Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas spoke with reporters on Wednesday and was asked about his quarterback, former No. 3 overall pick
Sam Darnold. The Jets own the No. 2 overall pick and are viewed as a strong candidate to draft a quarterback—perhaps Zach Wilson of BYU. The team could also opt to pursue
Deshaun Watson if the Houston Texans ever release their grasp on the disgruntled quarterback.
Where does that leave the USC product, who has struggled on talent-deprived rosters in his three NFL seasons?
"I will answer the call if it's made,"
said Douglas when asked if he is open to trade offers.
Every potentially available quarterback has been linked to the San Francisco 49ers. Most of that has to do with the uncertainty surrounding quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo. While he boasts a 24-9 record as the team's starter, the 29-year-old has also missed 23 games over the past three seasons, including 10 in 2020.
Darnold's name has not been absent from speculation surrounding the 49ers. Even now, after San Francisco's own general manager, John Lynch, publicly declared that
Garoppolo would be the team's starter in September.
RELATED 'I really believe that Jimmy is our guy': John Lynch has no doubt Garoppolo will be the 49ers' QB
Douglas' most-recent comments differ from those he made in 2019 when he classified Darnold as an untouchable asset. The general manager still expresses confidence in his current quarterback but is seemingly more noncommittal this year.
"As it pertains to Sam, we think Sam is a dynamic player in this league with unbelievable talent," Douglas said via ESPN. "He really has a chance to hit his outstanding potential moving forward. [But] if calls are made, I will answer them."
Multiple teams have
reportedly reached out to the Jets about Darnold. It's not inconceivable to believe that San Francisco, who reportedly contacted the Carolina Panthers about Teddy Bridgewater, would be among the teams to inquire about Darnold, either formally or informally. After all, the Jets' new head coach, Robert Saleh, is the 49ers' former defensive coordinator and remains close with much of San Francisco's staff, including head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Would the 49ers even be interested in Darnold? NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, a close friend of Shanahan, believes they might. Although, he admits to having no inside knowledge about the situation. With acquiring Watson seeming like a long shot, Simms views Darnold as the one offseason obstacle ahead of Garoppolo in his path to remaining the 49ers' starting quarterback.
"To me, the one move that I still look at to go, 'Jimmy G not the guy guaranteed yet,' is the Jets and Sam Darnold,"
Simms said this week via Pro Football Talk. "That would be the only one. And I don't know how the 49ers really feel about him, but Sam Darnold is a guy ... I still have faith in. I think he can be an NFL starting quarterback. He'd fit that Shanahan system.
"The Jets are in a very good spot at No. 2 right now, and these damn quarterbacks that I've been evaluating, they're damn good. So, I could see them taking a quarterback and Sam Darnold being available. That's the last obstacle, I think, Jimmy G and his camp will have to overcome for him to be the starter next year."
Darnold has completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 8,097 yards with 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions in three seasons with the Jets. Should the 49ers look into adding Darnold, it would potentially mean two former first-round picks in the quarterback room.
Josh Rosen, signed in December and
re-signed in February, was selected seven spots after Darnold, and played college football at USC's cross-town rival, UCLA.
There is a rumor from Cecil Lammey of The Fan 104.3 and Football Guys that the New York Jets turned down a first-round pick offered by the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason for quarterback Sam Darnold (h/t to Matt Audilet of The Spun). Of course, this was when the Niners sat at No. 12 overall, before trading up last month to the No. 3 spot.
What on Earth would keep Joe Douglas and company from jumping at an offer like that? Lammey states that there were some concerns surrounding Zach Wilson's shoulder, and the Jets wanted to wait until the former BYU quarterback's pro day to evaluate the shouder's status.
Wilson's pro day was on March
Adam Schefter joined ESPN radio on Tuesday morning and voiced his opinion on who the San Francisco 49ers will select with the No. 3 overall pick on April 29. Much of the media predicts that player to be former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, and Schefter sees that as the most likely outcome, too.
"Oh, it'll be Mac Jones," Schefter responded when asked for his prediction.
What does that mean for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have stated remains in the team's plans for 2021? The 49ers view themselves as contenders and don't want to throw in a rookie to lead the offense. Garoppolo is familiar with the playbook, and his teammates trust him.
With next year's rookie quarterback class not expected to
Everyone is eagerly trying to figure out which quarterback will be selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 3 overall pick. Will it be Justin Fields, Trey Lance, or the less-popular choice of Mac Jones? Whatever the decision, it means the end of Jimmy Garoppolo's time with the Niners is inching closer. The veteran quarterback is expected to remain with the team this season, as head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello get the incoming rookie up to speed.
Marcellus Wiley, a former NFL defensive end, made it known this week that he feels that replacing Garoppolo is a mistake. He believes the quarterback is being made a scapegoat for San Francisco's disappointing six-win campaign in 2020. The Speak for Yourself host went on a rant,
Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Mac Jones.
One of those quarterbacks is likely to be part of the San Francisco 49ers roster following the draft. Jimmy Garoppolo has been part of the roster since a mid-season trade in 2017 sent him from Foxborough to Santa Clara, where he is expected to remain for at least the upcoming season.
Some wonder if plans could change, though.
There were reports that the 49ers seek a first-round pick for Garoppolo. Most who have been following the team know that basically means San Francisco has no intention — for now — of trading its veteran quarterback and would have to be blown away by an offer to consider deviating from its plan. That plan is to have Garoppolo serve as a bridge quarterback, allowing the
