With the Super Bowl completed and the start of free agency still a few weeks away, the New York Jets are in a difficult area of being linked to everyone and nobody at the same time.
Considered a quarterback away from title contention, New York has openly stated they are looking for upgrades at the position with a veteran being the preference. It’s also around this time that teams with high draft picks look to dangle current players on the trade market to increase their value or as smoke screens for draft day trades.
That’s what could be going on in Chicago. The Bears have the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and with top quarterback prospects like Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Will Levis gathering a lot of attention, the future of current Chicago quarterback, Justin Fields has been called into question.
Auduacy NFL Reporter Jason La Canfora announced on Wednesday that talk during the NFL’s Senior Bowl was that several general managers believe that Fields could be dealt for the right price ahead of draft night.
Several additional reporters stated that this was just a smokescreen that the Bears have been using to try and get other teams to increase their trade value for the top overall selection. But what if there’s legitimate smoke here? What if the Bears decide that they would rather hitch their wagons to a new young quarterback? General manager Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus were not a part of the group that brought Fields in so there’s an added incentive that they could want their particular players there.
If that’s the case, the Jets could be able to add another athlete and younger quarterback talent to the fray in their quarterback room. Much was made during the 2021 draft process that the Jets passed up on Fields to take Zach Wilson.
Wilson’s start to his career has been filled with benchings and inadequate play while Fields, at least in his second season, showed the makings of a top playmaker and improved passer.
Fields, as a first-round pick, has three years left on his rookie deal and could provide the Jets with a high-reward prospect that could help transform the offense into a dominant one in 2023. With New York’s belief in running the football, Fields could add a newer detention there similar to how Jalen Hurts transformed the Eagles during a two-year period.
The Jets need a quarterback. Every potential quarterback on the market is going to be tied to Gang Green at some point. And while the Bears could certainly be using Fields as a way to get a mega-trade for the first overall pick, there are some intriguing options here that could lead to the Jets becoming the perfect landing spot for the Ohio State phenom.
