Jacksonville Jaguars: 3 potential trades to make before deadline

The Jacksonville Jaguars need someone to play opposite of C.J. Henderson.

The Jaguars need help at cornerback. Rookie C.J. Henderson is holding one spot but he needs someone to play opposite of him and there aren’t any viable options among the roster. Sidney Jones has started the last three games but it’s unlikely he’s the long-term solution at the position. This is where the ‘Jags’ could talk to the New England Patriots about the possibility of acquiring All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

The Patriots have discussed the idea of dealing Gilmore with other teams as recently as August according to Albert Breer of The MMQB, and although head coach Bill Belichick has said he hasn’t heard anything about those, if there’s one team that isn’t averse to trading or releasing some of its key players, it’s the Patriots.

This season, Gilmore has been targeted 30 times and has allowed 16 receptions, good for a completion 53.6 rate. Also, he’s just given up one touchdown and while he’s allowing 13.6 yards per reception, he would definitely be an upgrade for a Jaguars pass defense that ranks 24th in the league and has allowed 15 passing touchdowns in seven games.

Although the cost of acquiring Gilmore may be a bit high, he’s the kind of player that is worth it. The ‘Jags’ have enough draft picks to pull a trade and enough cap space next year to facilitate the move. His base salary will be $7 million next year and will carry a cap hit of $16.7, an amount the team should have no problem absorbing as they are expected to have more than $81 million in cap space next in 2021.