The competition for Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota appears to be slimming down. The Philadelphia Eagles have likely exited the race after signing Tim Tebow to pair with Sam Bradford. The Cleveland Browns are getting farther detached from the two quarterbacks. The Chicago Bears are getting nowhere with their Jay Cutler deal proposal. With more teams leaving the race, does that leave the New York Jets in prime position to strike a deal?
According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, the Jets have a workout set up with Winston as trade rumors begin to fly. For most of the offseason it was believed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were set on selecting Winston with the main trade race being for Mariota. However, ESPN.com's Rich Cimini is reporting the Jets are getting serious about trading up for Winston as new general manager Mike Maccagnan wants to be as aggressive as possible in the draft. Drafting at No. 6 would mean the Jets would have to really sell the farm to move up to the top two spots, but it is a possibility that cannot be ruled out.
There is lingering doubt in both Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Head coach Todd Bowles has been vocal about wanting to add another quarterback to the race. The Jets have also worked out Bryce Petty and Garrett Grayson as potential options. One thing that is unlikely is trades for quarterbacks on other rosters. According to the New York Daily News, the Jets are not eyeing trades for players like Matt Barkley, Kirk Cousins or Mike Glennon despite all being available. If the Jets fail to draft either a quarterback they like, those options might be revisited.
On the chance that neither quarterback becomes an option for the Jets, who will the team target at No. 6. According to Rapoport, the Jets like what they see in top receivers Amari Cooper and Kevin White. After acquiring Brandon Marshall to pair with Eric Decker, getting one more young, athletic body in the rotation could help spark the offense. The team is also looking at pass rushers with the pick. According to the Daily News, the Jets are looking for some youth to put on the front defensive line. That could mean players like Vic Beasley and Dante Fowler Jr are options as well.
