JuJu Smith-Schuster said he is willing to play with Sam Darnold. Is this a real succession plan for the Steelers?
The Steelers have been good for a lot of years and a lot of that has to do with having a franchise quarterback who has had the longevity that he has had. The problem is that eventually he will become too old to be effective and he will retire. The sad truth is that could happen in the next couple of years.
A lot of teams think it’s alright to tank and draft a quarterback high in the draft. Many wanted the Dolphins to “Tank for Tua” and other fan bases are talking about “Tanking for Trevor.” The Steelers are a different organization that prides itself on being competitive every year. Proof of this is Mike Tomlin’s 8-8 finishes are the worse of his long career.
The Steelers will need to try to draft a quarterback and I hate to admit it but I think the Mason Rudolph experiment has been a failure. It’s time to acquire a quarterback to learn the system.
The Jets are a mess
The New York Jets have not been good in recent years. According to Pro Football Reference, the Jets are 21-46 the past five years. They hired Adam Gase who many were high on, but he has been terrible leading the Jets organization.
The Jets have been such a mess their former best player, Jamal Adams, asked to be traded and was later traded to the Seahawks for a bunch of picks. He is now happier and in a better situation.
Things have also not been good for Sam Darnold. He hasn’t had the right head coach, offensive line, or wide receivers to help him succeed. There is also the famous “Seeing Ghosts” quote from last year against the Patriots that exposed his frustration.
The Jets could very well have the first pick
The Jets are already 0-3 on the season and could be headed for the first pick in the draft. NFL Mocks writer Kyle Edmund suggested that the Jets are one of the favorites to land Trevor Lawrence. The other teams he suggests are not as bad as the Jets.
Certainly, a team like the Carolina Panthers will be better when they get Christian McCaffrey back, the Giants will get some growth from Daniel Jones as the season goes on and the Falcons still have Matt Ryan. That leads me the believe the Jets will be picking first in 2021.
I think the Jets will want to “clean house” before they pick first in 2021 and that probably means Adam Gase will have to find an offensive coordinator job for which he is much better suited. I don’t even think he will coach the Jets’ last game against the Patriots on January 3rd.
The Jets would be crazy not to pick Trevor Lawrence
There is no better quarterback prospect of the last 10 years than Trevor Lawrence. He may be the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. I am sure whatever team is picking first will take Trevor Lawrence with the first pick.
Trevor Lawrence has all the tools to be a great quarterback. He has a strong arm, he is accurate, he has a good personality, he’s won a National Championship with the Clemson Tigers and he knows how to win close games.
Trevor Lawrence is probably the Jets best chance of turning their franchise around and so it might be best to trade Sam Darnold after they acquire the first pick.
Sam Darnold could resurrect his career in Pittsburgh
The Steelers need a new quarterback and so acquiring Sam Darnold would be good for them. They could give Sam Darnold a change in scenery and show him a winning culture.
Sam Darnold was a very good quarterback prospect at USC. Many thought he was the best quarterback in the 2018 draft and that included Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield. He hasn’t panned out because of the situation I mentioned earlier.
The Steelers could acquire Sam Darnold for cheap because right now he is a bust at #3. The Jets could want to move on from him after letting him down with what they provided around him in New York.
Also, JuJu Smith-Schuster said he would like to play with Sam Darnold again. I don’t know if JuJu Smith-Schuster will want to resign with the Steelers, but it does tell me that Sam Darnold is someone the Steelers want in their locker room.
Conclusion
This Sam Darnold situation could be a chance for the Steelers to get a top quarterback prospect and make him the quarterback they thought he could be at USC. The Jets were a terrible landing spot for Darnold but I think Pittsburgh would be a better situation for Darnold.
I could see Sam Darnold and Mike Tomlin having a good relationship together. Sam Darnold is a tough kid and Mike Tomlin has a no-nonsense attitude. I could see the two seeing eye to eye.
This would be a great mentoring opportunity for Ben Roethlisberger. Sam Darnold has a better chance of earning Ben Roethlisberger’s respect than Mason Rudolph did. Maybe Mason Rudolph would be better in New York as well.