It’s no secret that the New York Jets need a quarterback. After formally announcing their intention to release Aaron Rodgers, the team is without a legitimate starting QB option (sorry, Tyrod Taylor). But a report from ESPN suggest that the Jets are being aggressive in their pursuit for a QB this offseason.
On Sunday morning, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler reported the rumors and news they heard from combine week. That is significant, as this is really the first time that executives and agents are all in one place together. It’s usually seen as the unofficial start of the offseason.
The Jets are mentioned twice in the article, and both instances feature pretty big pieces of news. The first was by Graziano, who said that the Jets, along with the Giants, are believed to be interested in trading up with the Titans for the first overall pick in the draft.
“A lot of folks believe the Titans are interested in trading out of the top pick, and the Giants and Jets are among the teams believed to be interested in moving up,” wrote Graziano.
Rumors have swirled about the Jets’ interest in Miami quarterback Cam Ward of late. The chatter has only grown louder after Ward’s press conference.
But that’s not the only time the Jets were connected to a QB in the story. Fowler would later report on the team’s interest in free agent signal-caller Justin Fields. While the bulk of the report was about the Steelers hoping to re-sign their backup from last season, Fowler made sure to mention that the Jets are expected to gauge Fields’ market.
“The sense I get is that Justin Fields has an edge over Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh’s pecking free agent quarterback order. … Regardless, Fields should have options. The Jets, for one, are expected to gauge his market. His skill set would fit in Chip Kelly’s scheme in Las Vegas, too.”
It’s clear that Jets general manager Darren Mougey is open to a number of different avenues at QB. It will be interesting to keep an eye on how the rookie GM approaches the offseason, as the Broncos were always aggressive during his time there. If the report about the Jets seeking to trade up is true, it would appear he’s brought that mentality to New York.
