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Trade up for quarterback Marcus Mariota? Don't do it, Jets
Rich Cimini, ESPN New York Jets reporter
Don't do it, Mike. Don't trade up if the cost is exorbitant -- and by exorbitant, I mean multiple first-round picks.
In a conference call with New York Jets' season-ticket holders on Thursday, general manager Mike Maccagnan tossed out the possibility of moving up from the sixth pick. He mentioned how he likes the Jets' current position because "it does allow us the potential to move up in the draft because we're not very far from the first pick."
The cost for the Jets to move up to No. 2 to draft Marcus Mariota would be prohibitive.AP Photo/Ryan Kang
That, my friends, is a blatant smokescreen.
Not very far? That's like saying the rush-hour drive from Newark, New Jersey, to midtown Manhattan is easy because it's only 25 miles. Any commuter knows it's a lot longer than it should be.
According to the draft value chart, the cost of moving from No. 6 to No. 1 (a difference of 1,400 points) is the equivalent of moving from No. 78 to No. 6. In other words, it's a short trip that costs as much as a long journey. And Maccagnan knows it.
Forget about No. 1; we all know the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are locked into quarterback Jameis Winston. The No. 2 pick, however, could be up for sale. Even that jump (1,000 points) should be prohibitive for the Jets, who almost would have to include their 2016 first-round pick in a package.
The Tennessee Titans, holding the No. 2 pick, probably would demand more than the sixth pick and a '16 first-rounder, based on the Robert Griffin III trade in 2012. The Washington Redskins gave up three first-round picks and a second-rounder to move up four spots, going from No. 6 to No. 2. Look how that turned out.
If the Jets are thinking about a significant trade-up -- again, I think it's smoke -- they'd presumably be after Marcus Mariota. And that would be a mistake. Don't get me wrong, Mariota is a good prospect, certainly worth the sixth pick, but he's not a can't-miss, franchise quarterback. One longtime talent evaluator likened Mariota to Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs -- i.e. good, not great. The Jets could use some good at quarterback, but they'd be foolish to mortgage the future.
They still have too many needs to trade away premium draft picks. They need a pass rusher. They need an offensive lineman. They need a running back. And they could use a speed receiver.
If anything, the Jets should be looking to trade down. Maccagnan also mentioned that as an option (of course he did). If Mariota is gone and they feel they still can get a quality pass rusher by moving down (we could see four edge rushers in the first 15 picks), why not? Obviously, they'd have to find a willing partner.
While a blockbuster trade for Mariota would excite the fan base and serve as the cherry on top of a hot-fudge offseason, it would be a knee-jerk move that ultimately won't pan out. And that's why I don't think it will happen.
Rich Cimini, ESPN New York Jets reporter
Don't do it, Mike. Don't trade up if the cost is exorbitant -- and by exorbitant, I mean multiple first-round picks.
In a conference call with New York Jets' season-ticket holders on Thursday, general manager Mike Maccagnan tossed out the possibility of moving up from the sixth pick. He mentioned how he likes the Jets' current position because "it does allow us the potential to move up in the draft because we're not very far from the first pick."
The cost for the Jets to move up to No. 2 to draft Marcus Mariota would be prohibitive.AP Photo/Ryan Kang
That, my friends, is a blatant smokescreen.
Not very far? That's like saying the rush-hour drive from Newark, New Jersey, to midtown Manhattan is easy because it's only 25 miles. Any commuter knows it's a lot longer than it should be.
According to the draft value chart, the cost of moving from No. 6 to No. 1 (a difference of 1,400 points) is the equivalent of moving from No. 78 to No. 6. In other words, it's a short trip that costs as much as a long journey. And Maccagnan knows it.
Forget about No. 1; we all know the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are locked into quarterback Jameis Winston. The No. 2 pick, however, could be up for sale. Even that jump (1,000 points) should be prohibitive for the Jets, who almost would have to include their 2016 first-round pick in a package.
The Tennessee Titans, holding the No. 2 pick, probably would demand more than the sixth pick and a '16 first-rounder, based on the Robert Griffin III trade in 2012. The Washington Redskins gave up three first-round picks and a second-rounder to move up four spots, going from No. 6 to No. 2. Look how that turned out.
If the Jets are thinking about a significant trade-up -- again, I think it's smoke -- they'd presumably be after Marcus Mariota. And that would be a mistake. Don't get me wrong, Mariota is a good prospect, certainly worth the sixth pick, but he's not a can't-miss, franchise quarterback. One longtime talent evaluator likened Mariota to Alex Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs -- i.e. good, not great. The Jets could use some good at quarterback, but they'd be foolish to mortgage the future.
They still have too many needs to trade away premium draft picks. They need a pass rusher. They need an offensive lineman. They need a running back. And they could use a speed receiver.
If anything, the Jets should be looking to trade down. Maccagnan also mentioned that as an option (of course he did). If Mariota is gone and they feel they still can get a quality pass rusher by moving down (we could see four edge rushers in the first 15 picks), why not? Obviously, they'd have to find a willing partner.
While a blockbuster trade for Mariota would excite the fan base and serve as the cherry on top of a hot-fudge offseason, it would be a knee-jerk move that ultimately won't pan out. And that's why I don't think it will happen.
