New York Jets

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas is rooting for quarterback Sam Darnold after Gang Green traded him to the Carolina Panthers for three future draft picks.

He relayed those sentiments amid a longer talk with Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer about the deal:

“Whether I look bad or not [for trading Darnold], I could give two s---s about that,” Douglas says, with a laugh. “I know that he’s gonna have success. The timing didn’t really work out for him here. We couldn’t turn this around fast enough for him. And that’s not his fault. I root for good people, and that dude’s a good man, and he’s gonna do good things. I believe that.”

New York selected Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Darnold played three seasons for the Jets, completing 59.8 percent of his passes for 45 touchdowns (39 interceptions) in 38 games.

The Jets have been a team in turmoil for three years, and that certainly didn't help Darnold, who faced numerous obstacles during his brief tenure with New York.

New York parted ways with head coach Todd Bowles after the Jets went 5-11 during Darnold's rookie season. The Jets brought in head coach Adam Gase in 2019, and a power struggle eventually led to the removal of general manager Mike Maccagnan.

In came Douglas, but out went Gase after a 2-14 season in 2020. Gase went just 7-9 the previous year.

Now, ex-San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is in town as the Jets' third head coach in four seasons. New York is in position to pick a highly touted quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and all signs point to them rolling with BYU's Zach Wilson.

That left Darnold out in the cold in New York, but he's found greener pastures in Carolina with a talented wideout crew (D.J. Moore, ex-Jets teammate Robby Anderson), star running back Christian McCaffrey and an innovative play-caller in Joe Brady.

He's in position to succeed, especially if Carolina finds some good options to beef up the offensive line in the draft.

The New York Jets aren't concerned about lingering effects from Zach Wilson's shoulder surgery in January 2019, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

"Based on info they’ve received from trusted medical sources, zero issues about Wilson’s shoulder," Rapoport reported of the Jets' confidence surrounding the health of the BYU star.

The Salt Lake Tribune's Jay Drew reported in February 2019 that Wilson had undergone a procedure on his right shoulder "to correct a condition that has plagued him since high school."

During media day ahead of the 2019 season, Wilson explained the issue:

It always felt great in games. The problem was coming into practice the next Monday. I just felt terrible. I don't know if it was getting landed on — I don’t think it was from throwing because in a game you don’t throw nearly as much as you do in practice. So I would go into Mondays and I could barely lift my arm up because I was getting driven down on my right shoulder, and guys were landing on me.

As a sophomore, the Draper, Utah, native threw for 2,382 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in nine appearances. His completion percentage (62.4) and passer rating (130.8) had fallen from the year before. It seems reasonable to wonder whether the surgery impacted his performance.

Wilson's shoulder didn't seem to bother him during his breakout junior season. He finished with 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and only three interceptions. His 196.4 passer rating tied for the sixth-highest in FBS history.

The Jets are looking for a new quarterback after having traded Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers. ESPN's Adam Schefter gave the strong impression Wilson will be New York's new QB of the future:

Given what the franchise will be investing in Wilson, general manager Joe Douglas and the front office will surely have gotten whatever assurances they can regarding his long-term health.

That's because swinging and missing on a quarterback with a top-five pick can have disastrous results not only for the team but also for the person responsible for making the selection.

The New York Jets are set to host veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer for a visit Thursday.

Brian Costello of the New York Post reported the Jets are considering signing Hoyer after trading Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers.

Hoyer, who spent the 2020 season with the New England Patriots, would likely serve as a backup to the quarterback they select with the No. 2 pick in this month's draft. BYU's Zach Wilson is overwhelmingly expected to be the selection.

The Jets would be Hoyer's ninth NFL team. The 35-year-old has been a member of the Patriots, 49ers, Steelers, Cardinals, Browns, Texans, Bears and Colts. He has thrown for 10,404 yards and 52 touchdowns against 35 interceptions for his career, posting a 16-23 record as a starter.

Hoyer's most extensive period as a starting quarterback came in 2014 with the Browns, going 7-6 in 13 starts. 

Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has familiarity with Hoyer dating back to that 2014 season when he was an intern. LaFleur was also the passing game coordinator when Hoyer was with the 49ers in 2017. 

The New York Jets have reportedly received "very little interest" in potential trades for the No. 2 overall pick ahead of the 2021 NFL draft, which begins April 29.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Wednesday the Jets have fielded "few" calls about the second selection:

It's likely a moot point now that New York has traded quarterback Sam Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, to the Carolina Panthers. The move signaled the front office is in the market for a new franchise signal-caller and the 2021 class features several options.

Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is expected to land with the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 1. That will leave the Jets their choice from a group featuring BYU's Zach Wilson, Ohio State's Justin Fields, Alabama's Mac Jones and North Dakota State's Trey Lance.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas told Al Iannazzone of Newsday there was "never any meaningful discussions about pick No. 2" in trade talks before the Darnold swap, and he didn't downplay the odds they'll take a QB with the pick.

"I think that's a fair assessment to say based on the decision we made [Monday]," Douglas said. "You can kind of see the direction we're heading. When it comes to pick two, never say never. Like I've said to you guys in the past, I'll always answer the phone if it's ringing."

New York's other option would have been to keep Darnold and then seek out a potential trade down that could have landed them a combination of players and future picks to help retool their roster.

Darnold hadn't lived up to expectations as a top-five pick, however. He'd thrown 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions across 38 games through three seasons with the Jets.

So with a highly touted group of quarterback prospects available in the draft, the front office has decided to move in a new direction.

Wilson is the most likely choice after a standout junior season with the Cougars that saw him complete 73.5 percent of his throws for 3,692 yards with 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 12 appearances. He has all the tools to become a Day 1 starter for New York.

"Great staff. Love those guys," Wilson told reporters about the Jets after his Pro Day workout last month. "Joe Douglas is a great guy. It was good to see him out here. They've got a good thing going."

Whether it's Wilson or one of the other quarterbacks, the Jets' front office is under a lot of pressure to make the right choice to accelerate efforts to end the team's 10-year playoff drought.

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas isn't fully tipping his hand ahead of the 2021 NFL draft, but he's not afraid to state the obvious.

The Jets announced Monday they traded Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers for three draft picks, leaving many to believe they'll target a quarterback with the No. 2 overall selection this year.

"I think that's a fair assessment to say," Douglas told reporters of the speculation. "I think based on the decision we made yesterday, you can kind of see the direction we're heading."

For the moment, James Morgan and Mike White are the two quarterbacks on New York's projected depth chart. The best free-agent signal-callers are off the board, and the Darnold trade may have ruled out the acquisition of an elite option since the 23-year-old would presumably have been included in any outgoing package.

That leaves the draft as the best way for Douglas to find a new starter, and the Jets are poised to get one of the top prospects on the board. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is all but guaranteed to go No. 1 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but that still leaves New York with a lot of options.

Ohio State's Justin Fields is the No. 2 overall player behind Lawrence on the B/R Big Board 2.0, but BYU star Zach Wilson has emerged as the likely target for the Jets.

Douglas remained coy regarding that rumor:

Trading Darnold was understandable. His development stagnated under former head coach Adam Gase, and making a clean break was probably in the best interest of both parties. Getting a 2020 sixth-round pick in addition to a second- and fourth-rounder in 2022 was a solid haul under the circumstances, too.

But the pressure is on Douglas and the front office to identify the right successor. If things don't work out, then he might not have the chance to find the next franchise quarterback-to-be.

The New York Jets traded Sam Darnold Monday because they know they can find his replacement with the No. 2 pick of the 2021 NFL draft.

"Having the No. 2 pick, I think it’s safe to say if our pick was a little bit later we wouldn’t be having this discussion right now," general manager Joe Douglas told reporters Tuesday. "We’d be comfortable moving ahead with Sam."

Douglas essentially confirmed the Jets will be targeting a quarterback with the second overall pick:

New York's position in the draft allowed it to trade Darnold to the Carolina Panthers Monday in exchange for three draft picks, including a sixth-round pick in 2021.

The team considered holding onto Darnold while still drafting a quarterback No. 2 overall, but Douglas decided against it.

"Ultimately we felt that wouldn’t be the best situation for Sam, the rookie quarterback, coach Saleh, his staff and the locker room," the GM said.

Trevor Lawrence is considered the consensus No. 1 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, leaving the Jets with numerous top options including Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com projected Wilson to New York, saying he would be "shocked" if the BYU quarterback didn't end up being the No. 2 overall pick.

With no other proven quarterbacks on the roster, it appears the rookie would get a chance to start Week 1 for a team looking to rebound from last year's 2-14 campaign.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said he sent a text message to BYU quarterback Zach Wilson—one of the top prospects in the 2021 NFL draft—after the New York Jets traded fellow signal-caller Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers on Monday. 

"Welcome to New York, Zach. Officially," Schefter said he wrote in the message to Wilson.

He told the story on ESPN's Get Up on Tuesday, saying Wilson is the "obvious choice" for the Jets with the No. 2 pick:

The Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to choose Clemson's Trevor Lawrence at No. 1.

Wilson enjoyed a terrific junior season with the Cougars. He completed 73.5 percent of his throws for 3,692 yards with 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions across 12 appearances. He added 254 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground in 2020.

The 21-year-old Utah native was asked about the Jets following his Pro Day workout in late March.

"Great staff. Love those guys," Wilson told reporters. "[General manager] Joe Douglas is a great guy. It was good to see him out here. They've got a good thing going."

New York had remained a little bit of a wild card in the weeks leading up to the first round of the draft on April 29 with Darnold, the third pick in the 2018 draft, on the roster. They tipped their hand by trading him to the Panthers, which makes them a virtual lock to select a quarterback at No. 2.

Other options include Ohio State's Justin Fields, Alabama's Mac Jones or North Dakota State's Trey Lance, but all signs at this stage point toward Wilson.

He'd be expected to step right in as a Day 1 starter for the Jets, who count unproven reserves James Morgan and Mike White as the only other QBs on their roster for 2021.

The Sam Darnold era in New York is over. 

On Monday, the New York Jets traded the quarterback to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for three future draft picks. 

While the team will now almost certainly select a quarterback in the NFL draft later this month, here's a look at New York's depth chart as it currently stands: 

QB: James Morgan, Mike White

RB: Lamical Perine, Ty Johnson, Tevin Coleman, Josh Adams

WR1: Corey Davis

WR2: Jamison Crowder

WR3: Denzel Mims, Braxton Berrios, Keelan Cole

TE: Chris Herndon, Ryan Griffin, Tyler Kroft

LT: Mekhi Becton, Chuma Edoga

LG: Alex Lewis, Cameron Clark

C: Connor McGovern, Jimmy Murray

RG: Greg Van Roten, Dan Feeney, Conor McDermott

RT: George Fant, Chuma Edoga

Depth chart info provided by Ourlads and Over the Cap.

The team also inherits another draft pick for 2021, giving them the following selections: 

Round 1: No. 2, No. 23

Round 2: No. 34

Round 3: No. 66, No. 86

Round 4: No. 107

Round 5: No. 146, No. 154

Round 6: No. 186, No. 226

New York has 21 picks in the next two drafts, with seven in the first two rounds, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that the Panthers will utilize Darnold's fifth-year option, which gives him a 2022 salary of $18.9 million. After an unimpressive start to his career, Darnold will head to a Panthers system that already has a quarterback that didn't quite live up to expectations in 2020: Teddy Bridgewater.

As for the Jets, they'll have plenty of options to select Darnold's successor in the draft. That's going with the assumption that Clemson star Trevor Lawrence goes at No. 1 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which head coach Urban Meyer has been open about, 

Taking a quarterback would make the Jets the first team since 1967 to select two quarterbacks within the top three overall picks in a four-year span, according to ESPN's Evan Kaplan (h/t ESPN's Adam Schefter). 

Among the top options are Ohio State's Justin Fields, North Dakota State's Trey Lance, BYU's Zach Wilson, who are ranked in the top 10 in the latest draft big board from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. 

While B/R's Nate Tice rated Lawrence as having the best arm strength and being the most NFL-ready of the top quarterbacks, he gave Fields the nod for best mobility. The Georgia native threw for 2020 with 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns, a year after tallying 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns through the air for the Buckeyes.

Based on this trade, it seems that the Jets are looking ahead to April 29 to name their next signal-caller. 

The New York Jets reportedly "haven’t aggressively tried to move" quarterback Sam Darnold ahead of the 2021 NFL draft. 

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported Jets general manager Joe Douglas has wanted to be patient in the process as he gathers information about Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Trey Lance. However, Breer also noted that the Jets' patience has come in part because no team has been willing to meet their asking price.

The Jets are widely expected to select Wilson with the second pick in this month's draft.

Darnold has been one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks since being taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft. The USC product has failed to finish better than 30th in Football Outsiders' metrics in any of his first three seasons, and only Carson Wentz ranked worse in DYAR in 2020.

Jets management bears some of the responsibility in Darnold's struggles, particularly with their coaching and roster choices. Adam Gase was perhaps the NFL's worst coach over the last two seasons before being fired after the 2020 campaign, and the Jets have not produced an offensive Pro Bowler during Darnold's career.

Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN reported two general managers said they would be willing to give up a third-round pick to trade for Darnold. While that may be a fair price, some within the Jets building still likely view him as a prospect who can be saved with some competent management and coaching. Darnold doesn't turn 24 until June; he's a full seven months younger than Joe Burrow, last year's No. 1 overall pick.

Even if Darnold improves elsewhere, his new team won't have much time to decide if he's a long-term option. The Jets or Darnold's next team will have to decide whether they will exercise his $18.9 million fifth-year option this offseason. It seems almost certain that they will decline, giving Darnold just a one-year window in his new city.