Aaron Rodgers trade to Jets should open door for Rams to acquire Zach Wilson

The Zach Wilson era on the New York Jets should be all but over following the completion of the Aaron Rodgers trade on Monday. The Green Bay Packers have officially moved on from Rodgers, sending him to the Jets in exchange for a swap of first round picks (Green Bay moves up from 15 to 13), a conditional 2024 first round pick, a second round pick, and a day three pick swap.

The move guarantees that Rodgers will be the Jets starter in 2023 and there’s reason for New York to be motivated to part with Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, as soon as this June. If the Jets trade Wilson after June 1st, they will save $3.85 million in cap space, and it will be a necessary move to separate themselves from an ugly situation.

Virtually all of Wilson’s teammates seem elated to have a new quarterback. Now is the right time for Wilson to get new teammates.

There are a few reasons to expect those new teammates to be on the Los Angeles Rams.

Number one is that the Rams only have one quarterback on the roster, Matthew Stafford. The Rams are the only team in the NFL without a backup quarterback and they do not seem motivated to acquire one any time soon.

Number two is that L.A. hired Mike LaFleur to be the offensive coordinator, Wilson’s former offensive coordinator for the previous two seasons on the Jets.

Number three is that Sean McVay has made the most of opportunities to work with former high draft picks made by other regimes: Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, and Baker Mayfield. McVay could be the Wilson whisperer.

Number four is that the Rams are a land of opportunity now. They have little else to get people motivated for the upcoming season and adding Wilson would bring some intrigue to 2023. Given that Wilson shouldn’t cost much to acquire, he’d be a fine risk to take. It helps L.A. avoid using a third or fourth round pick on a QB who isn’t any more likely to develop in the NFL than Wilson.

I expect that the Rams could probably trade a 2024 fourth or fifth round pick for Wilson after the June 1st deadline. They would only be taking on a $940,000 base salary for 2023 and $1.05 million for 2024, with a fifth-year option for 2025 if he does show some promise.

The Jets now have Rodgers and one of his former backups on the roster, Tim Boyle, as well as Chris Streveler. Zach Wilson is as good as gone. The Rams should have the highest odds of being his next home.