According to most NFL mock drafts, the New York Jets will be selecting Marcus Mariota with the No. 6 pick. However, there are a lot of teams that are hoping the Jets are willing to sell in the pick in order for them to move up and grab the former Oregon quarterback. Jameis Winston is projected and all-but confirmed as the No. 1 overall pick to Tampa Bay which means the race is on to move up for Mariota. In need of a quarterback, can the Philadelphia Eagles win the Jets over by offering Nick Foles?
It is assumed that the next move for Chip Kelly and company is a trade up for Mariota. However, the Eagles lost a big of their trading power when they sent LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills. Now, the Eagles could try and offer up Foles in a deal with draft picks, but that reportedly does not interest in the Jets. According to the New York Daily News, the Jets are not interested in acquiring Foles "at this point."
The Jets are the obvious trade partner for the Eagles if they want to move up, but that will be easier said than done. Could the Jets take interest in Foles if the Eagles sweeten the deal a bit? That is certainly an option, but first the team needs to consider just how invested they are in Geno Smith. The quarterback has been one of the main reasons for the team's struggles over the past two years and the Jets need to evaluate whether or not that could continue.
If Todd Bowles and Chan Gailey believe Smith could be a wash, there is no chance they give up the No. 6 quarterback. Mariota would be headed to New York. However, if there is a glimpse of potential with Smith, the Jets could sell the pick and either acquire Foles or potentially someone like Brian Hoyer or Colt McCoy as a quarterback to challenge at the position.
The Jets have a lot of roster holes to fill this offseason which makes this decision a critical one. The team will not move up in any way. However, if they feel like Smith still stands a chance at being the guy, dropping down and acquiring more picks to work with could set the Jets up well for the coming years.
