Draft QB notes … The NY Jets, the NFL’s last remaining winless team who would have the #1 pick overall were the 2021 draft held this week, have confirmed that nominal starting QB Sam Darnold will miss at least one more game due to the sprained throwing shoulder that has already cost him four games this season. Veteran Joe Flacco will again start when the Jets visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in a battle of struggling teams. The Jets reportedly hope that Darnold will be able to play again this fall, but there apparently still is no schedule for him to even to begin throwing again. Should the Jets in fact end up with the first pick this year, they are expected to select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence.
On the other hand, it appears that Dallas could get Andy Dalton back for its game with Minnesota this coming weekend. Dalton, who replaced incumbent starter Dak Prescott who is out with a foot injury earlier this season, missed the past two games with first a concussion and then a covid diagnosis. In his stead, the Cowboys had to go with journeyman types Ben DiNucci and Garrett Gilbert at the position. The Cowboys, at 2-7 and with the second worst net point differential in the league behind the Jets, are in the midst of a miserable season and could have a QB dilemma on their hands themselves this coming April. Prescott is set to be a free agent at the end of the year and talks between the two sides have been somewhat acrimonious to date. And if the Cowboys end up with a top 5 type pick this year – they currently sit 4th in the proverbial ‘if the draft were held today’ first round selection order – they could conceivably think seriously about taking one of this year’s great QB class and just move on from Prescott. Time will tell.
And speaking of Clemson’s Lawrence, the prohibitive favorite to be the #1 pick this year, he is fully expected to be back under center when the Tigers play at Florida State on Saturday. Lawrence missed the past couple of games after being diagnosed with the covid virus.
