There could be a trade market for Jacksonville Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coming off their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history, showed the importance of having a franchise quarterback in 2020. They knew Jameis Winston wasn’t going to get them over the hump, so they aggressively pursued Tom Brady last offseason.
This offseason, the quarterback carousel is spinning hard and many teams are looking to upgrade the most important position on the football field. The Detroit Lions already shipped Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles could trade Carson Wentz at any moment.
Those may not be the only trades that will materialize this offseason. The Panthers reportedly offered a first-round selection and Teddy Bridgewater for Stafford, and they may not be done looking for a signal-caller. Keep in mind that the demand for quarterbacks outweighs the supply, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a few teams make a run for Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II.
The ‘Jags’ are in need of a franchise quarterback and will likely use the first overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft to take Trevor Lawrence, which could in turn push Minshew out of Jacksonville. Although the Washington State product is not in the level of Stafford or Wentz, there could still be a market for him and these four teams could end up pursuing him via trade.
4. Chicago Bears
Even though quarterback Mitch Trubisky had a string of solid performances in the second half of the 2020 season, it seems like the Bears are ready to pull the plug on the North Carolina product after making him the second overall selection in 2017’s draft.
In fact, Chicago is one of those teams that have been linked to Carson Wentz this offseason. The Bears tried to make things work with Trubisky, but they are ready to move on after four years. Even if they lose the Wentz sweepstakes, they will still look for an upgrade at the quarterback position, which could prompt them to pursue Gardner Minshew.
Chicago recently promoted John DeFillipo to pass game coordinator/quarterback coach. He was the Jaguars offensive coordinator in 2019, Minshew’s rookie season. He knows the Washington State product well and would certainly vouch for him.
Under Fillipo, Minshew went from a scrappy backup to an overnight success story in his rookie year. In 2019, he went 285-of-470 for 3,271 yards, with 21 touchdowns and just six interceptions. You could make the case the quarterback regressed in 2020 without Fillipo’s tutelage, and a reunion could be the best thing that could happen to Minshew.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz aren’t the only marquee quarterbacks that could change teams this offseason. Derek Carr could join the trade block, as it seems like there will be a market for him this offseason. Even if the Las Vegas Raiders keep the 2014 second-round pick, they may have a hard time keeping backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, which could incentivize him to look for a replacement.
Although the Raiders would rather move Mariota, a trade for Carr shouldn’t be ruled out. They are currently $18 million in the red, per Over the Cap, and moving on from either quarterback could help them free cap room. Mariota has a $10.7 million cap hit with no dead money while Carr is set to count $22.125 million against the cap, and the team could save $19 million with only $2.5 million in dead money if they release him or trade him.
Meanwhile, Minshew is still on his rookie deal and could become the Raiders’ backup quarterback regardless of whom they trade. Last season, Carr was heavily shopped at the NFL Scouting Combine and this may be the year Las Vegas finally pulls the trigger on a trade. If that’s the case, it would make sense for the Raiders to acquire Minshew.
2. Washington Football Team
If the Washington Football Team hadn’t been held back by their revolving door at the quarterback position, they could’ve made some noise in 2020’s postseason instead of being a one-and-done squad. They had a solid running back in Antonio Gibson and a stud in wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Moreover, their defense ranked fourth in points allowed and their front four was one of the most talented in the league.
They knew Dwayne Haskins wasn’t the answer at quarterback and they released him in the middle of the 2020 season. Alex Smith’s journey back from a devasting leg injury is worth praise but he’s not the answer at the position and Kyle Allen may be better suited in a backup.
Washington currently holds the 19th overall pick in 2021’s draft and may miss out on the chance to draft any of this year’s top quarterback prospects if they stay put. Trading for Gardner Minshew could give them stability at the quarterback position and a fallback in case they are unable to trade up.
The team went toe-for-toe with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Super Bowl 55 champions, in the Wild Card Round with Tyler Heinicke at the helm. They could quickly turn into a playoff team with better quarterback play, which could prompt them to kick the tires on Minshew.
1. San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a clear example of how important it is to have a franchise quarterback. Not too long ago, they were in championship contention and had Jimmy Garoppolo played a bit better, they could’ve won Super Bowl 54. In that game, the 2014 second-round pick was 20-of-219 for 219 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
The ‘Niners’ inquired about Stafford before he was ultimately traded to the Rams and they will likely keep looking for ways to upgrade their quarterback room. Although they could roll with Garoppolo in 2021, they could save $23.6 million in cap space with just $2.8 million in dead money.
Also, Garoppolo has struggled to stay healthy and has missed 33 games in his four-year stint in San Francisco, which could justify the decision to part ways with him this offseason. Even if the Eastern Illinois product stays in the Bay Area, the 49ers may want to bring in another quarterback.
There’s no connection between San Francisco’s coaching staff and Gardner Minshew, but the quarterback could get a fresh start with the 49ers and even a chance to compete for the starting job. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is known for getting the most out of his quarterbacks and Minshew could benefit from playing under him.