Zach Wilson – Syndication Server

Saints suggested as a good fit for Jets draft bust Zach Wilson

The New Orleans Saints were suggested as a good fit for New York Jets draft bust Zach Wilson. But they shouldn’t trade anything for him:

Where will Zach Wilson play football in 2024? The New York Jets draft bust has been given permission to look for a trade partner, but there haven’t been many takers. With other former first-round quarterbacks changing teams it feels like only a matter of time until Wilson ejects.

It just might be difficult for him to find a parachute first. Throwing 25 interceptions in 33 starts will do a lot to turn off suitors. Despite that, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin argues that the New Orleans Saints could be interested in Wilson’s services, writing:

There isn’t exactly a strong market for a former top-three pick whose erratic quarterbacking resulted in multiple demotions, but at just 24 with dual-threat traits, Wilson could be a low-risk reclamation project for a contender. The return would almost certainly not exceed that which the Bears or Patriots got for Justin Fields and Mac Jones, respectively. But one thing’s for sure: The Jets have had their fill, with the aging but superior Aaron Rodgers once again back in the saddle.

There are some coaches on staff Wilson knows well like John Benton, the former Jets offensive line coach, and Wilson wouldn’t face as much pressure competing with Jake Haener to back up Derek Carr. He’d be more competitive in that role than Nathan Peterman will be.

But is it worth trading anything for him? Probably not. If the vision is for Haener to knock down whatever punching bag the Saints set in front of him, it makes more sense to sign a player like Peterman on a non-guaranteed minimum salary than to invest draft capital in Wilson (even if it’s nothing more than a late-round pick). And there’s the possibility of Wilson being released outright. If that comes to pass, then it’s worth seeing if Wilson is willing to match Peterman’s modest salary.

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Who will be the next Baker Mayfield?

A handful of quarterbacks from the first round of the 2021 NFL draft could be primed for a Baker Mayfield bounce-back in 2024

Baker Mayfield’s football journey has been well documented, from college walk-on to Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, to being released and bouncing between three teams in two years.

The most recent chapter in that story was a return to greatness, as Mayfield enjoyed the best season of his NFL career last year after signing a cheap one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There are multiple quarterbacks from the 2021 NFL draft class who could be primed for a similar bounce-back after experienced the same kind of rocky start to their respective NFL careers, and Rich Eisen recently discussed which of them could make that kind of comeback with a new team:

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Woody Johnson calls Zach Wilson ‘valuable asset’, will keep QB if no trade

Woody Johnson had a little change of heart when it comes to quarterback Zach Wilson.

The saga surrounding the New York Jets and a potential trade of quarterback Zach Wilson took another interesting turn Monday from the mouth of owner Woody Johnson.

Speaking to reporters at the Annual League Meeting in Orlando, Johnson was asked about Wilson and called him a “valuable asset”. Johnson did also note that a change of scenery could benefit Wilson but said the team will keep Wilson if they cannot find a trade partner. They will not straight release him. “If we don’t trade him, we will keep him,” Johnson said. The Jets get no cap relief from cutting Wilson. Trading him would shift his $5.5 million in 2024 compensation to the acquiring team, unless the Jets agree to take on some of the money themselves.

Johnson’s comments are him essentially walking back his comments last month at the NFL Honors about Wilson in which he said the Jets “didn’t have a backup quarterback last year.” The comes as the options of teams for the Jets to trade Wilson to are dwindling fast.

Among the moves made involving likely backup quarterbacks include the Arizona Cardinals trading for Desmond Ridder from the Atlanta Falcons and Mitch Trubisky going back to the Buffalo Bills after a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who now have Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Via ESPN’s Rich Cimini:

“I feel badly about Zach in some ways because last year it would’ve been a great — it would’ve been the first time he could just sit back and watch a master at work, and he’s never had that,” Johnson said. “He’s been in the fire from Day 1, and I think that’s what he needs. He needs to be in a place where he can observe for a while. He’s got the skill. He can do everything. There’s a reason we drafted him No. 2 overall, and I have confidence that he’ll get there at some point.”

The Jets are still expected to tinker with the quarterback room, perhaps taking one on the third day of the draft in April. The team signed Tyrod Taylor to back up Aaron Rodgers this season. General manager Joe Douglas also said during the Scouting Combine he has given Wilson’s representation permission to seek a trade.

Douglas also said Monday in Orlando there have been talks with teams regarding Wilson but “nothing is close”.

Albert Breer: Rams still logical landing spot for Zach Wilson after signing Jimmy Garoppolo

The Rams signed Jimmy Garoppolo, but Albert Breer of SI believes they’re still a logical landing spot for Zach Wilson

The Los Angeles Rams went the veteran route at backup quarterback by signing Jimmy Garoppolo to a one-year deal, giving themselves an experienced player behind Matthew Stafford in the event that he gets hurt. Despite that addition to the quarterback room, the Rams may not be done adding depth at the position.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Rams are still a logical landing spot for Zach Wilson, who’s expected to either be traded or cut by the Jets this offseason. In fact, Breer believes it could make even more sense now after the Rams signed Garoppolo, which would make Wilson the team’s No. 3 QB.

The Rams have been a logical landing spot for Jets QB Zach Wilson. I’d say maybe even more so now with Jimmy Garoppolo signed in Los Angeles. Wilson could use a reset, and to sit for a year, so going somewhere he’d be third string, would afford him such much-needed time. I’ve also heard his old OC from the Jets, Rams OC Mike LaFleur, would be very open to a reunion.

It’s easy to draw the connections between Wilson and the Rams. He needs to play in a quarterback-friendly offense, which Sean McVay’s scheme certainly is. He also has the mobility that McVay typically likes in a backup quarterback, allowing Wilson to extend plays when his first reads aren’t open.

Additionally, Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur coached Wilson in New York and as Breer mentioned, he would be “very open to a reunion,” which suggests he feels Wilson still has some potential as an NFL quarterback.

Mac Jones only got traded for a sixth-round pick and Wilson will probably go for even less than that, which the Rams would likely be fine with giving up, knowing they have 11 total picks in the upcoming draft.

NFL rumors: Broncos, Vikings linked to quarterback Sam Darnold

After parting with Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson, respectively, the Vikings and Broncos are now both linked to free agent QB Sam Darnold.

Kirk Cousins has agreed to terms on a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. The contract won’t be officially signed until the NFL’s new league year begins on Wednesday, but Cousins is headed to Atlanta.

That will likely be the biggest quarterback move of the offseason, and the market will now start to heat up for the remaining journeymen QBs available.

The Minnesota Vikings — who need to replace Cousins — are expected to “go after” Sam Darnold, according to The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini.

Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos — who need to replace Russell Wilson — have also discussed Darnold, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Jones noted that Denver has discussed Zach Wilson as well.

Neither Darnold nor Wilson would be a flashy signing, and neither one would be an exciting addition for Broncos fans. Even if Denver signs a veteran, though, the team will likely also draft a quarterback in April, perhaps with the 12th overall pick.

So while we wait for the Broncos to make a move at QB, Darnold and Wilson are apparently two names to keep an eye on. We are tracking all of Denver’s free agency moves on Broncos Wire.

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The Athletic predicts Zach Wilson traded to Minnesota

Zach Wilson to the Vikings? That’s what one NFL writer at The Athletic thinks for now.

It’s a matter of when, not if, quarterback Zach Wilson will be traded by the New York Jets this offseason. The question is where does the former No. 2 overall pick end up? A team like Buffalo had been speculated, but that window is likely closed now that the Bills brought back Mitch Trubisky to back up Josh Allen.

So where could Wilson end up? How about the Minnesota Vikings? That’s where Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic predicts he will go in his list of quarterback predictions for this offseason.

The Vikings are likely losing Kirk Cousins in free agency — Rosenblatt predicts he will join the Falcons — and will need to fill the quarterback room after having four quarterbacks in 2023. Rosenblatt writes “Wilson is on his way out in New York but in the right environment, with the right coaching, he still has the talent to, at worst, be a high-end backup. Minnesota is a good fit.”

What makes his full predictions even more interesting is that Wilson is paired with the quarterback he replaced in 2021 in this hypothetical scenario, Sam Darnold. Rosenblatt notes that Minnesota’s top target likely would be Baker Mayfield if they lose Cousins, but Mayfield is seen as likely to remain in Tampa Bay. So Darnold and Wilson could be potential pivot points for Minnesota, who do still have Jaren Hall coming off his rookie season.

Report: Bills are unlikely to go after Jets’ Zach Wilson

According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, the Buffalo Bills are unlikely to pursue New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson this offseason.

The Buffalo Bills have a lot of decisions to make before free-agency and the 2024 NFL Draft comes around. However, if Buffalo is looking for a different quarterback to backup star Josh Allen, it will most likely be someone other than a recently-available signal-caller.

Per the The Athletic, the Bills are unlikely to pursue New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson based on what he’s been hearing at the scouting combine happening this week. Per Jets general manager Joe Douglas on Wednesday, New York has given Wilson’s agents permission to seek a trade for a player that may be looking for a new home one way or another.

As of right now, it seems that Wilson does not have much of a market given how he has played since being drafted by the Jets with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. In three seasons, Wilson has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns and has been benched multiple times due to his poor play.

According to The Athletic, the Bills “don’t seem to think highly of Wilson’s potential” so it seems that Wilson does not make sense for Buffalo even if the team is looking for a different backup quarterback for the 2024 season.

The backup quarterback for the 2023 season was Kyle Allen, who appeared in seven games for the Bills, but did not accumulate any stats.

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AFC East news: Zach Wilson given permission to seek trade from Jets

AFC East news: Zach Wilson given permission to seek trade from #Jets:

The Zach Wilson era with the New York Jets is over.

At the 2024 NFL scouting combine, New York general manager Joe Douglas confirmed that.

According to reports including Jets Wire, Douglas said he gave Wilson and his agent the green light for him to seek a trade.

While it remains to be seen if someone trades for Wilson, he’s likely played his last snap with Gang Green.

If there is no trade partner around, New York is likely going to cut him at this point. It would make no sense to keep a player on your roster when you’ve already shown him the door–What incentive would he have to play?

However, trading Wilson would be much easier for the Jets’ salary cap situation. That is the expected route to be taken.

Wilson was expected to back up Aaron Rodgers in the 2023 season, but was thrust back into the starting role after Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. Wilson struggled and was eventually benched before going back in.

Wilson has a 12-21 record in his career with the Jets. New York selected him second overall at the 2021 NFL draft.

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If Rams want to take a shot on Zach Wilson, they have 2 coaches who know him well

If the Rams want to try a reclamation project with Zach Wilson, two of their coaches worked closely with him in New York

Unless the Los Angeles Rams can be certain that Stetson Bennett will play in 2024 and be available all year, they’ll need to make a move at quarterback. Whether it’s re-signing Carson Wentz, bringing in a veteran or drafting someone to be Matthew Stafford’s backup, the Rams have to find more stability behind No. 9.

One potential option is taking a shot on Zach Wilson. After he was benched twice last season and had yet another abysmal season in New York, the Jets could be looking to move on frothanm the former No. 2 overall pick. They’ll look to trade him before releasing him, though it’s unclear if any team would be willing to take on his $5.45 million cap charge for 2024.

If the Rams are even considering this possibility, they’ll surely ask two of the coaches on their own staff. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was the Jets’ offensive coordinator for the first two years of Wilson’s career in New York. Rob Calabrese, who the Rams just hired as an offensive assistant on Tuesday, was the Jets’ quarterbacks coach for the last three years.

Those two coaches worked as closely with Wilson as anyone in the NFL. Therefore, if anyone knows whether Wilson has what it takes to turn things around, it’s LaFleur and Calabrese. The Rams never leave any stone unturned so it’s likely that Sean McVay and Les Snead will talk to both coaches about Wilson to find out whether he’s worth giving a chance.

A reclamation project has never scared the Rams away, giving Blake Bortles, Baker Mayfield and Wentz all a shot under McVay’s tenure. Wilson could be next in line to learn McVay’s scheme in hopes of righting the ship.

Given his poor play in New York, it’s hard to fathom Wilson fetching anything more than a sixth- or seventh-round pick. The Rams have four sixth-rounders and probably won’t find a quarterback with the talent that Wilson has at that point in the draft. Obviously, a sixth-rounder also won’t cost Los Angeles more than $5 million for one season, but there’s always a chance the Rams could get the Jets to eat some of his contract as a way to facilitate a trade.

The safer option would be to re-sign Wentz and keep him as Stafford’s backup, but if McVay, LaFleur and Calabrese see something in Wilson, he could be a player to watch.

Jets offseason primer: Team enters most important offseason in long time

With Super Bowl LVIII in the books and the Kansas City Chiefs cementing their dynasty by hitting the jackpot in Las Vegas, the road to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans has officially begun and the Jets are ready to push all their chips to the middle of the table in hopes of heading to the Caesars’ Superdome on February 9, 2025.

With quarterback Aaron Rodgers returning from his Achilles injury, the Jets are ready to be aggressive again this offseason, get back into contention and end a 13-year postseason drought. Here’s some of what the Jets are working with entering the offseason, including upcoming free agents and salary cap.