Ex-Jets GM sees new regime making big NFL Draft trade| Here’s why..
Two months before the start of the NFL Draft, the Jets are currently on the outside looking in at the realistic window to snag one of this year’s top quarterback prospects.
And one of their most prominent roster builders of the past believes there’s a chance they’ll get into the mix with a trade-up.
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Former GM Mike Tanenbaum traded up 12 spots in 2009 to land quarterback Mark Sanchez at No. 9 overall. And he says the Jets are likely to make a move in the draft with their No. 7 overall pick, one way or the other.
“If they traded up, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Tannenbaum told “The Jake Asman Show” at the NFL Combine this week in Indianapolis. “But, likewise, if they sign a veteran quarterback [in free agency] maybe they trade back in round one and try to acquire as many picks as possible.”
New general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn are in a tough spot. Fans have endured such persistent losing that they’re unwilling to give anyone – even a new regime – the benefit of the doubt in rebuilding. So the team must be competitive, and it must find a suitable replacement for Aaron Rodgers after moving on from the veteran quarterback.
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The Jets could trade up to get one of the top consensus quarterbacks, like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders – mirroring the move Tannenbaum made back in 2009 to land Sanchez. Or they could add a veteran in free agency or on the trade market and then trade down from No. 7 overall to fill out the other holes on their roster.
The Jets still have a lot of talent on this roster. So landing someone like Kirk Cousins in a trade and then trading down in the draft to fill out some of the thinner positions – specifically the defensive line, in the secondary, and at wide receiver – could be the best way to go for the Jets as they seek to end their 14-year playoff drought, the longest active postseason streak of futility in major North American pro sports.
“You know, with seven teams making the playoffs [in each conference], things change a lot every year. … On average, over the last decade, I think three or four new teams every year. Again, there’s a really good foundation here. All the oxygen and headlines will be about the quarterback position … and I’m sure that quarterback situation will be addressed.”
