Jaguars fans are rejoicing because the Jets finally won a game. However, I am still very concerned about the short-term and long-term health of Trevor Lawrence. Both physically and mentally. Because the Jaguars might have “won” today by moving into the first spot in the draft, but Trevor Lawrence is still a loser when referring to the team he is projected to go to.

As the title suggests, I think he should force his way to the Carolina Panthers. Here is why.

The Jets and Jaguars Are Dumpster Fires

This description really does apply to both teams. They are both complete disasters.

Do both of these teams have two first-round picks? Do both teams have a lot of cap space? Sure. Yet, neither one of these teams are a desirable destination. Why? Because they are flawed from the very top to the very bottom. Ownership, people in the front office, coaches, scouting department. They lack any good sense in judgment in every area. That’s why both teams are 1-13. That’s why the Jets have had only one winning season since 2010, and why the Jaguars have had only one winning season since 2007.

Terrible owners hire terrible general managers. Those terrible general managers hire terrible scouts. Those terrible scouts scout less talented players. Finally, those terrible coaches fail to get these lesser talented players to improve in any way.

Why Not The Jets Specifically?

Right after Miami had fired Adam Gase he was quickly scooped up by the Jets. That in itself is an unholy sin, but since no one watched Miami people automatically assumed it was a talent issue–even though he had a heavy hand in why the talented diminished over his tenure–and thought he was worthy of another shot. The thing many people may not remember is that Mike McCarthy was the only other candidate for the head coach position. So, when those are the only two candidates you’re targeting, you’re doing something wrong.

Then, after a free agency where the Jets were big spenders, the Jets decided to fire their general manager at the time, Mike Maccagnan. The guy who made those big signings. Adam Gase then proceeded to misuse and mistreat Le’Veon Bell. After some back and forth the Jets decided to finally release Bell, but not before after they put a pretty big stain on Bell’s career.

Not many people think much of this kind of stuff, but players talk around the league. The Jets were already at the bottom of the most desirable players list. After this saga where they pissed off the player who came into the organization as the all-time leader in scrimmage yards per game, they might not be on any desirable players list for the foreseeable future.

Why Not The Jaguars Specifically?

The Jaguars are also not a place that is on the top of players lists when it comes to free agency. At least not at the top for players who are actually good. They also have an owner who seems more worried about making money rather than building a competent team. There is a reason why Doug Marrone is still around. It’s cause the Jaguars owner doesn’t want to have to pay Marrone and a new head coach. There is a reason why not many Jaguars players sign a second contract with the team.

Then there is also the poor reputation the organization has across the board when it comes to relationships with its players. There were the Tom Coughlin incidents where players were warned to stay away from Jacksonville. Then, there was the Twitter clash between Yannick Ngakoue and the son of the majority owner, Ronnie Harrison saying he’s happy he’s to be with an organization where their only goal is winning, as well as other instances along those lines.

So, when you have a cheap owner who doesn’t want to pay for the current talent he has and the organization has a terrible reputation among players, how can you expect to build a contending team?

Why The Panthers?

First, they have a head coach who has established the right culture. Not that Ron Rivera left a bad culture per se, however, it definitely needed a breath of fresh air. Secondly, they have a very young defense who has shown signs that they can be very good in the coming years. So, they are headed in the right direction regardless if they get Lawrence or not. Lastly, they have a lot of good selling points on the offense. The kind where if you find the right QB you’re in serious business.

Their receiving corps may not be the scariest in the league, but they definitely are far from the worst. They have one of the most versatile running backs in the game where he can rush for 1000 yards, but also catch 100 passes over the course of a season. They also have Joe Brady. The guy who transformed the LSU offense from top to bottom and turned Joe Burrow from a fifth-round draft pick to the first overall pick.

This is also beneficial for the Jets or Jaguars. If you have the first pick, but the prospect you’re targeting doesn’t want to play for you, there needs to be a backup plan. The Panthers are a great backup plan. They’re out of conference, currently own the 4th overall pick, and have a good bridge QB.

That’s a pretty good backup plan. You’ll only have to face Lawrence only once every four years. Their pick is top-5 so you can still get one of the other top prospects at the position. And if you feel whoever you pick needs to develop without starting, I am sure the Panthers are willing to move Bridgewater and you will have him on the books for two years and only have $5 million in dead money if you decide to cut him after the 2021-2022 season.

Conclusion

Will Trevor Lawrence try to force the Jets or Jaguars to move the pick so another team can select him? Probably not. It stinks because, in reality, we have to watch such a talented player either flourish for nothing or be completely ruined by inept organizations, who quite frankly don’t deserve a player like Trevor Lawrence.

However, I will continue to hold on to the hope that Trevor Lawrence becomes Eli Manning on draft night and puts himself in a much better situation.