The Philadelphia Eagles might be the obvious team to deal a quarterback who was once selected with the second overall pick.
Zach Wilson, the quarterback for the New York Jets, is a potential possibility for the Eagles, according to Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. Wilson, a 24-year-old quarterback, has been given authority to pursue a trade, which Jets general manager Joe Douglas revealed to reporters on Wednesday, February 28. Benjamin lists Philadelphia as one of five “possible” landing locations for Wilson.
Benjamin contends that Philadelphia might think about pursuing Wilson due to his mobility, his prior interest in him coming out of college, and the Eagles’ need for a No. 2 quarterback because Marcus Mariota is a free agent.
Benjamin notes, “They would definitely prefer for Jalen Hurts’ backup to be more established, but maybe this offseason, internal project Tanner McKee will rise to the No. 2 job.” Nevertheless, Wilson is mobile like Hurts, and the Eagles have always been aggressive in acquiring QB assets. The team was also purportedly very interested in the vilified Jets quarterback when he was a college student. Joe Douglas, the general manager of New York, is also a longtime buddy who previously collaborated with Howie Roseman in Philadelphia.
Why Zach Wilson May Gain from the Eagles’ Decision
Wilson has received a lot of flak over the last three years, but he does have one significant advantage above others: experience. Wilson has certainly been prepared for the most trying situations by playing in what is maybe the hardest sports media market in the world—New York—while starting 33 games.
Wilson has started for the Jets for the last three seasons as their starting quarterback, despite his 12-21 record and higher number of interceptions than touchdowns (25 to 23). He was the starting quarterback before suffering a season-ending concussion against the Miami Dolphins in Week 15, however he has been benched and dropped to third string quarterback twice.
It’s possible that Wilson’s move to Philadelphia as a backup quarterback will be the catalyst for his professional turnaround. Given that Wilson has demonstrated some promise in his starts—he was named the AFC Player of the Week in Week 14 after throwing for two touchdowns and 301 yards against the Houston Texans—he could likely serve as a reliable stand-in starter for one or two games in the event that Jalen Hurts is sidelined.
It’s important to note that a trade might not occur unless Wilson is ready to modify his deal; instead, the Jets could decide to cut the former No. 2 overall pick. The Eagles would then have an easier time acquiring Wilson since they could sign him to a veteran’s minimum contract while providing up no draft selections, as NFL.com’s Kevin Patra observes.
appear improbable, unless the quarterback modifies his contract, according to Patra. “The quarterback is due a guaranteed $5.45 million, a sum that teams considering a young, developing backup quarterback would probably object to. Wilson would be ready to forego a pay raise in order to help make a trade happen, but most teams would probably want to hold off until the Jets cut him anyway.
Zach Wilson was once likened to Jeff Garcia upon his draft entry.
Wilson was a highly anticipated quarterback out of BYU not too long ago. Prior to the 2021 NFL Draft, Bleacher Report’s scouting report on Wilson described him as a “gunslinger” quarterback, drawing comparisons to Eagles quarterback Jeff Garcia, a four-time Pro Bowler.
“Zach Wilson is a dynamic” quarterback who burst into the BYU starting lineup in his third year.” He possesses the arm skill to reliably make throws from controlled environments and off-platform at all three levels. In today’s NFL, a QB with his level of athleticism and ability to improvise and adlib plays when initial reads are covered is highly sought after. Wilson is incredibly confident.
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