When head coach Todd Bowles told the media there is certainly room for one more quarterback on the New York Jets roster, speculation ran wild. With the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft, the Jets are one of the many teams that could potentially land Marcus Mariota. With a trade up likely out of the question there is a real chance the Jets get out-bid for the former Oregon star which could leave them looking for other options.
According to the New York Daily News, the Jets are very sold on the potential of Mariota, but are not willing to wage the draft on one player. Right now the team has Geno Smith entering as the starter while Ryan Fitzpatrick will compete when healthy. Bowles is aware that might not be enough to get the job done now or years down the road which has the Jets considering all options.
"We want competition at every position. Ryan's going to compete, as well as Geno's going to compete," Bowles said, via the New York Daily News. "And we hope to add somebody to help compete with them, along with Simms, and we want to play the best player available."
If Mariota falls to the Jets, they could draft the star. The team could also help out in trades. If Mariota begins to fall, the Chicago Bears are going to get aggressive in trades. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, the Bears are prepared to sell Jay Cutler and a draft pick to move up to the No. 2 spot in order to draft Mariota. They could very easily make a similar offer to the Jets if the quarterback drops out of the first two picks. Do the Jets have interest in Cutler? The chances are slim the Jets could seek a deal that would have them acquiring the monster contract of the quarterback, but for more draft picks they could consider it.
There is also the idea that the Jets could get Johnny Manziel from the Cleveland Browns. Chant Sports reported on Tuesday that the Browns were trying to trade Manziel to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford. If Mariota drops in the draft, the team could easily make a move with the Jets and offer the quarterback as incentive. Again, the Jets have never showed interest in Manziel and it is unlikely they would start now.
New York and Bowles could easily hold off and draft someone in a later round. Players like Brett Hundley and Bryce Petty are getting a fair amount of attention as the draft gets closer. They would be available in the second round which buys the Jets flexibility. The issue is whether or not either quarterback would be ready to start Week 1 if need be.
