Jets Deal Darnold
New York Jets and Carolina Panthers Trade
The New York Jets drafted Sam Darnold #3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Darnold was a highly touted prospect coming out of USC where he was poised to be the next great College quarterback to get his shot at the NFL.
After three tumultuous seasons with the Jets, it was clear that he was not in the future picture. Darnold’s name has been in trade talks for just over a season now, and finally the Jets found a suiter.
On Monday, the Jets and Panthers agreed to a deal that would send Darnold to Carolina in return for three draft picks. Here are the full details of the trade.
Jets Receive
2021 6th Round Pick
2022 2nd Round Pick
2022 4th Round Pick
Panthers Receive
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold was simply not what the Jets had expected when they selected him 3rd overall in 2018. He did show flashes of becoming a solid NFL quarterback, but those flashes were few and far between. While Darnold was never set up for success on a Jets team with little to no talent around him, it seemed like it was never going to work out. The Jets tried to surround him with talent like Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder, but it simply wasn’t working.
Now the Jets are back to square one. They will likely select Zach Wilson out of BYU with their #2 overall draft selection in the upcoming NFL Draft. Wilson will have his work cut out for him in New York where he will be under a microscope from a ferocious New York fanbase that won’t settle for any mediocrity… although they have been stuck in a pit of mediocrity for as long as I can remember.
The Jets do receive a decent haul for Darnold whose trade value seemed to be nothing. Any additional draft picks in the NFL can turn into a significant asset to your team.
As for Darnold and the Panthers, he will likely be the backup for Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater did have a nice season for Carolina, especially when you consider that Christian McCaffrey missed significant time due to injury. Darnold should benefit from a change of scenery and a less hostile fanbase. We all know that New York is a tough place to play in any sport, and when you are such a highly touted prospect at the Quarterback position, you are held to a very high standard. Unfortunately, he could not live up to the hype he had coming out of USC, but if Teddy Bridgewater goes down with injury, Darnold will get an opportunity to prove that he can benefit from a new team and new offensive scheme.
