The New York Jets should probably ship Sam Darnold out of New York after 2020.
The New York Jets’ Adam Gase era is ending soon, and the only question surrounding Gase is if he’ll make it through the season. There has been plenty of collateral damage that the tornado known as Gase has caused in his two years with the Jets, most notably overseeing the regression of former No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold.
The Jets are on track to earn one of the top picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, meaning that Joe Douglas could be inclined to ditch Darnold and start over. Even though Darnold is unlikely to recoup a first-round pick in a hypothetical trade, the Jets could still end up parting ways with him to jump-start the rebuild.
NFL executives doubt that the New York Jets currently would be able to get back a 1st-round pick for Sam Darnold, though there is plenty of season left.https://t.co/PSzTeJaCyd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2020
Trading Sam Darnold could help the Jets rebuild in record time
Getting a second-round pick for Darnold should be adequate compensation considering how the Arizona Cardinals were able to get a second-rounder for Josh Rosen.
Once Gase is fired, hiring an actually innovative offensive coach should be next on the priority list. Kansas City Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy is the hot name on the market, but Baltimore Ravens OC Greg Roman might be as good, if not more so, as Bieniemy.
Finding a quarterback comes next, but earning the No. 1 pick means Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence is the only option that makes sense. With a new QB1, an offensive head coach, five draft picks in the first two rounds in 2020, and plenty of cap space, the Jets deciding to punt on 2020 might be the best long-term option.
Trevor Lawrence just doing what other QBs can’t
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 11, 2020
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The Jets could go from one of the most dysfunctional organizations in the league with no clear forward vision to a picture of stability, but tanking in 2020 and trading Darnold is the first step towards achieving that goal.