Mike Tannenbaum was the Jets GM for six years and served during some of the teams’ best years in recent memory, but fans of the team are probably happy he never made a trade as wild as the one he suggested Friday.
On ESPN’s “Get Up,” Tannenbaum suggested the Cleveland Browns trade Deshaun Watson to the Giants for Daniel Jones, adding a second round pick for Big Blue as well.
“Hear me out: If you’re the Cleveland Browns, you have Dorian Thompson-Robinson, you have Joe Flacco and now, a 27-year-old Daniel Jones who has one year left of guaranteed money for $36 million and an enormous amount of flexibility moving forward,” he said to a panel that didn’t exactly sound on board with his idea.
“If you’re the Giants, you’re getting Deshaun Watson, who’s 29, who’s making $46 million a year for the next three years and a second-round pick. To me, you need a front-line, difference-making quarterback. Right now, if you’re the Giants, how in the world do you win the NFC if you have to beat San Francisco, Green Bay, Dallas, Philly and Detroit with Daniel Jones?”
Watson did not impress in his injury-shortened 2023 season, starting six games and throwing for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions before a broken bone in his shoulder ended his year eight weeks early.
Jones was also the victim of a season-ending malady after early-season struggles — he connected for just two TD passes with six interceptions in six starts — but is expected to recover from reconstructive knee surgery.
The Giants gave the QB a four-year, $160 million deal before the season began, but are also open to drafting a new signal-caller with the No. 6 pick in April.
“Where we are, we’re in a good spot at six, we’re gonna look at every position we have needs across the board, offensively and defensively,’’ general manager Joe Schoen said in January. “Daniel’s in the building every day working hard. The expectation is for him to be the starter when he’s healthy going into camp, and we’re gonna be thorough with our process at every position during the draft — regardless whether it’s quarterback, running back, safety, corner, whatever it is. We’ll take a good player at six.’’
