They’ve spent free agency bringing in solid receivers and a good RB to give the offense some talent and take pressure off the QB…and then they dump Fields for a 6th rounder so that they can start over with a rookie who didn’t win the Pac-12?
And it’s not like this is about the cap either. Fields is still on his rookie deal, so he’s cheap for another year.
Especially with the FA moves they’ve made, if nobody was willing to give a pick in the first 2 rounds for Fields, there was no downside to keeping him for a year. There was big upside to trading the #1. Swap down this year and add a 1st next year. Pick up help on the OL, plus either DL or CB. Those moves combined with their FA pickups probably has them as a playoff team next year, and long as they’re not hamstrung by a typical rookie QB.
And it’s not like this is about the cap either. Fields is still on his rookie deal, so he’s cheap for another year.
Especially with the FA moves they’ve made, if nobody was willing to give a pick in the first 2 rounds for Fields, there was no downside to keeping him for a year. There was big upside to trading the #1. Swap down this year and add a 1st next year. Pick up help on the OL, plus either DL or CB. Those moves combined with their FA pickups probably has them as a playoff team next year, and long as they’re not hamstrung by a typical rookie QB.