Hypothetical trade would have the Jets bringing in a former All-Pro that would change their season outlook

The New York Jets need a number two receiver, so why not go get another number one instead? That’s what Sports Illustrated thinks the Jets should do.

As we inch closer and closer to training camps opening up, Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin may continue his hold out that saw him miss all OTAs and mandatory minicamp as he waits for a new contract from the team. To this point according to multiple reports, progress on a new deal remains limited.

So, if the star wide receiver doesn’t get his new contract and demands a trade, Sports Illustrated writer Mike Kadlick believes the Jets should be one of the first teams with open arms to bring the former second-team All-Pro receiver in.

General manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn are trying to turn over a new leaf in New York, and what better way to do so than to get your new quarterback in Justin Fields a second high-volume target?

Should the Jets pull off a trade for McLaurin, they'd pair him with young star Garrett Wilson—who has totaled 1,000+ yards in each of his first three seasons in the NFL. He would also bring some much-needed experience to a team that's been longing for an adult in the room.

Oh yeah, and the trio of Fields, Wilson, and McLaurin are all former Ohio State Buckeyes—so that's fun, too. – Mike Kadlick

On the surface, this sounds like a no-brainer for the Jets. A wide receiver room with McLaurin and Wilson would make any quarterback look better and it would allow the Jets to get a lot more creative with the run game. It would be hard to face eight and nine-man boxes with those wide receivers on the outside.

But if we assume that McLaurin will demand a trade and the Commanders will oblige the request, the Jets run into two problems. The first is what they are willing to give up to get McLaurin. For a team that seems desperate to get younger at any cost, what would they be willing to part with to bring in a 29-year-old wide receiver?

Personally, I would be willing to do a second-round pick as well as a day three pick to acquire McLaurin. Commanders’ fans will whine that he is worth more than that, but the circumstances would say otherwise. DK Metcalf was traded for a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers this off-season and I think that is a pretty fair comp.

The other hurdle would be McLaurin still wants a new deal and the Jets have a line of players waiting to get their own deals signed. It would be pretty stupid for the Jets to bring in a new player and pay him before they take care of Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Jermaine Johnson and Quincy Williams. And it might be even dumber to bring him and not give him a new contract like they did last season with Haason Reddick.

In the end, you don’t say no to a talent like Terry McLaurin if you can get it, but the Jets need to take care of their in-house players first.