New York Jets: Even AFC East teams should be considered for trade down

The New York Jets should move down if they don’t end up in a position to land Nick Bosa, and a team being in the AFC East shouldn’t necessarily stop them from considering a trade. (Yes, even the Patriots.)

Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap posed an interesting question on Twitter. Should the New York Jets consider trading down with the Miami Dolphins in the 2019 NFL Draft if they knew the Dolphins were going to take a quarterback? The answer to that question is a resounding yes.

There some takes on both sides of the argument. Let’s look at them.

First, a trade partner being in your division shouldn’t be the only reason to keep you from making a trade. You should consider other factors, like the draft class. The 2019 draft class is considered to be a weak quarterback class, and that’s even if Justin Herbert declares. Hence why Nick Bosa is considered to be the No. 1 overall pick in most mock drafts.

Secondly, the draft is such a crapshoot in any regard that the more picks you have, the better. Also, it’s not about the team you’re dealing with, in this case, but rather where they are picking. It may not behoove the Jets to trade with a playoff team, unless that team overpays. They also may not want to go out of the first half of the draft.

For the Jets, it’s not about who the trade partner is, but what they are getting in return. In his tweet, Fitzgerald suggested the Jets trading their 2019 first-round pick to Miami while New York would get the Dolphins’ first- and second-round picks in both 2019 and 2020.

The Jets should do that in a heartbeat if offered and the pick isn’t too low (though that is a rich haul that Miami may not consider). The first priority is to build around the franchise quarterback and by any means necessary. In this draft the quarterbacks aren’t considered to be the franchise level, and if one turns out to be, stuff happens. The Jets need the picks, and that’s the most important thing.