The Jacksonville Jaguars will more than likely trade former starting quarterback Gardner Minshew at some point this summer after selecting Trevor Lawrence No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Minshew, 25, has been the subject of trade rumors on a near never-ending loop over the past several months. He simply doesn’t have a future in Duval despite some pretty solid play in the two seasons since Jacksonville made him a sixth-round pick in 2019.
With the trade market dying down at this late point in the offseason, it’s not yet known what the Jaguars might be able to get for Minshew in a trade. Well, at least until now.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Jaguars are asking for a fifth-or-sixth-round selection for the former Washington State star. Fowler also notes that Gardner Minshew would like an opportunity to earn a starting job.
The 6-foot-1 signal caller has more than proven he can be a capable starter in the NFL, tallying 37 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions in 20 career starts. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of teams who would be prepared to give him an opportunity to start.
What makes Minshew an attractive option for teams outside of his previous success is that he’s set to earn a combined base salary of $1.825 million over the next two seasons. Unlike two superior quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers who are on the trade block, finances won’t be a component here.
Interestingly enough, this report comes on the same day that the Philadelphia Eagles released undrafted rookie free agent Jamie Newman. They now have only two quarterbacks on the roster, Jalen Hurts and Joe Flacco. Perhaps Minshew could be brought in to compete with Hurts for the starting job.
The Houston Texans become another real possibility depending on how the Deshaun Watson legal situation plays out. Houston just recently signed former Pro Bowler Tyrod Taylor and selected Stanford’s Davis Mills in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Based on his recent track record, an argument could be made that Gardner Minshew is a better option than those two.
Outside of that, the pickings seem to be slim if Minshew wants a shot at a starting job. Teams such as the New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys could use an established backup in case their starters go down.
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