but say the Jets are listening. In the middle of the 2019 season, general manager Joe Douglas said that Darnold is untouchable. This no longer seems to be the case.
A source said that the Jets are still undecided on what to do with the quarterback, some people in the organization are in favor of keeping Darnold, and others think it’s time to move on.
If the Jets decide to change Darnold, here are some teams that might be of interest:
Chicago Bears
The Jets may have to wait and see what happens to the Eagles and Carson Wentz before they face Darnold, if that’s what they decide to do. The Bears would be interested in buying Wentz, but if the price is too high or if they are subject to another team, they could turn their eyes to Darnold. Chicago passes from Mitch Trubisky, which was written a year before Darnold. Currently, the Bears have Nick Foles on the list.
The price for Darnold’s numbers should be much lower than what the Eagles ask for Wentz (apparently two choices in the first round). Darnold is 23 years old and had a weak supporting role. Someone there will think they can get more from him than the planes have.
There has been some speculation that the Jets could get a pick in the first round for Darnold, but a secondary round is more likely. The Bears pick 20th place in the first round. Douglas will probably have to create a bidding war to get this choice.
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis is the other team that is thought to be hot and hard looking for Wentz. Colts coach Frank Reich is a former Eagles assistant and worked with Wentz for the first two years. GM Colts Chris Ballard is one of the best around and could be hesitant to cough up the kind of choices the Eagles are looking for.
It would be an interesting story if the Colts end up trading for Darnold. Indianapolis traded the choice the Jets used to take Darnold to the team in 2018. The Jets won the No. 1 overall pick. 3 for three second round elections and general election no.6 in that year.
The Colts would be a nice landing place for Darnold. He would benefit from Reich’s coach, as well as a strong defense and running game. He would also reunite with former USC teammate Michael Pittman Jr.
The Colts chose the number 21 in the sketch.
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco seems to be in a better quarterback position than any other team on this list, with Jimmy Garoppolo returning from injury in 2021, but reports and rumors that San Francisco is interested in trading for the quarterback have not stopped. CBS reported over the weekend that 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is a Darnold fan.
There is also an obvious connection between the teams now with Saleh coaching the Jets. This could create a trading package that not only covers selection projects, but also includes a few lesser known players, which Saleh wants due to his familiarity with the list. The Jets made a few such deals with the Browns when former coach Eric Mangini was there.
Darnold would benefit from working with Shanahan, who is known as a great defensive coach. The 49ers have a 12th pick, which seems too rich for Darnold, but a second rounder along with a player like Saleh could do it.
The Washington football team
The football team has a hole in the defender after Dwayne Haskins washed himself. Alex Smith may return, but he doesn’t have many years left and it’s not certain because of his injuries. Washington has option no. 19, so this is a starting point for the Jets to ask for. Darnold could benefit from being in the same room with defenders as Smith, who guided Patrick Mahomes to Kansas City.