The NFL offseason has been quiet since the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Ram decided to swap quarterbacks. It seems the trade of Matt Stafford and Jared Goff did not set off any dominoes to fall. The most noticeable player movements last offseason were Philip Rivers to the Indianapolis Colts and Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While both are old enough to be fathers to their teammates, it's not often that productive quarterbacks are available in the market.
While the NBA is in the era of player-empowerment, where a handful of elite players with short contracts can change the league's landscape by deciding for which teams to play, the NFL is for the most part still run by the teams. There have been recent cases of Pro Bowlers essentially forcing their way out of the team, but these were not enough to change the balance of power in the league. Both Rivers and Brady were acquired by their new teams as free agents.
Here are the three most possible quarterback trades this offseason.
3. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
To say Wentz is a falling star is an understatement at this point. In the 2017 season, he was phenomenal, leading the Eagles to an 11-2 record. He looked the part of a franchise quarterback for years to come, but then he suffered a devastating ACL injury and he has never been the same. Since Philadelphia won it all that season, they have been going downhill and now have a draft pick high enough to get Wentz's replacement, although the team can roll the dice with Jalen Hurts.
In the recently concluded season, Wentz threw for 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, which is the most in his career.
On top of his health issues, Wentz is owed a lot of money compared to his production in the 2020 season. He is under contract for more than $31 million each season until 2024. Any team that trades for him is hoping he can find some of his 2017 form when he played like an NFL MVP candidate.
One possible team is the Colts. Rivers called it a career at age 39, so the need is there. Also, Wentz's former offensive coordinator during his breakout season, Frank Reich, is now the Colts' head coach. Indianapolis has the second-most cap space in the league with $69,197,114, per Over the Cap. Lastly, they have a team with talent all around, which includes a solid offensive line led by Quenton Nelson and a good receiving corps.
The Colts might be able to get Wentz for two second-round picks. This would probably not feel enough for the Eagles, but the stock of Wentz has dropped that low.
2. Sam Darnold, New Jersey Jets
Unlike Wentz, Darnold's cap hit to the Jets is just at $9.79 million. Having the third-most cap space in the NFL, they can even afford to keep him and draft another prospect with their No. 2 overall pick, such as Zach Wilson or Justin Fields.
In his three seasons with the Jets, the former third-overall pick's performance was underwhelming. Last season, he threw for nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions. To be fair to him, he had the misfortune of playing under then-head coach Adam Gase and behind arguably the worst offensive line in the league. The line barely bought him any time to throw the ball and didn't open any lanes either for the running backs. The disastrous Le'Veon Bell signing didn't help Darnold either. His confidence is at an all-time low.
A change in scenery and a better team situation could do wonders for Darnold. Who knows we might see his USC form again? Darnold is only 23 years old and has good athleticism. He has drawn interest from multiple teams, but his tenure with the Jets has been so subpar that the most they could get for him is probably a late second-round pick.
1. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
This is the first instance in a long time that an NFL quarterback of Watson's caliber, age, and health is remotely even in the trade market. Despite the mismanagement of the front office, Watson put together a strong 2020 campaign, where he led the league in passing yards with 4,823 and threw for 33 touchdowns and just seven picks. He's also a rushing threat and had 444 yards on the ground.
Watson's cap hit for the 2021 season is only $15.94 million, so any team that acquires his services can afford to go all-in and surround him will all the talent needed to win the Super Bowl. His salary gets significantly higher after, but the league's salary cap might too. It is important to note that Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract. The top destinations for Watson are the Miami Dolphins and the Jets.
Trading for Watson would take a king's ransom of at least three first-round picks. That's the team's future right there, but having Watson under center could be all the future a team needs to be a contender for years to come.
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