In my early offseason plan for rebuilding the team, I have cutting Anderson, Lewis and Griffin. There's no point in cutting Fant imo. He's been decent at RT, and he is the only one on our roster at the moment who could suitably fill in at LT if/when Becton is out. I think we can live with him for another season unless Douglas drafts and OT and he can beat out Fant.
I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm endorsing a cut of Fant or Crowder, just pointing them out as places for more cap space depending on where you allocate your cap space and picks. In the case of Crowder, the move is probably to extend him, create more space and keep him from hitting the market a year from now when the cap is higher and the FA pool at WR is likely to be thinner.
This is the 8734727482347th time someone has said this but Tannehill was a decent QB with Gase and no surrounding talent. Darnold is league worst in similar situation.
While not the direction I'd go in, Stafford or Ryan + a QB in 20-35 range makes some sense. Unless I'm grossly overestimating the cost to bring them in, Stafford or Ryan and a QB at 2 is a poor use of resources and makes it giant assumption that Stafford or Ryan will be the type of mentor that Alex Smith is.
It looks more and more like Darnold's ceiling was Dalton with a better cast. And his floor is where he's at. That's not a projection you'd want though given what was expected.
Wherever Ryan + Stafford end up they are that teams QB until 2023 given their contracts. I view them much differently too. Matt Ryan's arm strength seems to be fading and is a couple years older. Stafford can still throw the ball out of the gym. He might be the most talented quarterback to ever be trapped in as bad of a situation we've ever seen. Watson might surpass that though. The Lions are a cap nightmare too. They have $60 million tied up in Trey Flowers, Justin Coleman, Desmond Trufant, Jesse James and Jamie Collins. Another $33 million to Stafford's cap hit and they have half their cap tied into six players. Five of which are average NFL players at best. Unfortunately for them, Stafford is the only one that has any value so he might ultimately be moved.
well we did get a ton. for a single 1st nobody would bat an eye. the extra 1st was pretty amazing on JDs part. minkah fitzpatrick got traded for a 1st and he was a top 5 safety. a 1st and 3rd was probbaly the fair value for adams. we got much more. polite on film looked amazing. sometimes you think you can turn an attitude around. you know frank gore was lazy and cocky. he said he learned how to be a professional from curtis martin. and now he's 37 and still playing RB. when you have basically a teenager they grow up and mature or at least that's the hope. you can't teach talent though. sometimes you take the risk due to need. sometimes it pans out, sometimes it doesn't.
I agree. I'm not advocating that the Jets bring in either Stafford or Ryan. I think they would cost too much in terms of draft capital to acquire and would cost too much on the cap for a rebuilding team like the Jets. That said, I disagree that it would be a poor use of resources if it would accomplish two things: 1. repay the fanbase with a much better year of football that would help re-establish some trust in the Jets' FO and hope for the future and 2. help Fields develop and reach his potential. You're right of course that there are no guarantees that Stafford or Ryan would be the type of mentor that Josh McCown was or that Alex Smith is. I know nothing about how they have interacted with the other QBs on their rosters. They are both at the end of their careers however, and might want to share some of their knowledge/wisdom gained from experience and leave a legacy. Even if not, I think Fields could learn a lot just by watching one of them play and listening to his comments in the QB room when discussing the offense and game plans. That said, since both are at the end of their careers and have not played on the best teams, they might resent or be able to block being traded to a rebuilding team like the Jets. I'm certain they'd want to go out playing on a playoff team.
Trading Darnold and trading out of the 2nd pick shouldn’t be off the table. I’d take Stafford/Ryan + a bounty of picks next season and anti up all the other holes we have. Then the following year draft a QB that can be groomed for a year under Stafford/Ryan. for me it was Lawrence or bust. Fields needs to follow up with the same consistency vs Bama for me to want to gamble on him with 2 overall
Stafford is also a reminder/lesson about the mirage of the #1 QB/savior on the one hand we're so far away; on the other hand fortunes can turn quickly (just not based on a single superstar)
Totally out of the box,I do not say I like this but we have a long offseason and it is an intereresting thought what if the Eagles offered Wentz and a 2nd for our 2022 4th. We take on a bad contract get more draft capitial. Have a ok qb for the start of our rebuild? He might actually excel away from Peterson who seems like a total nut job. yes we would be giving up cap money , but there are only a few stars in this free agency.
If Wentz didn't drastically improve next year this would legitimately set our team back 4+ years. Way too big a risk.
Stafford is good, but he isn't good enough to be a savior. If the Lions had a Rodgers-level QB, things would be different there.
He's a tier below being any sort of savior. But Stafford is a bit of a weird anomaly. To perform as well as he have over the course of his career and never yield better results is a true testament to how bad the team around him has always been. He's played with one thousand yard rusher. Reggie Bush with 1,006 yards in 2013.
So the lack of a good running game and other talent around him as well as bad coaching was an impediment to Stafford, but in Darnold's case those are just excuses? Got it. And no, I'm not saying that Darnold is as good as Stafford, but it's ridiculous that he's crucified to the extent he is while other QBs are given the benefit of the doubt.
Stafford manages to put up average numbers despite the terrible team around him. Darnold's are the worst in the NFL. I don't think Darnold is the worst starter in the NFL because his team is so bad, but his level of play isn't high enough to stick with him instead of taking a chance on a guy like Fields who has a significantly better chance of being elite going forward.
With all due respect, you can't know that. Fields shows a lot of athleticism, and I love his heart, and truthfully would love to see him as a Jet, but the fact is he is simply potential. Darnold HAS struggled, but he has also delivered at times, and has three years of experience with the team playing against NFL level competition. We should probably move on, but I do believe that it's prudent to keep Sam and see how he does with competent coaching and improved talent around him. "Worst" case is he thrives and fulfills his potential. But the point is, people here are so quick to call him trash and completely ignore the massive effect of Gase (and Bowles) and weak talent, while using those same things to excuse other QBs. It's dishonest.
My biggest question about Stafford is why Detroit would want to move on from him. If they don’t want him part of their rebuild why should he be a part of the Jets? He’s still a young guy, but has played in the NFL a long time (same age as Darnold was when drafted). He’s made a ton of money and has a young family. What would be his motivation to leave Detroit and start over on another rebuilding team? His acquisition to me draws parallels to Daunte Culpepper in Miami, Drew Bledsoe in Buffalo, and Donovan McNabb in Washington. Those types of moves rarely workout.
I'm not interested in Stafford, he belongs on a playoff-caliber team that doesn't have a QB. But if I were Belichick, I'd strongly consider him for the Patriots.
