Apparently. Theres no room for subtleties in these matters from yours truly.Or i lack basic reading comprehension today..either way.. No hard feelings..or pun intended
Fowler Jr can rush the Quarterback as both a 4-3 DE edge rusher and/or as an OLB within a 3-4 defense. He's without question a very versatile pass rushing talent and one we haven't seen since #94 John Abraham. As a former 3rd overall draft pick who's coming off a breakout 10 sack season (two playoff sacks) he's well worth a 1st rounder but since Jacksonville has already declined his 5th year option; he'd become an absolute steal if Maccagnan could get him for a 3rd round pick.
This sums up my POV exactly. There are no "perfect solutions", all possibilities entail risk. The one thing I don't want to see happen is that they get nothing in return for TB. Ideally they get a significant upgrade at pass rusher or OL (unlikely), or a high draft pick - a 2nd at least. Maybe Fowler isn't the right fit, and he's too much trouble, but I trust Macc to be able to figure this out.
If Mac thoroughly vets him, learns that his character isn't as bad as it appears, and feels comfortable bringing him here, I'd give him a chance. I'd want Mac to get some assurances that he will be on his best behavior, however, and let him know that if he screws up there will be no extension and that the Jets will suspend him for the rest of the season. I'd have no problems with Mac trading a 4th round pick or lower for him under those circumstances, and maybe even the 3rd round pick if they were going to go ahead and sign an extension, but I wouldn't want to use the 3rd for a one-year rental. I'd also want Mac to tell him up front that violence will not be tolerated (except against opposing QBs) and if he hopes to sign a long-term extension with the Jets, then there would be clauses in it to protect the team if he goes off the rails again either on or off field.
Certainly, if Macc can get Fowler under the conditions you lay out, for a 3rd or 4th pick he should do it, but if Teddy were the price, you wouldn't do it? I mean based upon your stipulations of "...if Mac thoroughly vets him and gets some assurances that he will be on his best behavior," and "...Mac to tell him up front that violence will not be tolerated (except against opposing QBs) and if hopes to sign a long-term extension, then there would be clauses in it to protect the team if he goes off the rails again either on or off field.", wouldn't it be worth getting a premium pass rusher in return for a guy who won't be the FQB of the Jets, and may not even be able to stay healthy? To put it another way: what do you expect the Jets to get out of Bridgewater?
To answer your question, I think it depends. If no starting QB goes down then the best the Jets might get offered is a 3rd round pick, but he's certainly worth more than that imo. If one or more starting QBs go down with serious injuries, then I think the Jets could get at least a 2nd and 4th round pick, and maybe a 1st round pick. If there's enough competition for his services from playoff caliber teams, the compensation could even go higher. But no, I wouldn't trade Teddy for him. Why? Well, for one thing if we got Fowler, I think we'd need players like Teddy to help keep him in line and maybe reform his character. For another, we could wind up needing Teddy this year. Getting Fowler wouldn't help much if Darnold went down with a serious injury and we had to go back to McCown as QB.
I don't think anyone will give a 1st rounder for Teddy unless he becomes the Jets starter and does well, and at that point, do the Jets trade him? That would depend on why he became the starter - serious, career-threatening injury to Sam; Sam somehow turns into Hackenburg (not even remotely likely); Bowles does Bowles and goes with the veteran over the rookie because "He gives us the best chance to win"? If Darnold is healthy, he IS the future, and the Jets would be, well the Jets, if they screwed that up by allowing Bridgewater to muddy the picture, so they will look to trade him, and he'll only be a Jet for the duration of this season if they don't get what they feel is fair compensation. With all that in mind, I think the Jets will probably wait to see if a team becomes QB needy and they can extract their best deal from them. That said, their own need for a stud pass rusher may change that plan. In short, I see one 2nd rounder as the best they'll get for TB, draft-pick-wise, and Fowler is certainly worth a 2nd round pick himself, so value-wise it's a good deal, TB for Fowler, assuming Macc is comfortable with the character issue.
I never thought or imagined myself that a team would not only give up a 1st round pick but also a 4th round pick for a 30 year old Sam Bradford who suffered not one, but two season ending ACL injuries (along with other injuries) either. And I don't believe that Bradford had a Pro-Bowl season under his belt. Teddy Bridgewater at the age of only 25 is worth a lot as a former NFL Rookie of the year (2014) and Pro-Bowl QB (2015) who led his team to an 11-5 record as only a 2nd year player. Also one of the most accurate young NFL QB's of All-Time . You either move him for a big name Prospect/Player such as a Fowler Jr. or you settle for nothing less than a 2nd round pick. And nothing in between. Maccagnan took a classic example of a low risk potentially high reward, and with another two strong preseason performances out of Teddy; Maccagnan could be sitting on a potential NFL gold mine in Bridgewater. I tell you what. After trading up from 6th to 3rd in order to secure Sam Darnold as a potential franchise quarterback along with heading into 2019's offseason positioned as the NFL's #1 team in available salary cap space? If Maccagnan somehow receives great value out of Teddy? You might as well crown him GM of the Year the (very) moment it happens.
It would be a brilliant move for Mac to sign a guy for peanuts and turn that into a bargaining chip for a player like Fowler. Sams success isn’t dependent on Teddy being on this roster. The only thing impacted might be the teams success this season and this season alone, but even that’s unlikely if Darnold continues to play well in the preseason. We also have the 10 million dollar man who can start if need be. Teddy is a rental and nothing more, so we take what we can get when we can get it.
My thoughts exactly. The moment we drafted Darnold the situation became clear as a crystal ball. A.) Sam Darnold. Franchise QB. B.) Josh McCown. Veteran mentor. C.) Teddy Bridgewater. Trade bait. There really is no other way to put it. It's black and white.
I really want Mack, but Fowler may be the better trade value. We might not have to give up a 1st for him and get a solid pass rusher and top OL next year in the draft.
But that still leaves us without a pass rusher next season. A draft pick for Teddy, especially if it turns out to be a second means we can draft both an OLB and OT next year.
As scared as I am at the thought of giving Fowler a long term deal I'd still prefer this route to going after Mack... Fowler is younger and will cost a ton less , which would give us flexibility down the road. I don't want to sell the farm for one player... Mack is not only going to take a huge chunk of $ but some premium draft picks, as well.
The possibility of trading Teddy, as much as I am against him leaving, hinges greatly on how the OL performs against the Giants tonight. If Darnold is seen running for his life most of the playing time, it very likely increases the chances of TB staying put. Why risk weakening your QB depth knowing the chances of an injury with your starter increasing with such a mediocre group like this? Going further, if this is the case, why not just have TB start the season? Sort of the sacrificial lamb
