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Brock Bowers Books Bears, Chargers Visits; TE Not Expected To Fall Out Of Top 10?

April 17th, 2024 at 10:23am CST by Sam Robinson

Brock Bowers hovers as this draft’s clear-cut top tight end, as a gulf exists between the Georgia-developed prospect and the field this year. Although this draft has a few wide receivers that could go in front of Bowers, he might not last too much longer.

The teams interested in Bowers point to him not being available beyond No. 10, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes. After the Jets hosted the standout pass catcher, Pauline adds he scheduled visits with the Bears and Chargers. Prospects have until today to go through official “30” visits with teams; Bowers met with the Bears on Tuesday and is Los Angeles-bound today.

The Bolts (No. 5) and Bears (No. 9) join the Titans (No. 7) and Jets (No. 10) as teams to have shown interest in Bowers during the pre-draft process. The Jets sent their tight ends coach (Ron Middleton) to Bowers’ delayed pro day last week. Bowers underwent surgery to address a high ankle sprain. He would deliver an instant upgrade to the Jets, who have certainly pushed their chips in for the 2024 season. With Gang Green signing Mike Williams, a tight end upgrade would complement the Williams-Garrett Wilson tandem. Of course, the team could also be interested in one of this class’ top three wideouts — should one be available at 10.

A Bears decision could determine the Jets’ move. They have met with Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers. An Odunze-or-Bowers call could be on the table for Chicago at 9, Pauline adds. The Bears added ex-Shane Waldron pupil Gerald Everett to go with Cole Kmet this offseason. A Bowers pickup would crowd this depth chart, profiling as a best-player-available-type move for a team widely expected to draft Caleb Williams first overall. A WR move would stand to make more sense for Chicago, which lost Darnell Mooney and has trade pickup Keenan Allen going into his age-32 season. Allen is not signed beyond 2024.

The Titans also spent heavily to give their QB (Will Levis) a higher-end target, authorizing a monster guarantee to win the Calvin Ridley sweepstakes. Tennessee has not made a move at tight end this offseason. Chig Okonkwo totaled 528 receiving yards last year, though his per-catch average dropped from 14.1 as a rookie to 9.8. The Titans, however, have been closely linked to using their No. 7 slot to upgrade at left tackle — a dire need for the team.

Though the suddenly run-focused Chargers have also been tied to a tackle move, they can render this moot by choosing Bowers at 5. Los Angeles used Everett as its TE1 over the past two seasons, and the team added two free agents (Hayden Hurst, Will Dissly) this offseason. Bowers obviously brings a much higher pass-catching ceiling, racking up 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns during his three-year tenure with the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-3 target played a key role in the team winning the national title in 2021 and ’22, and in the latter campaign he earned first-team All-American honors.

Georgia’s top aerial weapon throughout his college career, Bowers took home the John Mackey award as the nation’s top tight end in each of the past two seasons, making him the only multi-time winner. He profiles as an immediate upgrade at a position that is harder to find compared to wide receiver, and it will be interesting to see which team signs off on this investment.

Draft Notes: Newton, Lions, Latu, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets, Eagles, Broncos, Cardinals, Commanders, Giants, Panthers

April 16th, 2024 at 4:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Wednesday marks the final day for “30” visits during this year’s cycle. Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton is on the way back from a January surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his foot. Newton went through a belated pro day in Champaign on Tuesday, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, who noted more than eight teams were in attendance. The Lions are not one of the teams Schultz named, but the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett notes Newton did go through a visit with the defending NFC North champs. A first-team All-American and reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Newton played through his foot injury last season — a 7.5-sack slate. The acclaimed DT, who ranks as the No. 32 overall prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, also recorded 14.5 tackles for loss in 2022.

Here is the latest from the draft scene:

  • Speaking of the Lions, they are also believed to be high on NC State linebacker Payton Wilson, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman notes (subscription required). Last season’s Bednarik award winner (given to Division I-FBS’ top defender), Wilson ranks 41st on Jeremiah’s big board. In need at linebacker, the Cowboys are also believed to be intrigued by Wilson, though Feldman adds some teams are too concerned about his medical history to consider drafting him. Season-ending knee and shoulder injuries halted Wilson in 2018 and 2021, respectively, but the six-year Wolfpack cog has been healthy over the past two years.
  • The Bills have brought in two likely first-round defenders, hosting edge rusher Laiatu Latu and cornerback Cooper DeJean (via Schultz and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Holding the No. 28 overall pick, Buffalo saw a concerning season from Von Miller (zero sacks after a second ACL rehab journey) and did not re-sign Leonard Floyd. The Bills also released Tre’Davious White and have not replaced him. While wide receiver is the buzz position in Buffalo given the exits of longtime performers, the Bills also have some needs to address on defense.
  • A fourth team booked a visit with Alabama tackle JC Latham. The first-round-level tackle will meet with the Jets tonight and Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. One of seven tackles Jeremiah places among his top 25 overall prospects, Latham has already met with the Cardinals, Titans and Bears. The Jets have been linked to an O-line investment, and the prospect of moving down from No. 10 has also come up for Gang Green.
  • Both the Alabama cornerbacks expected to go off the board early in this draft booked more visits before the Wednesday deadline. Terrion Arnold met with the Titans on Monday, Rapoport adds, while Kool-Aid McKinstry visited the Eagles (via the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane). With Darius Slay and James Bradberry set to begin the season north of 31st birthdays, the Eagles have been tied to corners. The Titans acquired L’Jarius Sneed via trade and signed Chidobe Awuzie; this would seemingly take Tennessee out of the early-round CB mix. Though, the team did lose Sean Murphy-Bunting and has seen ex-first-rounder Caleb Farley prove undependable.
  • Although the Texans have taken multiple fliers on former top-10 corners (Jeff Okudah, C.J. Henderson), they may be interested in bolstering their cornerback corps with a higher-upside player. Houston hosted Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw on Monday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. A Texas native, Rakestraw (Jeremiah’s No. 28 overall prospect) allowed just one touchdown on 28 targets last season, per Wilson. The 5-foot-11 defender broke up 11 passes with the Tigers in 2023.
  • This draft features a number of tackles set to go off the board in Round 1, but the second round could produce some investments at the position. The Giants, Jets and Commanders scheduled late visits with Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Jeremiah’s No. 49 overall player, Morgan also visited the Bills, Broncos, Cardinals and Panthers, Wilson adds, noting also the three-year Wildcats starter worked out for the Texans during the pre-draft process. Morgan earned first-team All-Pac-12 recognition last season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/24

April 15th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: OL Lorenz Metz

Washington Commanders

Today marks the first day for teams with holdover HCs to begin offseason programs. That date frequently coincides with restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents officially coming back into the fold. McCloud’s signing and Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson inking his second-round tender leaves 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, also given a Round 2 tender, as the lone unsigned RFA. McCloud will be tied to a nonguaranteed $2.99MM salary.

A former UDFA out of Michigan State, Bachie has been with the Bengals for the past three seasons. The young linebacker has been a regular special-teamer in that time; over the past two seasons, Bachie has been on the field for more than 60% of Cincinnati’s ST plays.

The Commanders signed Tyler Ott in free agency. The longtime Seahawks snapper spent 2023 with the Ravens; the veteran staying in the Mid-Atlantic region will lead to Addington — a three-game Washington long snapper in 2023 — being moved off the roster.

Murtaugh and Metz are coming to the NFL via the league’s International Pathway Program. Murtaugh hails from Australia and has a background in Australian Rules Football. He spent a bit of time with the Lions in 2023. A German, Metz spent time with the Bears last year but did not make their roster. He was not with a team during the season. If Murtaugh and Metz fail to make their respective team’s 53-man roster, they can be carried as a 17th practice squad player via the IPP program.

Jets Re-Sign S Ashtyn Davis

April 15th, 2024 at 1:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

APRIL 15: Davis’ one-year pact is worth $2.7MM, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports. Notably, he adds that only $167K of that figure is guaranteed. A strong season on defense in particular (should he see the field often) would no doubt help his market ahead of free agency next offseason, though.

APRIL 11: Rather than heading elsewhere in search of more playing time, Ashtyn Davis is set to remain in New York for 2024. The rotational safety and special teams mainstay is re-signing with the Jets, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The deal is now official, per a team announcement.

As Garafolo notes, Davis drew interest from outside teams during his first trip to the open market in his career. He has elected to remain where he played out his rookie contract, though, allowing himself the opportunity to continue playing under head coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in the process. SNY’s Connor Hughes notes New York remained open to a re-signing throughout free agency.

Davis, 27, started 16 games across his first two seasons in the league. Since, then, however, he has primarily been relegated to special teams duties. Logging a 19% snap share on defense in 2023, the former third-rounder notched new career highs in interceptions (three) and pass deflections (eight). He could have parlayed that production into a deal with a new team providing a clearer path to a first-team role, though playing time could still come his way with New York.

The Jets have Tony Adams and Chuck Clark in the fold at the safety spot. The latter missed all of last season due to a torn ACL, but he re-upped with New York on a one-year deal this offseason. The team saw Jordan Whitehead depart on the open market when he returned to the Buccaneers. That, coupled with Davis’ uncertain status, led to questions about New York’s depth on the backend heading into the draft.

Now, though, the Cal alum’s return to the fold will give the Jets a familiar face in sub packages and on special teams. Davis has racked up six interceptions and four fumble recoveries during his career, and improvements in coverage led to a career-high PFF grade of 74.7 last year. Building off that strong play during training camp could open the door to a starting defensive spot for the 2024 campaign.

The Jets entered Thursday with just $1.43MM in cap space, the second-lowest figure in the league and one which will be insufficient to afford the team’s rookie class. It will be interesting to see how lucrative this Davis pact is, and how the team will proceed with other financial priorities in the near future.

Jets To Host TE Brock Bowers

April 15th, 2024 at 9:18am CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets were among the teams on hand to view Brock Bowers‘ recent private workout. To little surprise, that will be followed by an in-person visit with the standout tight end.

Bowers will meet with the Jets on Monday, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager reports. The Georgia alum is widely seen as the top tight end prospect in the 2024 class, and he is among the best pass-catchers available. Plenty of Jets-Bowers connections have been made in the build-up to the draft, and New York (owner of the 10th selection) is certainly interested in adding offensive weapons at the top of the board.

The Jets have hosted wideout Rome Odunze on a ‘top-30‘ visit already, and the same will soon be true of Malik Nabers. Each of those prospects could be selected before New York is on the clock, with the top three WRs (Odunze, Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr.) expected to hear their names called within the top 10 picks. Bowers is similarly regarded as one of the best prospects in the class, but his position has led to a wide range of potential outcomes in terms of where he could wind up.

Notably, the Jets – a team which could stand to add help along the offensive line and has met with top tackle Joe Alt – could be open to a move down the board. Swapping out of the No. 10 selection would leave New York out of range for Alt and/or a few of the other members of a deep O-line class, but Bowers could remain an option depending on how far down the order the team would be moving. In any case, the latter will be expected to produce right away given his pedigree stemming from his time in college.

Bowers racked up 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns during his three-year tenure with the Bulldogs. He played a key role in the team winning the national title in 2021 and ’22, and in the latter campaign he earned first-team All-American honors. Bowers took home the John Mackey award as the nation’s top tight end in each of the past two seasons, making him the only multi-time winner.

As the Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia notes, though, Day 1 draft investments at the TE spot have generally not gone according to plan. Over the past 10 years, Kyle Pitts is the only one of the nine tight ends drafted in the first round to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark. The Browns (David Njoku) are the only team to date to extend a homegrown player at the position during that span, although Pitts and 2023 Bills selection Dalton Kincaid are not yet eligible for a second contract.

In spite of that recent track record, Bowers will face high expectations upon arrival in the NFL. He could have a prominent role in the Jets’ offense in short order, but New York will have a number of other intriguing options to consider at No. 10 or a position lower on the board.

Jets Interested In Trading Down From No. 10; Team Eyeing First-Round Tackle?

April 13th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear prevented the Packers from picking up the Jets’ 2024 first-round pick, as the future Hall of Fame quarterback well miles short of the 65% snap threshold. But the Jets do enter this draft without a second-rounder due to the terms of the Rodgers swap.

The Packers obtained the Jets’ No. 41 overall pick, leaving the AFC East team without a choice between its first-round slot (No. 10) and third-round pick (72). The Jets would be interested in adding another Day 2 choice and would be ready to move down from 10 to make that happen. The Jets would ideally like to add a second-round pick — or at least a top-100 selection — by moving down from 10, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes.

This draft’s run on quarterbacks is expected to take place before the Jets go on the clock at 10, with the Cardinals’ No. 4 overall slot potentially the place QB-needy teams will target to climb up. The Chargers have also expressed a willingness to trade down from 5. By the time the Jets are picking, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy will almost certainly be off the board. That would stand to limit the interest in the team’s No. 10 pick, though Cimini adds the team is interested in selling its top choice to one of the QB-needy clubs.

This would probably require Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. to generate enough interest it entices the Broncos (No. 12) or Raiders (No. 13) to fork over an asset to be sure of landing one of the draft’s top six passers.

The Raiders may not have a uniform opinion of how to proceed at quarterback in this draft, with a rumor indicating their top two decision-makers are split on a trade-up maneuver. The Broncos are believed to want to move up, but they are limited regarding draft capital. Also down a second-rounder from the Sean Payton trade, Denver may be more likely to move down in hopes of Nix still being on the board. The Vikings (No. 11) have made their intention of finding a long-term passer fairly clear, and despite the franchise never drafting a QB in the top 10, it is ready to move up to acquire a Kirk Cousins successor.

A team like the Giants not selecting a QB at 10 and then considering a move back into Round 1 for a passer could be something to monitor, and a climb back into the top 10 would outflank the Broncos or Raiders. That would also be costly, as the Giants do not pick again until No. 47. The Jets also are probably not interested in dropping that far, as they have a rather important Rodgers-centric season approaching.

If the Jets stick at No. 10, they would have a bevy of first-round tackle options awaiting. Joe Douglas is likely interested in adding a long-term option to initially work behind Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. This would be an interesting move for a team with its GM and HC on hot seats, as a first-round tackle would not have a direct path to the starting lineup in 2024. Of course, Smith’s injury history — and the injury trouble the Jets have encountered up front over the past two years — will obviously make an O-line move worth considering. Joe Alt visited recently.

Then again, if one of this class’ top three receivers is still on the board at 10, that would be difficult to pass on. The Jets have hosted Rome Odunze on a “30” visit and has another meeting scheduled with Malik Nabers. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers may also be in play for a team committed to maximizing Rodgers after a lost year.

On the O-line front, the Jets are set to meet with Washington’s Troy Fautanu on Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Already visiting the Jaguars, Ravens, Bengals, Steelers and Eagles, Fautanu is expected to be one of several tackles to come off the board in Round 1.

Some teams are projecting Fautanu as a guard, per NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, who views the former Huskies standout as a tackle. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. agrees with the teams that slot Fautanu as a guard. Fautanu spent most of his Pac-12 career at tackle, starting only two career games at guard. The Jets gave John Simpson a multiyear deal and are moving Alijah Vera-Tucker back to guard; with Smith and Moses north of 32 and each on one-year deals, Gang Green is much needier at tackle.

NFL Draft Rumors: Bowers, Giants, McKinstry

April 13th, 2024 at 4:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Two Georgia Bulldogs expected to be first-round picks later this month were unable to perform in their school’s pro day last month. Tight end Brock Bowers and offensive tackle Amarius Mims both hosted a private workout that saw a few teams in attendance, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Neither player really performed usual pro day activities, forgoing the 40-yard dash or any jumping or agility testing. Mims didn’t even weigh in. In reality, the day saw the two go through a few position drills with Bowers running routes and Mims attempting some line drills.

Both players had tightrope surgeries during the college season to repair high-ankle sprains. They should be able to heal in time for their rookie seasons, but the recovery has kept them from participating in pre-draft activities. It doesn’t appear that the work outs did much to affect either player’s draft stock.

Tight ends coaches for the Giants, Jets, and Broncos were reportedly on hand to watch Bowers, according to Breer and Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com. ESPN’s Matt Miller tells us that the Colts are reportedly very interested in Bowers, as well. One of his sources claims that Indianapolis would “run the card in” if Bowers is still available by the 15th pick of the draft.

Here are a few other rumors surrounding the 2024 NFL Draft:

  • One of the teams on hand to view Bowers, the Giants could be viewing the tight end as a backup plan. Many have pegged New York as a team that could potentially attempt to move up from their No. 6 overall pick to draft a quarterback in the top four picks. As we move closer to the decisive day, though, it’s looking less and less likely. According to Miller at ESPN, the Giants are expected to stay at sixth overall (a perfect place to find Bowers) and attempt to draft a passer with their No. 47 overall pick in the second round. At that point of the draft, they expect that options like Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix may still be available. The team still claims to be committed to starting quarterback Daniel Jones, but the veteran’s inability to stay on the field has led New York to explore options to replace him, according to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports.
  • Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, born Ga’Quincy, has had a busy spring full of pre-draft visits. Since earlier reported visits with the Jaguars, Buccaneers, Lions, and Packers, we’ve seen reported visits with four more teams. Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tells us that McKinstry visited the Titans on Tuesday, and Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report informs us of visits with the Eagles, Giants, and Falcons, as well. McKinstry and his teammate, Terrion Arnold, have been extremely popular with the several teams who view cornerback as a position of need in 2024. McKinstry’s recovery from surgery on a foot fracture continues to heal nicely as he stays on track to return in time for his rookie season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

WR Notes: Allen, Bolts, Colts, Bills, Browns, Falcons, Jets, Panthers, Saints, Bears

April 12th, 2024 at 12:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly dealt to the Texans, Keenan Allen will soon team with D.J. Moore on the Bears. Only Malcom Floyd enjoyed a longer WR tenure with the Chargers, who surprised Allen (per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) by requesting a pay cut after a 1,243-yard season (career-high 95.1 per game). The process that ended with Allen shipped to Chicago for a fourth-round pick stunned the 11-year veteran, whose camp presented the Bolts with a counteroffer that would have made the 31-year-old talent one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts. The team quickly rejected that proposal, Rhim adds.

Cutting Mike Williams to move under the cap, the Chargers had already restructured the deals of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. The team asking Allen for a pay cut despite moving well under the salary ceiling surprised the wideout’s camp, per Rhim, though the Bolts wanted more room to work in free agency. Because of a 2023 restructure, Allen was due to count more than $34MM on Los Angeles’ cap. The Bears, who paid Allen’s $5MM roster bonus shortly after acquiring him, have the six-time Pro Bowler on the books at $23.1MM. As of now, Allen is due for free agency in 2025.

Shifting to the draft, here is the latest wide receiver news:

  • The Bills and Colts are taking a close look at this draft’s fastest player. Xavier Worthy recently visited Buffalo and is now in Indianapolis for a meeting, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Blazing to a Combine-record 4.21-second 40-yard dash, Worthy is coming off a 75-catch, 1,014-yard season. The ex-Texas speedster added 12 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2021. Buffalo certainly needs receiving help, after losing Gabe Davis in free agency and trading Stefon Diggs to Houston, while Indianapolis has been Michael Pittman Jr.-dependent for a while. The Colts did see intriguing rookie-year work from Josh Downs (771 yards), but the 5-foot-8 wideout profiles as a slot player.
  • Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey has now met with the Browns and Falcons, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. McConkey has spoken with at least 14 teams, Rapoport adds. Several teams have placed a first-round grade on McConkey, who also fared well in his Combine 40 (4.39). The 5-foot-11 target took a backseat to Brock Bowers at Georgia, never eclipsing 800 yards in a season. While McConkey totaled 762 in 2022, that number came in 15 games. Debuting late because of a back injury last season, McConkey finished with just 30 catches for 478 yards. Viewed as a strong route runner with untapped potential, McConkey could be an outside or inside option for his NFL team.
  • The Jets, Panthers and Browns are among the teams to have hosted Oregon wideout Troy Franklin on a “30” visit, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Franklin had previously met with the Bills and Patriots. Franklin broke through for a 1,383-yard season alongside Bo Nix last year; the 6-3 target should be on the radar as a second-round pick in this deep WR class.
  • The Saints are the latest team connected to Western Kentucky target Malachi Corley, Rapoport adds. Corley will make a Saturday trip to New Orleans for a “30” visit. The Saints made an effort to trade up in last year’s first round but did not make a major investment at receiver in the draft. They have since signed Stanley Morgan and Equanimeous St. Brown, but considering the Michael Thomas release, it would not surprise to see New Orleans make a bigger move in the draft. Corley is expected to be a second-round pick.
  • Bears GM Ryan Poles has broken the front office and coaching staff into pods debating the merits of choosing a wide receiver, tackle or defensive end at No. 9, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes. This makes for an interesting behind-the-curtain look for a team that has done some work on wideouts pre-draft. Worthy, Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze appeared on Chicago’s docket of “30” visits. Odunze or Nabers being available at 9 would certainly be tempting for the Bears, though the Allen trade provides the team some flexibility following Darnell Mooney‘s free agency exit.

Traded NFL Draft Picks For 2024

April 10th, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2024 draft nears, numerous picks have already changed hands. A handful of picks have already been moved twice, with a few being traded three times. Multiple deals from 2021 impact this draft. Here are the 2024 picks to have been traded thus far:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Draft Pick Likely Required For Team Absorb Zach Wilson’s Jets Contract

April 9th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not expected to be part of the 2024 Jets, Zach Wilson has been on the trade block for more than a month. The team made it known at the Combine the former No. 2 overall pick had permission to seek a trade partner. More than five weeks later, Wilson remains a Jet.

Although Wilson is attached to a rookie contract, it is the final year of a deal that involves a No. 2 salary slot. Wilson signed a four-year, $35.15MM contract in 2021. The remaining $5.45MM owed to the three-year starter has brought a sticking point in trade talks.

[RELATED: Revisiting 2021 First-Round QB Picks]

Offers are believed to have come in for Wilson, but those evidently have not satisfied the Jets. The delay may well stem from teams wanting the Jets to pay some of Wilson’s guarantee or seeking to make this a weighted pick-swap exchange. For a trade to be completed, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes the sense around the NFL points to the Jets needing to send over a draft pick to convince a team to add all or most of Wilson’s money to their payroll.

In February, Cimini mentioned a sixth- or seventh-round pick being potential compensation for Wilson. Though, the notion of a mid-round swap came about in that piece as well. The Jets are unlikely to release Wilson, as the cut would tag them with $11.18MM in dead money. That amount would be halved for 2024 should the team designate Wilson as a post-June 1 cut.

The Jets have also seen many teams fill their QB2 posts. A few did so via trade, with the Steelers (Justin Fields), Eagles (Kenny Pickett), Jaguars (Mac Jones), Seahawks (Sam Howell) and Cardinals (Desmond Ridder) make deals to acquire recent starters and make them backups. A few other teams have signed backups. The Bills (Mitchell Trubisky), Browns (Jameis Winston), C0lts (Joe Flacco), Chiefs (Carson Wentz), Rams (Jimmy Garoppolo), Giants (Drew Lock), 49ers (Joshua Dobbs), Titans (Mason Rudolph) and Commanders (Marcus Mariota) have added clear-cut backup options. This will limit the Wilson market, and while it should be expected the BYU alum will have another chance somewhere, the Jets may need to sweeten the pot for that to happen.

The Steelers traded a fourth-round pick in a Pickett-centered deal that brought back a third from the Eagles. The Commanders attached fourth- and sixth-round picks to send Howell to the Seahawks, who supplied third- and fifth-rounders. The 49ers did not need to add any inducement in the Trey Lance swap, with that Cowboys deal being Lance for a fourth-rounder. Chosen one pick after Wilson, Lance remains on the Cowboys’ payroll at $5.31MM guaranteed.

Given Wilson’s performance and contract, the Jets should not be expected to upgrade in the middle rounds in any Wilson swap. With teams knowing the Jets would face that dead money penalty by cutting him, offers will not be particularly impressive.

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