The Guardian
Wilson for the Raiders? Watson for the Jets? NFL quarterback negotiation possibilities
The next few months could involve a flurry of business for some of the biggest names in professional football. Here is a summary of some of the most intriguing offerings that Deshaun Watson and Sam Darnold could be on the move in 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 worst NFL quarterback in 2020 in a number of categories. He led the league in interceptions (15) and sacks (50), despite playing only 12 games, finishing 33rd in yards per attempt (6.0) and 34th in passer rating (72.8) and completion percentage ( 57.4%). Why the Eagles managed to keep him: he was the most valuable player during the 2017 season until he suffered a knee injury at the end of the season in a game against the Rams. That was not so long ago. Philadelphia believed him enough to hire him for a four-year extension, $ 128 million in July 2019. Even if they trade Wentz before their list bonus is activated on March 19, the Eagles would take a $ 33 drop. , 8 million in upper limit. 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 retires. Chicago is also in the QB market after reaching the playoffs, despite a weakness in position. Probability of trade: 9/10. Both Wentz and the Eagles have given every indication that they are ready to part ways. The Colts appear to be the club’s leaders, but are less inclined 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 it: Darnold was selected with choice # 3 in the draft 2018 as the quarterback who was going to reverse the franchise and … he didn’t change the franchise. There is little sign that he is improving (he finished 33rd out of 33 league qualified quarterbacks in the ESPN QBR ranking for the 2020 season), but he has enough raw talent that a team in need of quarterbacks can snap at him . Jets also have general selection # 2 in this year’s project, so they can quickly find a replacement. Why the Jets managed to keep him: Darnold is still only 23 – younger than last year’s general No1 choice, Joe Burrow – and clearly has the talent to be a good starter. It is also difficult to blame Darnold for the Jets’ failures since he arrived – he received few weapons on receipt and his offensive line often seemed to consist of Mekhi Becton and some guys (the now fired) Adam Gase who met at a bar. Sure, the Jets could replace Darnold with Justin Fields or Zach Wilson in the draft, but will they be any better? Possible destinations: The Colts, Bears, Saints and Washington are all connected to Darnold and the Jets have received calls from teams interested in a negotiation. An intriguing possibility is the 49ers, who can leave Jimmy Garoppolo, paving the way for Darnold to return to his native California. Probability of trade: 6/10. There is definitely a market for Darnold out there, and the Jets praised him, but they didn’t actually say that he will be the starter in 2021. A team may offer him a choice in the first round. If that is the case, the Jets would have three choices in the first round this year and two in 2022 – solid bases to rebuild around a new quarterback. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson is dissatisfied with his offensive line, but is unlikely to leave Seattle. Photo: Elaine Thompson / AP Age: 32. Career touchdowns: 267. Career interceptions: 81. Career passer rating: 101.7 Why the Seahawks could trade it: Seahawks management is supposedly unhappy that Wilson has told any reporter willing to hear that he is unhappy with the number of hits he has made over the years behind the team’s consistently dubious offensive line. He also told Dan Patrick that he wasn’t sure if he was available for a deal or not, hardly what you expect to hear from a franchise quarterback. Why the Seahawks managed to keep it up: Wilson is an extremely popular future Hall of Fame whose favorite pastime is helping children out of poverty. Possible destinations: The betting favorite for Wilson’s service is particularly tasty: the former NFC West rivals of the Seahawks, the Las Vegas Raiders. Having one of the league’s defenders leading the team would be a huge draw when fans were finally admitted to the Raiders’ new stadium, and it is rumored that Derek Carr is leaving. The Cowboys, who have not yet decided on Dak Prescott’s future, are another possibility. Probability of trade: 2/10. Wilson being an extremely popular future Hall of Fame, 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 change it: the 49ers, mainly due to a list of injuries during War and Peace in 2020, choice 12 in this year’s draft. Although Garoppolo is a solid defender, he is more in the “undefeated games” category than someone whose genius will lead the Niners to the Super Bowl. He is expected to earn $ 26.6 million in 2021: would it be better for San Francisco to trade him in, summon a cheaper young quarterback and ride to the Super Bowl with his excellent support cast? Why the 49ers were able to keep it: Garoppolo is often mocked for receiving millions of dollars to deliver the ball to the Niners’ running backs. But a year ago, he was a quarter away from beating Patrick Mahomes to win San Francisco a Super Bowl, and – besides Trevor Lawrence – there are no certain things among defenders in this year’s draft class. Possible destinations: The most interesting option is to return to the New England Patriots. After Cam Newton and Tom Brady, the Pats would be able to continue their career as very handsome starting quarterbacks and Bill Belichick was a fan of Garoppolo during his time as Brady’s back-up. Newton was unable to convince that it is a long-term option for the Patriots last season, so Belichick may return to a known quantity at Garoppolo. Probability of trade: 4/10. General manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan said they expected Garoppolo to be the starting defender in 2021. They also had a chance to get involved in the chase by Matthew Stafford, but were happy with the Rams in negotiating with the Lions. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans Age: 25. Career touchdowns: 104. Career interceptions: 36. Career passer rating: 104.5 Why Texans could trade it: For some reason, Watson wants to leave a franchise with a history of exchanging stars for misery, making nepotistic hiring decisions, irritating his players and failing to listen to the most talented defender in the team’s history. This means that the face of the franchise is very unhappy, which can make the team even more dysfunctional than it already is in the coming years. Watson is a ridiculously talented quarterback who can make every move in the book and make impressive moves with his legs. There are teams that would be happy to discard a robust package of choices for him, allowing Houston to start over after Bill O’Brien’s disastrous era and rebuild itself towards competence. Why the Texans were able to keep him: Watson may be unhappy, but the Texans hired him and are under no obligation to negotiate. And why would they do it? He’s the best player in the team’s history and the draft prospects they can get in return are just that – prospects. When the poison of the past few months has disappeared a little, Watson may decide that he can move on in a city where he is a hero. After all, isn’t it like Houston has a recent history of losing its biggest stars? Right? Possible destinations: Dolphins and Jets are the two teams that most appear. Both have summoning capital, maximum space to accommodate Watson’s salary, and young quarterbacks who could go to Houston as part of the deal or be negotiated to acquire more picks to send to Texans. Watson is reported to be open to both teams – the Dolphins have a good young core and a great coach in Brian Flores, while New York is the largest (and most corrosive) sports market in the United States. Of course, Watson also has power in this move, a no-deal 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. Probability of trade: 6/10. Difficult to connect. Watson wants to leave, but the Texans are telling interested teams that they will not negotiate with the quarterback. Of course, they would say that if they want to get the highest price possible for someone who could still be one of the best players in the league for the next 15 years. It depends a lot on how much the other teams are willing to pay and how well the Texans can placate Watson. Houston does not appear to be doing very well in the latter case, laying off popular employees and hiring a new coach, David Culley, who has not changed Watson’s opinion of his future with the team.