NFL Trade Rumors & Updates: NY Jets Willing to Trade Muhammad Wilkerson for Better Draft Prospect?

Given Muhammad Wilkerson's current behavior and attitude, it's highly likely that the New York Jets will trade him for a better draft pick. As noted by insiders, the defensive end continues to defy the team by not showing up for the first day of the Jets' offseason program.

According to ESPN, sources have already predicted that Wilkerson will not attend the program because he is apparently not happy with the team's offer. Technically, he is not yet part of the team because he still hasn't sign the $15.7 million franchise-tag tender being offered to him by the team. So, even though the workout programs are voluntary, Wilkerson is not obligated to join.

But, this also means that he is not entitled to any financial protection if he gets injured during the offseason program. This can be particularly dangerous for him since he just went through surgery for his knee and is currently doing workouts on his own.

Apparently, the Jets are not willing to give in to Wilkerson's whims as the team is considering trading him to any franchise that can offer a good draft deal.

"Wilkerson is their entrée into the top 10, the bargaining chip that could allow them to improve their current positon, 20^th, ESPN's Rich Cimini stated about the Jets. "Because of their surplus at defensive end, the Jets see Wilkerson as a movable asset."

"They see a trade as a cap-clearing, need-filling measure, and that's why they're exploring potential trade-up scenarios," he added.

But, as pointed out by Cimini, the Jets will only be able to benefit from trading their best defensive end if it will get the chance to secure a top quarterback such as Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. This scenario, however, may not happen for the Jets given the team's current status in the draft order.

Also, since Wentz and Goff are the highly sought after QBs in this year's draft, other team with better prospects will also be gunning out for these two. One of those teams is the Los Angeles Rams, which owns the first round draft picks. However, the team has not yet mentioned while player it is aiming to sign.