Darnold to the Panthers

[C Mart]

• The Panthers/Jets trade may have seemedto have come out of nowhere—but the truth is the teams had been chipping away at it for quite some time. Carolina first broached the topic of a deal for Sam Darnold with the Jets in mid-February, a couple weeks after a very strong bid for Matthew Stafford fell through. New York GM Joe Douglas was even keeled through the process, which caused the talks to stagnate a little (San Francisco was involved for a time, as well), and then things heated up again in the last couple weeks.

By the start of last week, the Panthers had emerged as the strongest suitor for Darnold. Last Monday night, the teams talked again, with both arriving in Columbus for Ohio State’s pro day. And at the pro day, on Tuesday, Douglas finally got the chance to go face-to-face with his Carolina counterpart, Scott Fitterer, and Panthers coach Matt Rhule. Talks there were positive enough for the sides to continue in earnest in the days to follow.

The Jets were said to have sought a return besting what the Cardinals got for Josh Rosen in 2019—looking for a second-rounder and a mid-round pick or player. But my understanding is a lot of different concepts were discussed, including one that would’ve sent the 23rd pick and Darnold to Carolina for the eighth pick (the Panthers weren’t going for that).

In the end, the compromise wound up being the Jets’ desired return, but in 2022 picks, rather than 2021, with a ’21 sixth-rounder tacked on. So now, Douglas has five picks in the first three rounds this year and four in the first two rounds next year with which to build. And this, of course, also locks in the certainty that quarterbacks will go 1-2-3 on April 29, with Atlanta now in position to take the fourth one or get a ransom for their pick.

• The first piece of fallout here for the Panthers concerns the decision they’ll have to make on Darnold’s fifth-year option, which I’d expect them to pick up. It’s set at $18.858 million and will be fully guaranteed upon being exercised. Which is pricey, to be sure. But the Panthers could also just restructure Darnold, with the $4.604 million due this year folded in, and spread the total of $23.462 million over the next two years as they see fit.

The APY on that, by the way, would be a very reasonable $11.731 million.

The second piece is Teddy Bridgewater, due a $17 million base, in addition to $750,000 in per-game roster bonuses and a $250,000 workout bonus this year. The final $7 million of that base doesn’t become fully guaranteed until Week 1 ($10 million was guaranteed at signing), and that $17 million number has made Bridgewater virtually untradeable (the Panthers have been trying to deal him for weeks). So, barring someone suddenly having to scramble for a starter on the fly, it looks like at least $10 million is sunk. Would Bridgewater accept a pay cut to be traded? Or would he rather just force the Panthers to cut him, knowing $10 million would be his ceiling? Add it up, and Carolina’s best play absent the pay cut/trade scenario, may be just to let Bridgewater compete with Darnold for the job for now.

http:// https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/04/05/monday-afternoon-quarterback-sam-darnold-trade-panthers-jets

[varjet]

The Jets basically held a lottery ticket picking top 4 in this draft that they never should have had.  Maybe JD knew that.   Because they can basically reboot with one of 4 QBs built for the modern NFL.  In Darnold’s third year, the Jets never should have fielded the second worst team in the NFL, if not the worst.  So they get a chance to reboot the right way.

If JD does not outsmart himself he will get a G at 23 or 34 to fill one of the primary line holes.  My vote is to take two G/Cs and create an entirely new interior.  

But, as we have said before, you follow the money.  It sounds like the Panthers and Tepper are going to take the 5th year option and pay Darnold $23mm over the next two years.   That’s is actually not a bad deal, if you think he is salvageable.   Basically, as opposed to Darnold’s 4 year/~$40mm contract, the first three years become 3/$35mm and the next two are 2/$23mm.  

There was no way the Johnsons were going to increase their cost for Sam when they have a new 4 year/$40mm QB waiting for them, with a better team to play with.  

The Buccaneers took Winston and kept drafting well.  Winston may have been one of their worst picks.   With their improved roster, they signed Brady cheap and won the Super Bowl.   They tanked for Winston and did not have to give up picks for him.  JD can still build this team even if Wilson or Fields falters.  But he has to draft better than David, Zuniga, Morgan, Polite and Clark.,  Hopefully some of those guys prove me wrong this season. 

[Beerfish]

19 minutes ago, genot said:

If the Jet's handled Darnold the way the Chiefs handled Mahomes, we might not have been having this still searching debate the last three months.

Mahommes got to see what it was like being Sam Darrnold in the super bowl.

[jetstream23]

3 hours ago, T0mShane said:

Good luck to the kid who couldn’t earn the captaincy of his cheeseballs Mormon college squad earning the respect of his new locker room. Marcus Maye just now:

 

I'll ignore your comment on the Captaincy (which has been discussed numerous times here) but focus more on the Maye tweet.

It's very telling.  Saw some other players wishing Sam well, etc.  This just looks like a "WTF are we doing?" tweet.  He obviously knows Sam pretty well as he predated him by one Draft.  Maye is on a one-year deal and might be a bit disgruntled about his own situation with the Jets, but this looks like a guy who doesn't want to start over with a new QB.  Probably a bigger fan of the trade down and get more talent idea, but who knows.

[southparkcpa]

10 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Mahommes got to see what it was like being Sam Darrnold in the super bowl.

@Jetsfan80

[flgreen]

1 hour ago, Embrace the Suck said:

Why's that? He's a solid somewhat accomplished player for whom teams know what they're getting with him. You could get something for him if you wanted to (this draft mid round), and if he's going to whine about the team's direction he may find himself elsewhere. The team didn't really miss a beat without Adams.

I hate to see it go this way with Maye.  I really like him as a player, but your right.

This is going to be an improved, but very young team, with a rookie QB.  IMO what Douglas , and Saleh want from the vets are rah- rah kind of guys who are helping keep the rookies in position.

What they don't want is a vet causing negative divisions in the locker room.  

[Jetsfan80]

4 minutes ago, southparkcpa said:

@Jetsfan80

Yet Mahomes still made several plays in that game that few QB's can, against an elite defense.

[Wonderboy]

46 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

"They'll get all these linemen."

"They have all these picks."

"So many options."

"We're in great shape."

Man, it just doesn't matter.  This isn't directed at you specifically because even I get jaded by the optimism and the "what if" of a #23 pick, a #34 pick, etc. as if the Jets will miraculously do something correct with them and find the right guys after hopefully also doing the right thing at #2 and picking the best available QB out of the 3 or 4 choices JD will have.  I just can't be optimistic anymore that they'll do the right thing.  The odds are much, much higher (probably 75% or better) that the Jets will mess up AT LEAST one or two of those first three picks.  IF they get the QB wrong at #2 we're in limbo for another 3-4 years like we were with Darnold.  If they get the right QB but f*** up the upgrade on the OLine by whiffing at #23, 34, etc. then we're putting Wilson in the same situation that degraded Darnold beyond repair here.

So much has to go right immediately that it's almost unfathomable, knowing the history of this team, they'll be able to pull it off.  Remember, the only reason Sanchez even had some short-term success here was because he landed behind an OLine that had D'Brick Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Brandon Moore, Alan Faneca, etc. and was throwing to Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, etc. from starting field positions that an excellent defense was giving him.  We have NONE of that right now.  BUT... we've decided it makes sense to throw a shiny new QB into this situation (again) and ask him to gut it out while we spend the next two years building around him "the right way" without the willingness to overpay at just one position critical to QB success like Guard with a guy like Joe Thuney.

So I'm with you..... I want to be optimistic.  I see the picks we have, I see the future Cap space (that we decided not to use on OLine this year) and say to myself.... it just doesn't matter.  I'll believe it when I see it.  If we get the QB right and can't get the OLine picks right then we're screwed.  If we get the QB wrong then it doesn't even matter what we do the rest of the Draft.

 

Come off the edge. This ain’t Macc or Idzik. It’s JD. The saving grace here is the overall roster absolutely stinks and we have several positions of need to be filled. Primarily, G, T, C, CB, WR. And we could use another LB and TE. It’s also a very deep draft which is to our advantage since we have 2 #1’s, an early 2nd, and two #3’s. I don’t see how JD could possibly screw up #23 & 34. There’s just to much talent across the board. 

[joewilly12]

17 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

I'll ignore your comment on the Captaincy (which has been discussed numerous times here) but focus more on the Maye tweet.

It's very telling.  Saw some other players wishing Sam well, etc.  This just looks like a "WTF are we doing?" tweet.  He obviously knows Sam pretty well as he predated him by one Draft.  Maye is on a one-year deal and might be a bit disgruntled about his own situation with the Jets, but this looks like a guy who doesn't want to start over with a new QB.  Probably a bigger fan of the trade down and get more talent idea, but who knows.

Marcus May needs to shut up and play football. 

[JetBlue]

1 hour ago, Embrace the Suck said:

That's all well and good. If they don't like it request a trade. Popularity is fleeting and it doesn't translate to much that often outside of polling questions. 

Yet folks wanted to keep him and still bring in a quarterback at 2?  Can everyone now see what a sh*t show that would have been?  As it is, whomever they pick will have to come in and win the respect and support of the players, especially the Darnold faction who feels he was done wrong.    Hopefully Wilson/Fields will win the over with his play on the field, when at the end of the day, is all that matters.  

[JetBlue]

53 minutes ago, Paradis said:

Slater in the teens is quite possible. Pitts on the other hand - someone will trade up for him if he makes it past 6/7

knowing my luck we’ll probably take Bateman at #23... kinda given up with “having preference”... it never works out for me. 

How about Rondale Moore at 23?  That dude a playmaker if ever there was one. 

[CanadienJetsFan]

The last time this team was run by someone with extensive football experience and who actually came from a “winning” lineage was Parcels.

Let’s hope that JDs the next. I know it’s hard to accept that as long time suffering fans, we’re being asked to be patient once again. But, I think that this time it’s different.

Dumb ownership is no longer sticking their nose in the day to day decisions and the head coach no longer has equal say to nix/ veto anything the GM wants to do.

This organizational change to me is ground breaking. But, it requires patience for this roster is void of talent that will take time to build. Now is JD the right guy? We’ll see. But you cannot argue with his pedigree and experience so he warrants a legitimate opportunity to build this team in his image.

And yes, it all starts at QB. Now I don’t know who JD will and should choose. ( yes, eye test wise, I like Wilson but I know that I don’t know anything when it comes to assessing a QB) If he thinks Fields has better upside potential then I’ll support him

All I do know is that Sam wasn’t the guy I hoped he’d be. He just never elevated his game to the point where he made his teammates better. Yes, he had some good flashes but never anything great. Sam is still young and has a very strong and healthy work ethic but Sam seems to need another year or two to fix all his flaws. By then, we would have determined if Wilson or Fields truly are any good too. This time issue coupled with a contract renewal spelled the end for Sam as a Jet. Them’s the breaks in today’s NFL i suppose.

So, let’s support JD for he has lots of hard work ahead of him.

[Ken Schroy]

Very happy with what JD got for Sam. Sam is a good guy and I wish him the best. Now lets get our guy to lead us to the show.

[David Harris]

Alright I read every single post in these 27 pages...and I’m fkn exhausted. 
 

feel all of it. Tired of the hamster wheel, sick of 40 years of crap. I’d never been happier with a draft pick than I was with Sam Darnold falling in our laps- felt like we finally got a break and it was all going to change- but nothing changed and we’re right back here starting over again.

but a big part of me feels Joe Douglas is the change we’ve all been hoping for. He has a clear vision and has a lot of credibility in my eyes. 
 

so I’m exhausted, disappointed. I miss Sam and am happy he’s gone. Sad to start over and annoyed to have to wait years again to see if it works out. But I’m hopeful.

for the first time in a long time the Owner is aligned with the GM who are aligned with the HC who all will now be aligned with the QB. 
 

LT and wide receiver groups are solid. Another 16.5 mill in dead cap comes off the books after this season (**** that Trumaine Johnson contract is a Bobby Bonilla albatross) the year after that we can get $14 mill back after cutting Mosley.  The cap will go up, we’ll have a ton of high picks on the roster.  The foundation has never been better prepared- now JD just has the build this mother right. Hit on these damn picks, support the young QB because I don’t know how many more of these I got in me.

[joewilly12]

Sam Darold was 13-25 45 TD's 39 INT's as the starting QB for the NY Jets. 

How can anyone not agree with  the trade. 

He stunk here and now he's gone, move on. 

Next man up. 

[jetstream23]

9 minutes ago, Wonderboy said:

Come off the edge. This ain’t Macc or Idzik. It’s JD. The saving grace here is the overall roster absolutely stinks and we have several positions of need to be filled. Primarily, G, T, C, CB, WR. And we could use another LB and TE. It’s also a very deep draft which is to our advantage since we have 2 #1’s, an early 2nd, and two #3’s. I don’t see how JD could possibly screw up #23 & 34. There’s just to much talent across the board. 

 

 

Are you new here?

 

[jetstream23]

10 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

Marcus May needs to shut up and play football. 

He HAS been playing some of the best football on the team.  Maybe instead of telling him to shut up you should listen to him more because he knows more than you do.

[victorjets]

 

[joewilly12]

1 minute ago, jetstream23 said:

He HAS been playing some of the best football on the team.  Maybe instead of telling him to shut up you should listen to him more because he knows more than you do.

I meant this season 2021

The last thing this team needs is another big mouth social media whore at Safety complaining about the team. 

[Bruce Harper]

4 hours ago, JiF said:

I'm great with moving on from Darnold, he's terrible. At this point I'm just hoping the bring in a bridge QB and not just go right to Zachapono.

What is the Zachapono joke?  Please explain.

[Averagejetsfan1421]

1 hour ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Division title?  We went 2 and f**king 14.  lol.  

Kyler Murray makes them exciting and competitive.  Something the Jets have never been with Sam Darnold, and something the Cardinals would not have been had they stuck with Rosen.  

You failed to answer my question once again... they went 8-8 and haven't been good for a while, I credit the success if you can call a 8-8 season that to the new head coach! Not there new quarterback! If sam had the weapons he had we wouldn't be 2-14  and picking 2nd!

[jetstream23]

1 minute ago, joewilly12 said:

I meant this season 2021

The last thing this team needs is another big mouth social media whore at Safety. 

I don't disagree, but he's the last guy who seems to be like that.  A facepalm is hardly being a social media whore.  In fact, the guy speaks so rarely that the one time he did his opinion was valued so highly they fired the Defensive Coordinator, Gregg Williams.

 

[southtown24th]

finally.

move on.

let's go Wilson!

[choon328]

5 minutes ago, Averagejetsfan1421 said:

You failed to answer my question once again... they went 8-8 and haven't been good for a while, I credit the success if you can call a 8-8 season that to the new head coach! Not there new quarterback! If sam had the weapons he had we wouldn't be 2-14  and picking 2nd!

So 5-11 or 6-10 still looking for a QB upgrade except would now have to trade multiple premium assets to acquire one. 

[NIGHT STALKER]

2 hours ago, JTJet said:

I fixed this for you since Herndon never shows up on game day anyways. 

Does this mean we get to change uniforms again?

[joewilly12]

@Mogglez  

That vendor at the Flea Market had so many Darnold,Adams,Bell jerseys. 

[Averagejetsfan1421]

Just now, choon328 said:

So 5-11 or 6-10 still looking for a QB upgrade except would now have to trade multiple premium assets to acquire one. 

Read all the post before that, the question was: if jets end up sucking or Seattle sucks and ends up in the top 5 again do we select another quarterback? 

[Bruce Harper]

3 hours ago, football guy said:

So not only are they picking up the option, Carolina had made it emphatically clear that Darnold will be the starter. Bridgewater is all but certain to be traded

This is interesting because Bridgewater has been better.  But Darnold is younger and a lot of people watched that Rose Bowl.  Great trade for the Jets. 

[ZachEY]

5 hours ago, Raideraholic said:

The Jets pulled the biggest heist on the Carolina Panthers .  Can’t believe they got that much for arguable been the worst QB in the league last three years.     Every Jet fan should be rejoicing that bum off their roster. 

This is your best post

[choon328]

1 minute ago, Averagejetsfan1421 said:

Read all the post before that, the question was: if jets end up sucking or Seattle sucks and ends up in the top 5 again do we select another quarterback? 

Gotcha.  The answer is no. Would the Jets have drafted a QB after Darnolds rookie year? No. Rosen was the 10th pick when he got traded and 4th QB off the board. That's a totally different scenario. 

[Jetsfan80]

11 minutes ago, Averagejetsfan1421 said:

You failed to answer my question once again... they went 8-8 and haven't been good for a while, I credit the success if you can call a 8-8 season that to the new head coach! Not there new quarterback! If sam had the weapons he had we wouldn't be 2-14  and picking 2nd!

The same HC who had coached Murray before and handpicked him to be his QB in the pros too?  That's the HC you're giving all the credit to?

[Jetsfan80]

14 minutes ago, victorjets said:

 

 

Good thing he didn't ask Darnold any questions about scheme or this trade wouldn't have happened.  

[Sonny Werblin]

1 hour ago, southparkcpa said:

HOLY SHlT!!!!  You bought a Kyle Wilson jersey???   I’ll never look at you the same again.?  My daughter is a UNC Tar Heel.  I bought her a Coples jersey.  Think it’s a car wash rag these days.   

Nah, just going for the joke on kyle Wilson. I did buy the others. Some for my son, some for me. Good thing Bruce Lee has goos deals.

[T0mShane]

45 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

I'll ignore your comment on the Captaincy (which has been discussed numerous times here) but focus more on the Maye tweet.

The captaincy thing is true, though

[jetstream23]

Just now, T0mShane said:

The captaincy thing is true, though