There was talk a while back that the New York Jets might trade away the No. 2 pick in the draft rather than move on from Sam Darnold, but they decided to part ways with the quarterback on Monday. According to general manager Joe Douglas, the fact that the Jets have the second overall pick in the draft made it evident that they needed to go in another direction.
Douglas spoke with the media about the Darnold trade on Tuesday. One quote in particular was very telling.
“Having the No. 2 pick, I think it’s safe to say if our pick was a little bit later we wouldn’t be having this discussion right now,” Douglas said, via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. “We’d be comfortable moving ahead with Sam.”
Of course, many would argue that the losing was not Darnold’s fault. The Jets didn’t exactly surround him with a Pro Bowl roster, and playing under Adam Gase had to be a challenge. Still, New York obviously feels there are better options in the draft than Darnold.
Darnold was the third overall pick in the draft just three years ago. He’s also still just 23, so you can understand why the Carolina Panthers feel he has a high ceiling. The Jets’ decision to trade him probably says more about their satisfaction with the 2021 QB class than how they view Darnold as a player.
