It should come as no surprise that this offseason marks the definitive end of the Zach Wilson era in New York.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas informed media on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that Wilson, the second overall choice in the 2021 NFL Draft, has been given permission by the team to pursue a trade.
It’s undeniable that in his three turbulent seasons with the Jets, the quarterback—who completed 57% of his throws for 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions—never lived up to his draft position.
Nevertheless, Wilson might be the next unsuccessful draft pick to have his career revived by a different team if he had a stronger coaching staff and supporting cast surrounding him.
In the event that the 24-year-old can be traded by the Jets, the following three teams would be a good fit for him.
The Raiders of Las Vegas
Aidan O’Connell, a 2023 fourth-round pick, is probably not the Raiders’ long-term quarterback, despite his sparks as a rookie. But this offseason, the organization isn’t in a great position to enhance at the position.
Veterans like Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins will undoubtedly be available in free agency, but the latter may not leave Tampa Bay and the former is coming off a serious Achilles injury. Although Justin Fields of Chicago would appear like a fascinating trade target in 2024, it could be unwise to provide him a big contract the following offseason if he shows promise.
Furthermore, Las Vegas owns the 13th overall pick in the April draft, meaning it would need to make a huge trade in order to acquire a top quarterback prospect.
These factors suggest that Wilson should be acquired in exchange for a late-round draft pick so that he may challenge O’Connell for the starting position. Wilson probably wouldn’t start for Las Vegas in Week 1, but if he had any problems, O’Connell might have one of the shortest leashes in the NFL.
Rams of Los Angeles
Rams head coach Sean McVay is the one who can assist Wilson get back on track in his career. He helped Mayfield improve his standing prior to the free agency period that concluded last offseason.
Regarding its backup quarterback situation, Los Angeles is facing a great deal of uncertainty. Stetson Bennett’s NFL career is uncertain, and it’s hard to predict if Carson Wentz, the second overall choice in the 2016 NFL Draft, will rejoin the Rams. Bennett, a two-time national champion at Georgia, was selected with the 128th overall choice in the previous draft. However, he missed every game of the previous season due to illness and was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list in September.
It might be worthwhile for Los Angeles to stow Wilson and see whether he could end up replacing starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, given that Stafford has a number of health concerns and is signed through the 2018 season.
Eagles of Philadelphia
The Eagles made an ineffective attempt to advance in order to choose Wilson with the third overall choice in the 2021 NFL Draft, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. It’s clear that Philadelphia is glad it passed on Wilson because it might have prevented future two-time Pro Bowler Jalen Hurts from ever having a chance to start for the club.
Still, there’s very little risk for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to acquire Wilson because backup quarterback Marcus Mariota is scheduled to be a free agency. Actually, Philadelphia might have more motivation than not to get Wilson. After all, in a game where it was allegedly revealed that New York’s offensive game plan was leaked, the BYU product produced a performance devoid of turnovers to gift Philadelphia its first loss of 2023.
Wilson may become a useful backup in Philadelphia given that the Eagles already have one of the best offensive rosters in the league and that Kellen Moore, their offensive coordinator, is a rising star.
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