NFL Rumors: Latest on Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam Darnold Trade Buzz and Jalen Hurts

With Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz all being traded this offseason, quarterbacks have been a focal point in the NFL world. That's unlikely to change in the coming weeks, as the position is likely to dominate draft headlines.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are widely expected to take Clemson's Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick, and according to Jacksonville head coach Urban Meyer, that remains likely.

"I'd have to say that's the direction we're going. I'll leave that up to the owner when we make that decision official," Meyer said, per NBC Sports' Peter King. "But I'm certainly not stepping out of line that that's certainly the direction we're headed."

After Jacksonville, Lawrence and the No. 1 pick, however, things become a little bit more uncertain. The New York Jets may or may not select a quarterback at No. 2, and the San Francisco 49ers recently threw a wrench into the draft machine by trading up to No. 3. There's virtually no chance they traded up that high for a non-quarterback.

This means that both the Jets and the 49ers could look to move their current starters in the not-too-distant future. Plus, there's no telling what the Philadelphia Eagles will do after trading Wentz and trading down to the 12th pick in the draft. Does it mean Philadelphia is sold on quarterback Jalen Hurts? Not exactly.

Read on for the latest buzz on Hurts, Sam Darnold, Jimmy Garoppolo and the upcoming NFL draft.

49ers Explored Multiple Avenues for a Predraft Trade

Steve Helber/Associated Press

While the 49ers have publicly backed Garoppolo, they've apparently been eyeing quarterback prospects like Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields for some time. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, San Francisco had been trying "for several weeks" to move up in the draft before settling on a trade with the Miami Dolphins at No. 3.

"49ers have been attempting to move into top five picks for several weeks now, per sources," Schefter tweeted. "They discussed trading up with Dolphins at 3, Falcons at 4, Bengals at 5 and ultimately decided to go as high as they could, per sources. There were no trade-up talks with the Jets at 2."

This is significant for two reasons. For one, it suggests that the 49ers are indeed looking for a long-term solution at quarterback—one not named Garoppolo. Secondly, it suggests that San Francisco is comfortable taking a signal-caller other than Lawrence or Wilson.

There's a very real chance that New York will take Wilson at No. 2 and move on from Darnold. This could be why San Francisco didn't even attempt making a deal with the Jets. Therefore, there has to be at least a third quarterback prospect that San Francisco will be happy to land.

This is similar to how New York approached the 2018 draft. The Jets too traded up for the No. 3 selection ahead of the draft, content that a franchise signal-caller would still be on the board.

The fact that San Francisco couldn't get a deal done with the Atlanta Falcons or Cincinnati Bengals also suggests that these franchises have their own targets in mind early in Round 1.

Patriots Won't Trade for Jimmy Garoppolo

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

If the 49ers are indeed looking ahead to the post-Garoppolo era, they could consider trading him sooner than later. This, of course, would require finding a viable trade market, and it's unclear which teams would be willing to deal for the Eastern Illinois product.

One team that won't be in on a Garoppolo trade is the New England Patriots.

According to ESPN's Jordan Schultz, New England won't pursue Garoppolo this offseason.

"Cap space isn't there and obviously Cam Newton will return. Additionally, the draft is flush with QBs. No Jimmy GQ reunion for the Pats in foreseeable future," Schultz tweeted.

The Patriots would seem like a logical landing spot. After all, they are the team that drafted Garoppolo in the first place (62nd overall). However, as Schultz noted, a deep draft class could lead the Pats in another direction—for the time being, at least.

This doesn't mean that New England won't consider Garoppolo if they don't draft a quarterback and/or Garoppolo becomes available as a free agent. For now, though, it appears that the Patriots aren't interested in giving up capital for a quarterback they once traded away for a second-round pick.

Sam Darnold Not Likely to Have a Strong Trade Market

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

With plenty of signs pointing to the Jets targeting Wilson at No. 2, the future of Darnold is completely cloudy. The Jets could keep him for another year to give their next signal-caller time to adjust, or they could pursue a trade.

New head coach Robert Saleh has no ties to Darnold, so moving on shouldn't be a major issue from a team-chemistry standpoint.

However, if New York is hoping to deal Darnold before or during the draft, it shouldn't expect to get a ton in return. According to ESPN's Kimberly A. Martin, at least some general managers don't view Darnold as a hot commodity.

"Talked to three NFL GMs about the market for Sam Darnold. I asked what’s the most they’d be willing to give up: Two said a 3rd Rd pick—with one saying even a late 3rd would be 'a little rich.' The other GM said 'maybe' a 3rd or conditional 4th," Martin tweeted.

While Darnold's trade stock could rise in the days leading up to the draft—if a quarterback-needy team resigns itself to not drafting a top signal-caller, for example—it seems like his market is relatively soft right now.

The Jets could struggle to even land a second-round pick for Darnold—what the Arizona Cardinals got for Josh Rosen a couple of years ago—which could be due to his contract situation. Darnold is entering his fourth NFL season, which means a team would have two years to evaluate him at most—if using the fifth-year option—before having to dole out a second contract.

Eagles 'Unsure' About Jalen Hurts

Derik Hamilton/Associated Press

The Eagles recently traded down from No. 6 to No. 12, allowing the Dolphins to climb back up in the draft order. Such a move might suggest that Philadelphia is sold on quarterback Jalen Hurts, but this doesn't appear to be the case.

According to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, the Eagles are undecided on Hurts' prospects as a franchise signal-caller.

"Eagles are unsure about Jalen Hurts," Maaddi tweeted. "No consensus in the building. After beating the Saints, they wanted to get rid of Carson Wentz. After next 3 losses, they wanted to work it out with Carson. After trading Carson, they considered a trade up for a QB before trading down to 12."

The fact that Philadelphia fired head coach Doug Pederson before pulling the trigger on a Wentz trade could indicate that the team did, in fact, try to work things out with their former quarterback. With that failing, the Eagles then reportedly considered their options in the draft.

According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Eagles considered Wilson a "strong prospect," but decided to move down following the 49ers-Dolphins trade. This could be because San Francisco's move ensured that Wilson wouldn't be available at No. 6.

According to the MMQB's Albert Breer, though, the Eagles made the move because they believe the Bengals will select LSU wideout Ja'Marr Chase at No. 5.

None of this means that the Eagles cannot or will not still land a quarterback in the first round next month. A prospect like Lance or Florida's Kyle Trask could theoretically still fall to No. 12. Should that happen, the Eagles don't appear to be sold on Hurts enough to dismiss pulling the trigger on his competition.