The Guardian
Wilson for the Raiders? Watson to the Jets? NFL Quarterback Trading Opportunities
The coming months could bring a lot of trades for some of the biggest names in professional football. Here’s a rundown of some of the most intriguing deals Deshaun Watson and Sam Darnold could both make this off season. Photo: Steven Ryan / Getty Images Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles Age: 28. Career touchdowns: 113. Career Interceptions: 50. Career Passer Rating: 89.2 Why the Eagles Could Trade Him: Wentz Was the NFL’s Worst Quarterback in 2020 in a large number of categories. He led the league in interceptions (15) and sacks (50) despite playing in just 12 games, finishing 33rd in yards per attempt (6.0) and 34th in both passer rating (72.8) and percentage completion (57). , 4%). Why the Eagles Could Keep Him: He was the Most Valuable Player runaway during the 2017 season until he went down with a seasonal knee injury in a December game against the Rams. That was not that long ago. Philadelphia believed in him enough to sign him in July 2019 for a four-year extension of $ 128 million. Even if they trade Wentz before his roster bonus is triggered on March 19, the Eagles would pick up a crippling $ 33.8 million dead cap. Possible Destinations: It appears to be a two-horse race between the Colts and the Bears. Indianapolis coach Frank Reich was the Eagles offensive coordinator during Wentz’s best season and needs a quarterback after Philip Rivers retired. Chicago is also in the QB market after making the playoffs despite a weak position. Odds of trading: 9/10. Both Wentz and the Eagles have given all the clues that they are ready to part ways. The Colts appear to be the clubhouse leaders, but they are less likely to overpay than the Bears. Sam Darnold, New York Jets Age: 23. Career Touchdowns: 45. Career Interceptions: 39. Career Passer Rating: 78.6 Why the Jets Could Trade Him: Darnold was selected with the # 3 pick in the concept of 2018 as the quarterback who went to flip the franchise and … he didn’t flip the franchise. There is little sign he is improving (he finished 33rd of the league’s 33 qualified quarterbacks in the ESPN QBR rankings for the 2020 season), but he has enough raw talent that a needy quarterback team can get him . The Jets also have the No. 2 overall roster in this year’s version, so they can quickly find a replacement. Why the Jets Could Keep Him: Darnold is only 23 – younger than Joe Burrow, last year’s No. 1 – and clearly has a knack for being a good starting quarterback. It’s also hard to blame Darnold for the Jets’ shortcomings since he arrived – he’s been given few weapons at the receiver, and his line of attack often seemed to consist of Mekhi Becton and some boys (the now fired) Adam Gase once met in a bar. Sure, the Jets could replace Darnold with Justin Fields or Zach Wilson in the design, but are they guaranteed to be better? Possible Destinations: The Colts, Bears, Saints, and Washington have all been associated with Darnold, and the Jets have taken calls from teams interested in a trade. An intriguing possibility is that the 49ers, who may be moving away from Jimmy Garoppolo, are opening the way for Darnold to move back to his native California. Odds of trading: 6/10. There is certainly a market for Darnold, and the Jets have praised him while not saying he will be their starter in 2021. It could boil down to whether a team is offering him a first-round pick. If so, the Jets would have three first-round picks this year and two in 2022 – strong foundations to rebuild around a new quarterback. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson is unhappy with his offensive line, but unlikely to leave Seattle. Photo: Elaine Thompson / AP Age: 32. Career Touchdowns: 267. Career Interceptions: 81. Career Passer-by Rating: 101.7 Why the Seahawks Could Trade Him: Seahawks management is reportedly unhappy that Wilson told a reporter who wants to hear that he is unhappy with the number of hits he has taken in recent years behind the team’s constantly unreliable attacking line. He also told Dan Patrick that he wasn’t sure if he was available for a trade or not, hardly what you’d expect to hear from a franchise quarterback. Why the Seahawks Could Keep Him: Wilson is a wildly popular future hall of famer whose favorite pastime is helping children out of poverty. Possible Destinations: The betting favorite for Wilson’s service is particularly tasty: NFC West’s former rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders. It would be a big draw for one of the league’s quarterbacks to lead the team when fans are finally allowed into the Raiders’ new stadium, and it is rumored that Derek Carr is on the way. The Cowboys, who still haven’t made up their minds about Dak Prescott’s future, are another possibility. Odds of trading: 2/10. Wilson is a wildly popular future hall of famer whose favorite pastime is helping children out of poverty. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers Age: 29. Career touchdowns: 51. Career interceptions: 26. Career passer rating: 98.9 Why the 49ers could trade him: The 49ers, mainly due to a War and Peace-long list of injuries in 2020, have the No. 12 pick in this year’s design. While Garoppolo is a solid quarterback, he’s more in the “won’t you lose” category than someone whose genius will drive the Niners to the Super Bowl. He’ll make $ 26.6 million in 2021: Could San Francisco trade him better, draft a cheaper young quarterback, and drive to the Super Bowl with their excellent supporting cast? Why the 49ers Could Keep Him: Garoppolo is often derided for paying millions of dollars to give the ball to the Niners’ running backs. But a year ago, he was a quarter away from beating Patrick Mahomes to bring San Francisco a Super Bowl, and – except for Trevor Lawrence – there are no certainties among the quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. Possible Destinations: The most interesting option is a return to the New England Patriots. After Cam Newton and Tom Brady, the Pats could continue their line of very handsome starting quarterbacks and Bill Belichick was a fan of Garoppolo during his time as Brady’s backup. Newton couldn’t convince last season that he is a long-term option for the Patriots, so Belichick can go back to a known number in Garoppolo. Odds of trading: 4/10. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have both said they expect Garoppolo to be the starting quarterback in 2021. They also had the chance to join the chase for Matthew Stafford, but were pleased with the Rams to get a trade with the Lions. . Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans Age: 25. Career Touchdowns: 104. Career Interceptions: 36. Career Passer Rating: 104.5 Why the Texans Could Trade Him: For some reason, Watson wants to get out of a franchise with a history of trading of stars for a pittance, making nepotistic hiring decisions, anger players and not listening to the most talented quarterback in team history. That means the face of the franchise is very unhappy, which could make the team even more dysfunctional than it already is in the years to come. Watson is a ridiculously talented quarterback, who can throw any throw in the book and make amazing plays with his legs. There are teams out there eager to part with a hefty package of design choices for him, allowing Houston to start over from the disastrous Bill O’Brien era and rebuild to competence. Why the Texans Could Keep Him: Watson may be unhappy, but the Texans have him under contract and are under no obligation to trade him. And why should they? He’s the best player in team history, and the preliminary prospects they can pick up in return are just that: prospects. Once the poison from the past few months has dissipated a bit, Watson may decide he can move on in a town where he’s a hero. After all, isn’t it that Houston has a recent history of losing its biggest stars? Turn right? Possible Destinations: The dolphins and jets are the two teams that come forward the most. Both have design capital, cap space to house Watson’s salary, and young quarterbacks who could either go to Houston as part of the trade or trade themselves to acquire more picks to send to the Texans. Watson is reportedly open to both teams – the Dolphins have a good young core and a great coach in Brian Flores, while New York is the biggest (and most corrosive) market in American sports. Of course, Watson also has power in this move, a no-trade clause in his contract, which means he can veto any deal if he doesn’t like the look of the team he’s going to. Odds of trading: 6/10. Difficult to call. Watson wants to leave, but the Texans are reportedly telling interested teams that they will not trade their quarterback. Of course they would say that if they wanted to get the highest possible price for someone who could still be one of the best players in the league 15 years from now. Much depends on how much other teams are willing to pay, and how well the Texans can calm down Watson. Houston doesn’t seem to be doing too well with the latter, firing popular backroom staff and hiring a new head coach, David Culley, who hasn’t changed Watson’s mind about his future with the team.