5 Potential Trade Partners for the Jaguars and Gardner Minshew in 2021
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, but no question takes more of a precedent than the one at quarterback.
It seems unlikely that Jacksonville's 2021 starting quarterback is currently on the roster. The 1-11 squad will likely be set up to select a potential franchise quarterback like Justin Fields at No. 2 overall, while Mike Glennon, Jake Luton, and Gardner Minshew II have all yet to indicate that they are the answer.
Minshew specifically is another question the Jaguars will have to face in the offseason. The darling of the 2019 season has fallen out of favor in 2020, going 1-6 as a starter before a thumb injury put him out of action. He has been healthy enough to play over the last two weeks, but the Jaguars have opted to roll with the eighth-year Glennon over Minshew as their starting quarterback.
The Jaguars will have plenty of options with Minshew in 2021. They could keep him as a backup and have one of the NFL's top backups behind their rookie passer. They could also look to trade Minshew once teams are allowed to sign or trade players in March. Minshew undoubtedly would have some trade value after his rookie season and somewhat productive start to 2020.
In any event the Jaguars would look to recoup some trade value for Minshew next offseason, which teams make sense? We picked five we think are good fits for the signal-caller.
New Orleans Saints
Is there any coach in the NFL who has a better reputation as a quarterback whisperer right now than Sean Payton? He helped rejuvenate Teddy Bridgewater's career and has continued to win games with Taysom Hill. Jameis Winston hasn't gotten much run with the Saints, but the Saints found success when he was under center as well. Simply put, if there is any coach that could help Minshew develop past where is today, it is likely Payton.
The Saints will also almost positively be in the quarterback market next season considering it looks increasingly unlikely that it looks like Drew Brees will play next year. Winston is also just on a one-year contract, so the Saints will likely be rolling with Hill. If the Saints want a more traditional passer as Hill's backup, Minshew makes sense. The Saints are also likely to be in a cap crisis in 2021, but Minshew is among the cheapest quarterbacks in the NFL in terms of contract value.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Until Ben Roethlisberger officially retires, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have to find an answer for a suitable backup. Roethlisberger has had a good season as a 38-year-old but the fact that his body has worn down over the years can't be ignored, even if the Steelers are 11-1. If Roethlisberger plays in 2021 as a 39-year-old passer, the Steelers should at least ensure that he has a quality backup behind him.
2019 showed that Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph were incapable of keeping the ship steady while Roethlisberger was out with injury. Hodges is set to be a free agent in 2021 while Rudolph is entering a contract year, but there is little question that Minshew is a better option as a starting quarterback than Rudolph. The Steelers will once again have one of the NFL's best rosters in 2021, but they should ensure they have the right insurance option for Big Ben in the event his age or injuries catch up to him. In that horizontal passing scheme and with that defense, there are few spots better for Minshew.
Denver Broncos
No team has had as much of a revolving door at quarterback as the Jaguars this season than the Denver Broncos. Three quarterbacks have started games in Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel, and Brett Rypien, while Kendal Hinton technically also started at quarterback. The non-stop changing of the triggerman, along with the poor play of each quarterback, is a big reason the Broncos are 4-8 and in third place in the AFC West.
Out of 58 qualifying passers, here is how Denver's quarterbacks stack up in terms of EPA per play (via rbsdm.com): Driskel (No. 45), Lock (No. 40), and Rypien (No. 18). Lock simply hasn't taken the next step in his second year as a passer, with the expectations for him in Denver being even greater than the expectations of Minshew in Jacksonville. If the Broncos want to bring in a cheap option to push Lock next offseason instead of just giving up on the second-round pick, Minshew makes sense. His style of play fits Denver's offense and he could be initially sold as a solid backup or insurance option to Lock as opposed to a quarterback who is there to take his job.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have consistently said they expect 2020 No. 1 pick Joe Burrow to make a full recovery from his season-ending injury and be ready for the 2021 season, but it would be smart for the Bengals to prepare a plan B. Burrow not only sustained an ACL tear, after all, but he also suffered an MCL tear and other structural knee issues according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Year 3 should be a must-win season for Zac Taylor considering the team's porous record in his first two seasons, so why shouldn't he get the best backup option possible for Burrow?
Minshew would be a clear improvement over Ryan Finley and Brandon Allen, the two Bengals backups who have failed to show that they are able to lead an offense in any capacity. Minshew, meanwhile, has seven career wins on his resume and has shown he can run an offensive scheme like the one Taylor operates. He also wouldn't threaten Burrow's positioning on the job at all. Instead, he would give the Bengals a legitimate chance to win while Burrow recovers in any event that he misses times in 2021, which is a scenario the Bengals should prepare for.
Dallas Cowboys
Another team that has started multiple quarterbacks this season, the Dallas Cowboys have a lot of soul-searching that needs to be done at the quarterback position. Dak Prescott is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL but was franchise tagged in 2020, so he is not under contract in 2021. It should be a no-brainer to sign the young and ascending quarterback, but you never know with Dallas and Jerry Jones.
In the event the Cowboys do keep Prescott in Dallas, there is the whole situation with the backup quarterback position. Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation to his right ankle in Week 5 that ended his season, leading to the Cowboys trotting out Andy Dalton, Ben DiNucci, and Garrett Gilbert in his place. None of the quarterbacks have found any success, with Dalton the only one who really looked as if he somewhat belonged on the field. Dalton is an impending free agent, however, so the Cowboys need a cheap option behind Prescott in the event they return their franchise quarterback. Minshew would give Dallas a much better insurance option than the ones they have now, as well as a cost-controlled one at that.
