Time for a reality check! What will the Jets need to give up in the draft to be able to trade away Zach Wilson?

[THE BARON]

18 minutes ago, Alka said:

The optics of keeping him is bad, but if something were to happen to Rodgers, then you are an injury away from bringing in Zach as your QB.  This is completely unacceptable not only to Jets fans, but to the entire team.  And the Jets will continue to look like a clown show.

Oh, heck yes... This would take PR speeches from JD and RS that would rival the Gettysburg Address, but it makes sense to keep him on one more year.  The original plan was to have him sit and learn behind Rodgers.  That was an excellent idea.  The unthinkable happened and chance unleashed nuclear holocaust on the Jets when Rodgers went down before his jock strap got sweaty.  And to boot, there was no back-up QB in place.  Now, we have a healthy and PUMPED Rodgers with Tyrod as a backstop.  I would not be apposed to letting Zack get the training he was supposed to get last year.  Run it back means run it back.  And, Wilson would be the best # 3 QB in the league.

I'm in on keeping him.  

[Warfish]

There is no market for Zach. Can’t trade what there is no market for.

He’s likely the Jets PS #3 this year, or we take the hit, cut him, and he’s someone else’s cheap PS #3 or he’s out of the NFL in 2024.

[JetsFanatic]

If Zach cannot be traded, he will be cut. As there is no cap relief due to his guaranteed contract, there is no rush to cut him until the off season program begins in April.

[rex-n-effect]

45 minutes ago, Alka said:

I guess I'm a little confused.  If the Jets release him, they owe him his $5.4M, but the Jets will have a cap hit of $11.2M

If he is traded, then there is no cap hit of $11.2M.     Yes, if another team picks him up, the Jets will reduce the $5.4M we owe him by around probably $1M, but we still have the cap hit, unless I'm wrong about that?

Half of the $11.2mm is prorated signing bonus. The Jets eat that part of his cap hit no matter what happens. He's due $5.4mm in salary for 2024 which is guaranteed under his rookie contract. 

If the Jets cut him, they owe him the $5.4mm guaranteed salary and the cap hit is $11.2mm for the combined amounts. If the Jets cut him and another team picks him up, whatever salary they pay him offsets the $5.4mm the Jets owe him on a dollar for dollar reduction. If no team picks him up, the Jets are still on the hook for the entire guaranteed salary. 

If the Jets trade him, the prorated signing bonus portion of the cap hit remains with the Jets. The guaranteed salary is offloaded to the team acquiring his contract so the Jets would save $5.4mm of the cap hit. 

[JoeNamathsFurCoat]

43 minutes ago, peebag said:

No one is going to trade for him.  They'll just wait until the Jets are forced to cut him

Yeah, why concede any assets whatsoever for something you'll be able to get for free

Kapono is a net negative.  Negative EPA per play 🤣  Takes up a valuable roster spot.  5.5M salary.

Other teams aren't stupid.  They understand this.

[Biggs]

Woody high fiving JD for getting the offset money in Zach’s contract.  

[section314]

53 minutes ago, Sperm Edwards said:

This is correct. 

The cap hit is higher for the Jets because about half of that hit is money the Jets already paid him (the fourth prorated/amortized 1/4 of his original SB). It has to come off because they paid it.

Any new team didn’t pay that. A team only incurs cap hits for money they themselves paid to a player. That would be only the $5.4MM new money for this season (or however much of it is worked out between the two teams if he’s traded).

What if he ends up on our PS and gets poached?

[Flashlite80]

1 hour ago, Alka said:

If the Jets keep Zach Wilson, he will be just taking up a roster spot, and will be inactive every single week.  If we release Zach, our dead money hit will double to $11.2M for this year.  If we keep him, it's $5.7M.

It's in the Jets best interests to trade Zach, but it seems no one wants him or his $5.7M salary.  But, if the Jets can entice another team into trading for him, maybe giving up a couple of 7th round draft picks plus Zach, maybe we can get him out of here?

What do you think?

Before I give up a draft pick for no benefit, I keep him and put him on the practice squad.  What could happen?  Someone could claim him.  If they can't keep him, cut him.  The $5.5 is not a cap saving.  It is just moving to 2025.  

Never underestimate the value of a late round pick.  The 49'ers are a Super Bowl team because of one.  We are signing and looking at players who were 6th and 7th round picks.  Just because we stink at it doesn't mean the blind squirrel won't find a nut this time.

[GreenFish]

We can just cut him.

The question then becomes what do we want more, cap space or draft pick?

I think draft picks are more important. We can restructure contracts if we need more cap space.

[peekskill68]

I didn't have Brock Osweiler on my trade Zach Wilson bingo card...

[ganggreen305]

He can't come back at all.  We'll cut him if no trade.  He is outta here.

[Columbia Jet Fan]

My guess is even if he is cut down to ~$1mm - $2mm the best case is we get like a 6th/7th? Maybe a swap.

Its that or send ZW and a fifth/fourth to another team for a 6th/7th. 

Very apparent we're not getting a straight up trade. He is a QB3 - so even his spot on a roster is a resource for teams. 

I'd probably lean towards just eating as much as we need to in order to get the best draft pick possible. 

 

[Dunnie]

Ah... the douche post of the week ... Thank you.

He will be traded or cut .. nothing has changed.

Edited March 15 by Dunnie

[Dunnie]

.

Edited March 15 by Dunnie

[August]

He’s getting released in June imo. 

[freestater]

I feel like it's a certainty that Dimples will start multiple games for the Jets this year. 

I hate it, but I just can't shake the feeling. 

[nyjets1969]

Just keep him as a 3rd string if nobody wants him. Now he gets his redshirt year  Jets aren't drafting a QB they don't have enough draft picks to get one grab a undrafted QB let him and Zach battle for 3rd spot.

[Green Ghost]

Odds are Taylor will get some type of injury playing during the preseason and Zach becomes the backup until he’s healthy.

Then the season starts, Rodgers inevitably misses a game or two (maybe more) and Taylor steps in to start. Guess who becomes the backup? Yep, you got it… Zach.

Now you’re praying Taylor doesn’t do again what he does best (get hurt) before Rodgers returns to start the cycle, because if not? Yep, Zach is the starter.

Such is life when your #1 QB is 3 months from turning 41 and coming off a major injury, and his 35ish yo backup is a Faberge egg.

Might as well keep Zach, they’re gonna need a third starting QB, and you’re paying him anyway.

[Green Ghost]

3 hours ago, freestater said:

I feel like it's a certainty that Dimples will start multiple games for the Jets this year. 

I hate it, but I just can't shake the feeling. 

Of course he will. Our #1 will be 41 yo this season, and the 34yo backup is made of glass. 

[JoeNamathsFurCoat]

54 minutes ago, Green Ghost said:

Of course he will. Our #1 will be 41 yo this season, and the 34yo backup is made of glass. 

Imagine another year of being tethered to the endless ZW experiment…

What a franchise

[Jetsfan80]

Bidding. 

[Jetsfan80]

War.

[Green Ghost]

3 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

War.

Awfully quiet out there though. 😉

There might have been a ceasefire called, and we just weren’t paying attention.

[Beerfish]

9 hours ago, Larz said:

Lake is a $10 million hit.  I don’t remember a lot of angst about that here. 
 

 

2 million for Hardman, look at some of those.  5 million for the pink rabbit, 5 million for 700 year old Duane Brown.

Douglas is a bum.

[Jetsfan80]

45 minutes ago, Green Ghost said:

Awfully quiet out there though. 😉

There might have been a ceasefire called, and we just weren’t paying attention.

Auction stalled at an overnight stay at that place where they filmed Hostel

[Fantasy Island]

Is it possible to just have him run laps, mop the floors, launder the practice uniforms , etc... to force him to retire?  

[Untouchable]

Who cares?

I’m beyond Zach Wilson. He no longer exists in my world.

[The Crusher]

20 hours ago, peebag said:

No one is going to trade for him.  They'll just wait until the Jets are forced to cut him

 

[Matt39]

He should go learn under Sean Mcv.. oh.

 

[Alka]

21 hours ago, section314 said:

What if he ends up on our PS and gets poached?

You mean "rescued".  Zach would be rescued, and the Jets would be rescued at the same time.

[Rich Thornburgh]

On 3/15/2024 at 5:17 PM, Green Ghost said:

Odds are Taylor will get some type of injury playing during the preseason and Zach becomes the backup until he’s healthy.

Then the season starts, Rodgers inevitably misses a game or two (maybe more) and Taylor steps in to start. Guess who becomes the backup? Yep, you got it… Zach.

Now you’re praying Taylor doesn’t do again what he does best (get hurt) before Rodgers returns to start the cycle, because if not? Yep, Zach is the starter.

Such is life when your #1 QB is 3 months from turning 41 and coming off a major injury, and his 35ish yo backup is a Faberge egg.

Might as well keep Zach, they’re gonna need a third starting QB, and you’re paying him anyway.

[Rich Thornburgh]

On 3/16/2024 at 6:37 AM, Matt39 said:

He should go learn under Sean Mcv.. oh.

 

Look, we’re gonna trade Zach to the Vikings for a future first round pick and Zach will throw for 50 touchdowns next season with Jefferson and Addison.

[TuscanyTile2]

On 3/15/2024 at 11:26 AM, Darnold Schwarzenegger said:

Just cut the scrub. I’d rather pay him 10 million to go away than 10 million to keep him on the bench. Time to move on. No one is trading for him 

You know that OL that JD has spent all offseason rebuilding?  And that WR group that JD is currently in the process of rebuilding?  Those were the same scrubs that ZW was given to play with last year.  

[Darnold Schwarzenegger]

10 minutes ago, TuscanyTile2 said:

You know that OL that JD has spent all offseason rebuilding?  And that WR group that JD is currently in the process of rebuilding?  Those were the same scrubs that ZW was given to play with last year.  

What’s your point exactly? Zach Wilson is good? Or we should keep him on the roster? 

I personally don’t think a better oline suddenly makes Zach Wilson look like a competent qb. He was bottom of the barrel qb for 3 years straight. Time to move on. 

[Scott Dierking]

Best case scenario for the Jets is that there are multiple QB injuries in other camps, and teams have to dumpster dive in order to round out their QB room.