Making the case against Jets acquiring A.J. McCarron via trade

The New York Jets need another quarterback in the mix but unfortunately, A.J. McCarron isn’t the answer.

With the initial burst of free agent signings pretty much in the books, for the most part, the New York Jets didn’t do anything huge or worthy of screaming out “blockbuster.” For fans expecting a big trade or acquiring some of the top names in free agency, they were, unfortunately, let down.

Now that names like Brian Hoyer and Mike Glennon are off the table, the Jets are now scrambling for answers when it comes to the most important position on the team. They might wait a bit longer to see if another potential quarterback becomes available or even possibly consider trading for one.

In an article written by Rich Cimini of ESPN, he addressed one of the biggest rumors of the Jets involving a potential trade with the Cincinnati Bengals. Basically, it would be defensive end Sheldon Richardson traded for A.J. McCarron and a draft pick. Here is what he had to say:

Barring contract extensions, both teams would be taking on risk, as both players could be one-and-done. From the Jets’ perspective, they’d have to make him their starter, considering the significance of the trade. Is he ready for that? He has only four career starts, counting the postseason.

For the most part, fans are disappointed that the Jets didn’t come out red hot at the start of free agency. They wanted an answer at quarterback but instead, got a new offensive lineman, kicker, and the re-signings of practice squad/special teams players. Yes, they aren’t impactful signings for a better season in 2017 but they were quiet yet important moves to make.

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General manager Mike Maccagnan is wise to not make impulsive decisions just to make newspaper headlines. Since the Jets are rebuilding this season for a better future, it’s all about building through the NFL Draft. Free agent signings are great for a team that is just a few players away from making a serious run.

The Jets are nowhere near that and trading for a quarterback won’t magically turn this team into a Super Bowl contender overnight. The truth of the matter is, McCarron is no different than Bryce Petty or even Christian Hackenberg. They are all unknown quarterbacks in the grand scheme of things because they have little to no sample size or experience to prove they’re worthy of leading a franchise for a decade or so.

So if the Jets do make a trade with the Bengals to ship Richardson to Cincinnati in exchange for McCarron and draft picks, there is no guarantee that he’ll be the answer they’re looking for. Sure, he would be another arm in training camp to add more intrigue to a competition if the Jets head in that direction. But it’s not like he’s going to come right in and be some amazing quarterback that breaks NFL records.

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Overall, there is no reason for the Jets to do such a move just to trade Richardson for a potential mediocre quarterback and/or a draft pick. Despite his off-the-field antics, Richardson should be able to garner much more in return. Maccagnan would be wise to continue being patient and perhaps wait to pull off such a trade until draft time. That would be ideal since it’ll be after the free agency frenzy calms down and needy teams that want a top defensive end are desperate to come up with a trade that gives the Jets much more back in return.

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