Devils advocate - what would you do

I would probably just take Lawrence. Having a franchise QB is priceless. If the CS thinks Fields is on the same level as Lawrence then sure but it would take massive stones to pull that trade.

 

Unless Joe Douglas sees something that nobody else does -- like a career-ending injury Time Bomb -- you CAN'T pass on Lawrence unless you want to be mentioned in the all-time worst ranks. Your last name will be a verb -- he got "Douglassed" in that deal.

Now let's assume that the initial consensus is WRONG on Trevor and Justin -- that Trevor is only a bit better or maybe they are tied or even Justin a bit ahead. Let's assume that the initial consensus is WRONG despite 100x more information than the initial consensus that Ryan Leaf (and Jamarcus Russell 9 years later) were worthy of #1 overall picks. Let's assume that we didn't see Trevor Lawrence 2 years ago as a freshman look like a Junior or Senior ready to go #1 overall.

If all those assumptions are WRONG....then yeah....make the ballsy trade and go with Fields.

You better be right.

"How'd you do with the job interview ?" - I got Douglassed.

"You get a good trade-in on the car from the dealer" - Nah, he Douglassed me.

"She dumped you for that idiot Marvin ? I can't believe it" - I know, she Douglassed me, the stupid bitch.

"Mr. Shapiro.....MR. SHAPIRO !!! Stop texting and start paying attention in class....do you want to end up as another Joe Douglass in life ?" - No, Mrs. McGillicuddy.......sorry.

 

The only reason to trade out of Lawrence is if you absolutely believe in Darnold, and you can get a haul that would put the Hershel Walker trade to shame by trading out of both the 1 and 2. But you don’t pass on Lawrence for Fields just for a few more picks.

 

If this were Fields vs. Wilson, I'd say take the picks and my second choice QB. But I'm not passing up on Lawrence.

 

We can all watch Trevor, Fields, Mac Jones, and Trask this Saturday plus the NFL games.

 

IMO sticking with Sam is totally out of the question. I see no way he will ever reach his potential with the Jets. I doubt it will happen anyway, but if it does, it will be elsewhere. He needs and deserves a fresh start with another team.

There are no guarantees, but Lawrence is as close as it gets. Three firsts and two seconds are not nearly enough to pass on almost a sure-fire FQB and potential generational QB. There's no way I'd trade the #1 pick for any number of draft picks or picks and players. Wait. I take that back. If Andy Reid called and said that he had soured on Mahomes and would give us Mahomes straight up for the #1 pick. I'd do it. If some GM offered me their entire draft for the next three years, I might take it (but neither Mahomes nor three entire drafts are sane offers and would never happen); otherwise, I'm having one of my lackeys sprint to the podium with Lawrence as the pick.

As JetsKickAss said, if Douglas determines that there's little difference between Lawrence and whomever his #2 QB is, then he can trade down, but he'd damn well better be right, because if he's wrong, it's a career ender, and he goes down as being on the same level as Mac, Idzik, Kotite and Gase. If he goes with Lawrence and Lawrence doesn't pan out, he will take a little hit, but be safe, because 99% of football people see Lawrence as the clear #1 and a generational QB.

Lawrence won't fix the Jets by himself, but will cover for a number of flaws. The thing is, Lawrence won't have to fix the Jets by himself, because Douglas has lots of other picks and cap space. He WILL build around Lawrence. He's not a Mac-level dumbass.

 

That’s an offer I would consider, but I’d pass on anything that takes me out of the top 2. The Jets need one of the top prospects from this draft.

I’d expect that a lot of people will say they’d take Lawrence. We’ll still see crazy Fields hype on here if we end up picking 2nd and he’s the choice.

 

Nobody said Trubisky was generational. Nobody said Darnold was either. And yes, the "consensus" can be wrong, but not usually vastly wrong. Leaf and Russell were not "consensus can't miss" prospects. They were both highly rated, but much like Darnold was. Even Eli Manning wasn't a consensus "can't miss" with his pedigree.

If this were the 2018 draft, I'd easily take the king's ransom and trade back, but Lawrence is demonstrably better than anyone in that draft, and from what I've seen and read, better than anyone else in this one. That said, I don't have the info and resources of Douglas. If he sees that he can someone as good or better than Lawrence AND still get the haul, I can't know that, I can only pray that he's right.

For the time being, until I see convincing evidence otherwise, I'm going with Lawrence if they have the opportunity.

 

We discussed this in this or another thread (I forget). NCJets and Colarado commented also. And I posted the Chicago Tribune story from 2019 PLUS a follow-up on why the Bears didn't take Watson.

Net-Net: the Bears, or rather Ryan Pace, had some fixation with Mitch Trubiskey but there WAS NO CONSENSUS that Trubiskey was the consensus #1 overall among the 3 QBs. MOST experts did have him as the favorite but there was a HUGE IF attached: he had only played 13 games and couldn't beat out some NFL washout at North Carolina. To me, that is a HUGE warning sign. It's not like Joe Burrow (before he became Joe Burrow) not beating out Dwayne Haskins at OSU. We're talking some 4th round pick who washed out beating Trubisky at North Carolina (known more for Dean Smith and Michael Jordan, if you exclude LT as a 1-timer).

Maybe that was the right move.....I'm still not sold on Lamara long-term. I could be wrong -- I admit it. But up to Monday night, he hadn't shown me much this year. He can't make all the throws a QB needs to make. Mahomes and Watson CAN make all the throws, and then some -- with their differing arm angles, side-arms, etc.

I don't know when a "generational talent" has ever flamed out. I know #1's that were strongly liked but even they had their detractors. For instance, I never knew why Jamarcus Russell was #1 overall -- I had him as a late-1st Rounder.

FWIW....I liked Wentz but not Goff. Liked all 3 QB's in 2004 (Eli, Ben, Rivers). Liked both Smith and Rodgers in 2005. Thought Tim Couch would be serviceable and not a bust. Ditto Akili Smith.

 

Take Lawrence and build around him. There's enough cap space and draft capital to do so. At this point, Sam needs a change of scenery.

 

Just playing devil's advocate. ...how do you pay all those 1st round picks when the time comes. That's a lot of 5th year options to dish out, not to mention Becton & Mims. I say take TL & use the Draft picks that we have in 2021 & 2022.

 

I'd support trading down if this was one of those drafts where nobody could agree on the best QB prospect. The reality is that Lawrence is far and away the best one this year so I think you have to sit pat and take him.

 

This is using exceptions to the rule to prove the rule. The vast majority of times the top QB taken ends up having the best career. There are exceptions but again those are outliers. Smart organizations don't do things because of statistical anomalies.

 

I like Lawrence's QB ability, but I also like his star power. He puts your franchise on the map instantly. I like Fields' QB ability too, but he doesn't have that star power. At least yet. Sam never did either.

 

If Gase stays on, trade the pick and keep Darnold.

 

Gase staying is as realistic a scenario as Woody just giving Gase ownership of the Jets for the sole consideration that Gase also has to fuck Woody’s wife weekly while making his introductory press conference face and Woody gets to watch.

 

Bob Wischusen said on ESPN today that Lawrence will grade HIGHER than Luck and probably Payton (!).....highest-graded since Elway.

So while he knows lots of people in the Jets organization and bleeds green for them, he gets why Jet fans are rooting for that #1 overall pick. It can be transformational.

 

You're a sick man JB...