In order for the New York Jets to move forward with a new coaching regime in place, they felt it was necessary to wipe the slate clean, and hit the reset button. That's why they shipped former first-round quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for draft picks earlier this week.
But could the Jets have tried to make things work with Darnold under center in 2021? Former Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley believes so.
"I would've held onto Sam Darnold, [traded] back, got a bunch of assets not only in this year's draft but next year's draft, put a team around around Sam Darnold," Whaley told the Tiki and Tierney show on Thursday. "And if Sam Darnold doesn't work out, you have draft capital next year to be able to move up and get another quarterback next year. And then you have assets and people in place to surround that quarterback. Because if you look at Sam, obviously there's some culpability on his side. But you've got to look at what was around him, and what system he was in. It wasn't just all on Sam.
"So, in my opinion, I would've said, 'Our cupboard's bare. Let's stock the cupboard, and see what we have in this guy. And if he's no good, guess what? We're going to be a top-10 pick anyway'... I think [keeping Darnold] gives you more options. This way, basically what they're doing is, they're all in on [BYU quarterback Zach] Wilson. And it starts the clock on [Jets general manager] Joe Douglas, starts the clock on this head coach [Robert Saleh]. But if you do it the other way, it gives you options in your second move."
In three seasons with the Jets, Darnold, 23, encountered a perfect storm of instability. He went just 13-25 as a starter, and finished the 2020 season as the league's lowest-rated passer (72.7). Dating back to 2018 -- his rookie year -- Darnold's career passer rating of 78.6 ranks dead last among qualifying quarterbacks (39 of 39).
To make matters worse, Darnold has also struggled to stay healthy since joining the league. He missed three games as a rookie with a sprained foot, three games in 2019 due to mononucleosis, and four games last season with a sprained throwing shoulder.
The consensus around the league is that five quarterbacks will be selected throughout the first round of this year's NFL Draft, and all signs point toward the Jets taking Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick.
"Just because Sam has not performed as well as he was expected to, when he was coming out, I think he would've been a higher prospect than Wilson," Whaley said. "Because Wilson's a one-year wonder. I mean, think about it. And then if you look at [Wilson's] Coastal Carolina game and the competition he played compared to what Sam was playing, those are some things that you really have to look at and stack in your brain before you put that final decision out there or make that final decision."
Wilson, who played 12 games for BYU in 2020, finished the campaign with 3,662 total passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior also led the Cougars to an appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl, where he completed 26 of 34 passes for 425 yards and three scores en route to a blowout win over Central Florida.
The NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 29, in Cleveland.
The entire draft conversation between Whaley and Tiki and Tierney can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.