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The Jets traded Zach Wilson to the Denver Broncos on Monday in exchange for a sixth-round pick. The Jets sent a seventh-round pick to Denver in the deal. The teams will split the payment of Wilson’s $5.5 million salary this year.
The 2021 draft is a cautionary tale for teams looking to draft quarterbacks in the first round this year, and there could be 4-6.
“We are sitting here discussing six quarterbacks that are going to revitalize franchises they go to and Mac Jones, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance were all traded for Saturday (Day 3) picks,” said former NFL GM Mike Lombardi on VSIN.
The last of the five first-round quarterbacks from the 2021 draft still with his original team is Trevor Lawrence, who has been average in Jacksonville, not exactly living up to being the first pick overall. He’s been okay, but far from elite.
“They were traded for nothing,” Lombardi said. “Their value was rock-bottom. What do we learn from this?”
Not much. Because teams are likely going to pick four or five quarterbacks, all with major question marks, in the first round this year, and a fifth or sixth should follow early in the second round.
But even with all the mistakes made in evaluating first-round quarterbacks, theoretically, the Jets should have been able to get a higher pick for a player of Wilson’s talent. He has rare arm talent and great feet and is only 24.
We all know how naturally gifted this player is.
So why so much heavy-lifting just to get a sixth-round pick, which is mitigated a little by having to send a seventh the other way? Often, there isn’t much difference between sixth and seventh-round players.
Why did the Jets have to pay half of Wilson’s salary this year? Unless it didn’t come out, the new teams for Jones (Jacksonville), Fields (Pittsburgh) and Lance (Dallas) didn’t split his salary with the trade partner.
So why couldn’t the Jets go more for the #2 pick overall in the 2021 draft who has so much natural ability?
Simple.
A perceived attitude issue. Does he have an attitude issue? I’m not going to say that because I’m not in his heart and head.
And this perception isn’t about treating people poorly, breaking rules or anything like that.
But some around the league feel he could work just a little harder, and perhaps make football even more of a priority.
Look, this isn’t me saying this, but there is a perception around the league, and made a trade challenging.
“Zach Wilson has talent,” said Lombardi. “You don’t become the second pick of the draft and not have talent, but he has to be accountable, be willing to take coaching and he has to work harder.
“My only job is football. Nothing else gets in the way of that. I’m going to become a great professional. Now he has a chance, but if he goes in there [with the attitude] ‘I got it, I got it,’ Sean (Payton) will get frustrated and get rid of him.
“It’s up to [Wilson] now.”
If Wilson had a reputation as a worker bee, who opened and closed the training complex, but it just didn’t work out with the Jets, this trade would have been made a month ago, considering his natural ability.
Don’t get me wrong, Wilson worked, but there are different levels of work.
And if he goes into Denver, and takes his work ethic to an even higher level, like Drew Brees in New Orleans, who Payton coached there, and loved, this has a chance to work out for the Broncos.
But now you know why the market was so weak for the player.
April 23, 2024
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