Zach Wilson Trade - Broncos Acquire QB From Jets In Pick Swap Deal
It’s been an NFL offseason that has seen a lot of movement with quarterbacks. Guys like Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Kenny Pickett, Sam Howell, and Desmond Ridder were all traded. Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Gardner Minshew, Sam Darnold, and Drew Lock all signed in free agency and could compete for starting jobs.
Zach Wilson Trade: QB Traded From Jets To Broncos
Now, with the 2024 NFL Draft only a few days away, another quarterback has been traded - the Denver Broncos have acquired Zach Wilson, a 1st round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, in a trade with the New York Jets. Here are the details:
Denver Broncos Receive
- Zach Wilson
- 2024 7th Round Pick (256)
New York Jets Receive
- 2024 6th Round Pick (204)
The Jets and Broncos will also reportedly split the $5.5 million that Wilson is due this season with each team paying $2.75 million, which might prove to be the most valuable part of the deal for the Jets. Yes, the Broncos new uniforms aren’t the only recent change in Denver, so let’s take a look at which quarterbacks could wear the starter jersey this season.
Zach Wilson
There is a lot of ego in the NFL. And the thought process with these trades is almost always the same. “The other organization dropped the ball but we can fix him”. And it certainly wouldn’t be the first time that has happened. In fact, this very same Jets organization drafted Geno Smith in 2013 in the 2nd round and now he is the franchise QB for the Seahawks with a $70+ million contract.
That sounds nice in theory, but in reality, these moves don’t pan out in most cases. But it’s certainly worth a try at this price, and Zach Wilson might be a better fit for the short-passing, high-volume offense that Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi want to run.
Jarrett Stidham
There is a reason that some backup quarterbacks continue to stick around in the NFL and it’s usually because they are smart. Guys like Davis Webb and Kevin O’Connell hung around as backup QBs for a combined 12 years while throwing for less than a combined 200 yards in actual games.
Now they are both NFL coaches, but they hung on as players for as long as teams were willing to pay them a million dollars a year. Jarrett Stidham might still have a shot at starting at some point. Maybe for this team even.
But, as Broncos tight end Adam Trautman told us, Jarrett Stidham is known to be very intelligent and great at picking up offenses. That is a valuable player to have in that room helping young QBs, running the scout team, and possibly playing a couple games if need be.
Ben DiNucci
The fan favorite from his Cowboys days did a brief stint in the XFL in 2023 before signing with the Denver Broncos. He was waived and signed to the practice squad where he spent all of 2023. They have him signed to a futures contract for 2024, but this move likely means the practice squad is where he will remain – unless another team wants to swoop in and sign him.
Rookie Quarterbacks: 2024 NFL Draft
Sean Payton started putting his stamp on this team immediately after arriving, cutting guys like Brandon McManus and signing a number of familiar faces from his days in New Orleans. The big moves of course have been releasing Russell Wilson and trading wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
Now, he and Joe Lombardi will look to build THEIR vision for this team, and this is a crucial draft for it. The signing of Zach Wilson does not preclude the Broncos from drafting a quarterback. There have been rumors of the Broncos trading up or trading down and taking a QB but, if the right guy is there at 12, they might just hang tight and take them.
As we discussed in our NFL mock draft, the “right guy” for Denver could be a number of prospects, from J.J. McCarthy to Michael Penix Jr. to Spencer Rattler, but many sources are indicating the Broncos and Sean Payton really like Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. He does fit the mold as a QB that is smart at the line of scrimmage and accurate in the short to mid range, in a similar vein to Drew Brees in the Sean Payton Saints era.
Quarterback is such a valuable player in the modern NFL that doing a late-round pick swap to acquire Zach Wilson shouldn’t stop the Broncos from getting their guy if he’s out there. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Josh Rosen in the top 10 one year then turned around and drafted Kyler Murray in the 1st round the following year.
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.