Jacksonville Jaguars unlikely to be buyers before trade deadline
The Jacksonville Jaguars may sit this one out.
We still have a little bit of time, but the trade deadline is just hours away. If the Jacksonville Jaguars want to make any moves, they will have to do it before 4 p.m. E.S.T, but based on comments head coach Doug Marrone made in his latest sitdown with the press, it’s unlikely the team will pull the trigger.
Marrone told the media that he’s not aware of whether the Jaguars’ brass is going to make any moves before the tradeline. He added that he doesn’t know who’s available via trade and is instead focused on the players that are currently in the building, so that pretty much shuts down the odds of the team becoming active in the trade market.
It doesn’t make sense for the Jacksonville Jaguars to be passive.
The Jaguars are currently 1-6 and in the cellar of the AFC South. Even though their roster isn’t loaded with playmakers, they do some pretty talented players. Their wide receiver corps is pretty deep and rookie James Robinson is leading the way on offense, so the team does have a few building blocks.
On the other hand, the loss of cornerback A.J. Bouye, defensive ends Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue significantly affected the Jaguars defense and their presence is sorely missed. Think of how better the unit would be if the three were still with the team or if they found adequate replacements.
Rookie defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson hasn’t become a steady contributor and cornerback C.J. Henderson is going through the growing pains that come with being a first-year player in the NFL. Their learning curve could accelerate if the Jaguars had more talent on defense.
The Jaguars don’t even need to make any splash trades, just a few that complement their current talent. We know they are hoarding draft selections in order to add talent in next year’s selection process, but based on their track record of selection difference-makers, do you trust general manager David Caldwell to hit on the team’s 2021 draft picks?
Why don’t the Jaguars acquire established players before the trade deadline and try to turn things around? There is still plenty of time to finish the season strong. While it may be too much to expect them to suddenly become a playoff contender, we would like to see them compete every week and make things interesting. Making a few trades before the deadline would help them do that.