Could struggling Jets WR Garrett Wilson benefit from trading for

Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterOct 5, 2024, 06:00 AM ET

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LONDON — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:

1. Adams, the role model? Watching from afar, former NFL receiver Randall Cobb knows exactly what Garrett Wilson is experiencing — these receiver-quarterback growing pains with Aaron Rodgers. Cobb saw it several years ago with Rodgers and Davante Adams, when the three of them were teammates with the Green Bay Packers.

Cobb, Wilson’s teammate last season, says the young receiver would benefit from the Jets acquiring Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders.

Reports surfaced Wednesday that Adams has the Jets and New Orleans Saints at the top of his wishlist, and the Jets are believed to have interest.

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“I think that would be a great example for Garrett to see and understand,” Cobb said in a phone interview. “I know [Adams] went through a lot of the same things that Garrett is feeling right now. Fortunately enough for Tae, he didn’t have to be ‘the guy’ right when he came into the league. He was able to mature and learn and grow and step into who he is now.”

Wilson was the guy in his first two seasons, producing 1,000-yard seasons, but his chemistry with Rodgers can best be described as a work in progress. That was illustrated last week in the fourth quarter, when Wilson ran a deep seam instead of breaking off his route, which is what Rodgers anticipated. The result was an ugly incompletion and a bewildered Rodgers, based on his body language.

Cobb called Wilson, who has 191 yards on 20 catches and one touchdown on the season, an “unbelievable talent.”

“[Wilson] ranks up there with the best of them,” Cobb said. “Aaron is a different person to play with; there’s just an expectation there. Garrett is still young in this league, and there’s still so much for him to learn when it comes to football IQ.

“You think of a guy like Davante and where he is now. He had growing pains as well. It’s not that Garrett is not going to get there. Hopefully, it’s sooner rather than later for the sake of the Jets, but it takes time. It takes time for that connection to come along.”

Rodgers and Adams enjoyed a magical connection from 2014 to 2021, amassing 7,529 yards and 68 touchdowns. Rodgers has only three touchdown passes to his current wide receivers, tied for his fewest within his team’s first four games since he became a starter in 2008 (not counting last year when he suffered a season-ending injured four plays into the opener).

The Jets are seeing a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they’re not capitalizing with explosive plays. Their yards per attempt against man is 6.3, which ranks 18th. Adams is terrific against man, and the acquisition of Adams could help that.

Wilson, who said it would be “cool” to acquire Adams, believes betters days are coming in terms of his production.

“We’re going to figure it out,” Wilson said. “We’re going to get down to it and make sure we finish better than we started. That’s what matters.”

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers hits wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images

2. Plenty of bargaining chips: General manager Joe Douglas made a sneaky good move on draft day that could help the Jets in the pursuit of Adams. Douglas traded a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Detroit Lions for a 2025 third-rounder. It gives them two picks in the third round, along with their own picks in the first and second round.

They have the ammo and the cap space to jump in the Adams sweepstakes. Now it depends on trade compensation and cash. Presumably, the Jets could try to get the Raiders to absorb some of Adams’ remaining salary ($13.5 million).

3. Sam’s Club: On Sunday, the Jets face the quarterback they once built their hopes and dreams around — 2018 No. 3 pick Sam Darnold, whom they traded in 2021. Darnold, on his fourth team, has resurrected his career with the Minnesota Vikings (4-0).

Looking back on the trade, their choice was to roll with Darnold — talented, but inconsistent — or start over with a rookie. Everybody knows how it turned out — they opted for Zach Wilson, whom they drafted No. 2 overall — but it wasn’t an easy decision. There was some sentiment within the organization to keep Darnold and trade the pick, using the bounty to fill multiple needs. Douglas even admitted he toyed with the idea of retaining Darnold and drafting a quarterback.

In the end, the Jets wanted the benefit of having a rookie-quarterback contract. They also fell in love with Wilson, which proved to be an ill-fated decision. It certainly won’t be a good optic for Douglas, Saleh & Co. if Darnold comes back to haunt them in London on Sunday.

“He’s playing out of his mind right now,” defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said of his former teammate.

Darnold landed in a quarterback-friendly environment, where he’s learning from (ironically) two former Jets quarterbacks — coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. Jets cornerback D.J. Reed raved about O’Connell, calling him the top playcaller in the league.

3a. Postscript: By the way, the Jets did something good with one of the picks acquired in the Darnold trade — a 2022 second-rounder, which they turned into running back Breece Hall.

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4. Cash: It seemed like an insignificant trade at the time, but it became an important footnote in Jets history.

In 2022, Douglas traded linebacker Blake Cashman to the Houston Texans for a 2023 sixth-round pick. That Douglas found a taker for an oft-injured backup seemed like a minor miracle.

Fast forward to April of 2023. Douglas sent that pick to the Packers as part of the package that brought Rodgers to New York.

Let’s fast forward again. On Sunday, Cashman will be trying to tackle Rodgers. You see, he’s the Vikings’ leading tackler. He signed with his hometown Vikings after a successful run in Houston.

5. Ready … set … huh? All eyes (and ears) will be monitoring Rodgers’ cadence and whether the offense can stay onsides. Last week, the Jets committed five false-start penalties, almost unheard of for a home team. They had it under control for three games, then reverted to their 2023 yips — 52 pre-snap penalties, second-most in the league, per NFLpenalties.com.

It’s a poor reflection on the team’s ability to concentrate, which many believe is an indictment of the coaching. Saleh said the coaches met “at length” to discuss the issue, and they devised a plan to “clear [the players’] minds” so they can focus better. That’s one way to put it; another way is to eliminate hesitation by making them confident in what they’re doing.

6. He did what? The most eye-opening aspect of the false starts was that tackle Tyron Smith was one of the culprits — a rarity. One of the least-penalized linemen in recent years, he accounted for only three false starts in the previous five seasons — all with the Dallas Cowboys. Welcome to the Jets.