I dont remember who I was talking to about this a week or two ago, but I told you this shit wasn't going to stop just because the draft was over.
The fact that he’s still a starter in this league says he’s shown something. I think we have to take JD’s word that it’s the fact that we have the #2 pick that drove the decision.
When you trade or allow your best players to exit as he did, and not sign any players of nearly equal value, signing a JAG QB who won only 15 games in a 14 year career, and with a top collegiate QB (Darnold) coming out the next draft,......yes, that's tanking.
We have no idea if this draft will be a "debacle" or a launching point for this franchise. It will take at least a year or two to know. Fact remains that the Jets thought about ALL of the paths/scenarios you mentioned in the original post and still decided against them. They didn't believe Sam could turn it around or thought it was unlikely. They believed Wilson has an opportunity to become an elite QB in the league. They had a plan and they executed it. I am thrilled with their draft, but nobody knows anything definitively.
Your post is a bigger reach then Wilson. It was reported many times that the Jets were not talking to anyone about a trade. Or do you think the niners wouldn't have given up the firsts to move to 2 instead of 3? Yeah, that makes sense.
He has shown how to be a very bad QB & how to lose games. You could say he's the Adam Gase of QBs. We landed at #2 largely because Darnold sucks & can't improvise when things break down. Can't blame that on Gase. Well dummy Darnold, call a freaking audible change the play or run when you get into trouble. It took him 3 years to finally run a little bit. He took Zach Wilson and dumped Darnold because he feels that Wilson's potential far exceeds Sam. There is a much higher upside with Wilson, plus he is making little money now. No brainer. We needed a fresh start at the most important position and Sam needs to go someplace where he learns how to be a QB in today's NFL. We have no time for that at his salary especially if the option was picked up.
Our GM has also stated many times that, "he will answer any call" or something to that effect. He would've answered Lynch's call if it had taken place and at least listened because as he's also said numerous times, that's his job. Even now though, after smokescreen season has come and gone, I haven't seen a single report saying the Niners engaged the Jets in a trade for #2. However, here is a report from Schefter saying the Niners started at 4-5 and worked up to 3. This was before the draft so it very well could be another pre-draft smokescreen to not tip our hand at 2 but it's equally as likely, IMO, that the Niners never approached the Jets about a trade up. Maybe they knew we were locked in on Wilson at 2, maybe they were comfortable with the comp to move up to 3 but not 2, maybe they really loved Lance. I could lay out a bunch of scenarios as to why they didn't but until we see something tangible, your speculation/assumptions as to what happened surrounding #2 is just as valid as anyone's.
Lets talk about that. Before Wilson's pro day we learned that the niners and eagles were looking to trade up. The eagles wanted our #2 to take Wilson, and that was the only spot they wanted. Miami wanted to swap with them and offered them pick 3 but the Eagles said they were only considering a swap to 2 where they could control the pick. Then Zack Wilson's pro day happens, and the Jets, Niners, and Eagles are all there watching. Lets remember that JD came over from Phily and Selah from SF. At the end of that pro day suddenly everyone knew what the Jets pick was. Nobody ever knew what the Niners was. Nobody ever knew what the Eagles was. Nobody ever knew what the Dolphins pick was. But everyone knew what our pick was. At the end of the pro day the Niners give 3 firsts to Miami. An hour later Miami trades up with Phily, finally getting the spot they wanted at 6. Someone on the Jets clearly leaked our intentions with the second pick. This gave Miami the opportunity to move around and get what they wanted. No GM decides to trade up to the 3rd when they can get the 2nd at the same price and control their fate. Somebody on the Jets talked and the niners knew 2 was off the board. They also seemingly knew who was going at 2.
I'm sure the Niners would've jumped on that, but JD would've been a fool to give up the #2 that cheaply.
Two-three firsts and mid round picks and swaps is probably about the going rate for massive trade ups like that. Using Wentz + RG3 as references as least. It would've been better to do it with the Iggles because I'd anticipate them being a worse team than the 49ers over the next year or two.
In addition to this year's 1st that they would swap, I'd want another 2021 first or a high second, plus next year's 1st and second, plus 2023's 1st. And while that might be considered too much, keep in mind if I'm Douglas, I'm leaning hard on using that #2 for Wilson, so I'm going to need to be convinced to give it up. Plus, if I don't get another QB I like as a potential FQB this draft, I'm going to want enough ammo to trade up in 2022 or 2023.
That's more than what Miami got, right? A swap of this year's first - which is a drop in value on the face - and then a first on 2022, and a first in 2023, and 3rd in 2022. Yes, maybe if the Iggles had offered that for us to drop to #6, that might've been reasonable, but not dropping to #12.
So to you Wilson is worth more then what most posters were willing to give up for Deshaun Watson. I now understand how you rate Wilson.
A good rookie QB is the single most valuable player you can have, is it that surprising? Not to mention the fact that the rookie QB we took seemed to be the consensus second best QB prospect in the draft.
The 49ers trade two first round picks, their present first year selection and a third round pick for #3. Washington did the same package plus a second round pick to move up from #6 to #2. The Iggles trades one first (+ current year selection at #8), a second, third and fourth for a first and a fourth. So average those three together with some room for deviation and you're looking at two firsts (+ current year selection) and maybe some mid round stuff. Not sure why you think the package should've been that much bigger. The deeper jump down the draft maybe? If we're moving down in general we'd be basically conceding to drafting a quarterback whether we moved down to #12 or even in the 7-9 range because there were several teams that could theoretically jump us. That's why I don't see a big difference from moving down from 7 to 12.
