A new rumor about the offseason plans of a rival AFC team offers the New York Jets a trio of QB trade options they could land for very cheap.
A year ago, the NY Jets thought they had reason to be hopeful about the 2025 NFL season. They completely cleaned house of their management structure, hired Darren Mougey as their new general manager, and brought in one-time franchise star Aaron Glenn as their new head coach.
They then followed that up by making one of the first big splashes of the offseason when they signed former first-round pick Justin Fields after a productive season in limited opportunities with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unfortunately, his six starts in 2024 turned out to be fool’s gold, and he was a disaster for the NY Jets last season. Throwing for under 100 yards in four of his nine starts.
It puts the NY Jets in a position where they must look at the QB market again this offseason. However, this year’s quarterback class isn’t great, so if they do select one in April, they will probably be a late-round project. Which leaves the free agent and trade market.
Browns could put QBs on trade block soon
Unfortunately for New York, the free agent market is just as weak as the options in the NFL Draft. That means if the team does add a signal caller of note, it will probably be via a trade. And a new rumor has opened up three options.
According to the Cleveland.com Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot, the team “will explore external options, including Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis and [Ty] Simpson” in the draft. If they add another player to their crowded QB room, it means the Browns will trade either Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, or Shedeur Sanders.
The option of bringing in any of the three probably won’t excite NY Jets fans, but the acquisition options this offseason aren’t great. Nevertheless, there are reasons to believe all three could be better in a different situation. But, most importantly, all of their values are low, so Gang Green can get them for pretty cheap in a trade.
Making the case for NY Jets to trade for Watson, Sanders, or Gabriel
Watson once had the most untradeable in sports. However, he is in the final year of the massive $230 million deal he got in 2022. While he has been a disaster in Cleveland and is coming off double surgery on his Achilles, he is still a three-time Pro Bowler. If New York can get the 30-year-old for a Day three pick and the Browns pick up half of his remaining contract, the Jets should consider it.
The biggest issue in a trade might be the public relations pushback after the QB missed the 2021 season due to allegations of sexual assault.
There were rumors before the 2025 NFL Draft that Sanders wanted to play in New York. The 24-year-old would be a good fit in Gotham and, at the very least, would excite fans a little more about the 2026 season. As for Gabriel, he still has a lot of potential. The Browns did use a third-rounder on him, and he was a finalist for the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
Both could probably be had for a fifth-round pick and are another low-cost option the NY Jets should consider this offseason.
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