And just like that, the thought of Dante Moore going to the Jets with the second overall pick in this year’s draft dies a quick death. Moore revealed on ESPN that he will forgo the opportunity to make close to $60 million by turning pro, opting instead to return to Oregon.
With their reputation as a perennial doormat, owners of a sixteen-year playoff drought and being a place where young quarterbacks go to die, we’ll never know how much the possibility of being a Jet impacted Moore’s decision, but it would be foolish to assume it didn’t make Moore’s decision any harder.
Even if there was a remote chance that the Jets wouldn’t have taken Moore, his absence removes the possibility of the Jets holding a draft pick that would have allowed another QB hungry team to pay a hefty price to swap with the Jets and grab Moore. So the Jets lose out what could have been either a promising young quarterback, or a premium trade chip.
Moore is betting on himself in a big way here, passing up the chance to be one of the first two players chosen in this year’s draft, and competing with Arch Manning for the top spot next season. If all goes well and he’s in the top five, the financial impact will be minimal. But should Moore see his draft stock drop and land in the middle of round 1 or later, he may regret the decision to make another run at a national championship.
