Will Jacksonville Jaguars trade QB Gardner Minshew during draft?

The 2021 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away and there’s a 99.99 percent chance the Jacksonville Jaguars will take Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick. On the other hand, it’s less certain what they will do with Gardner Minshew, who is still on the roster but may hold trade value.

Although Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said trading Minshew wasn’t on the team’s plans, Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report believes they could trade him to the Atlanta Falcons during the draft. He points out that teams previously inquired about the quarterback, and they could get a fifth-round selection from the Falcons in exchange for him.

Moton says that if Atlanta acquired Minshew, they would cover all their “bases at quarterback with an established starter, a rookie for the future, and a solid backup for the 2021 season”. On the other hand, he thinks that even without the Washington State product, the Jags would be in good shape, as they signed C.J. Beathard this offseason.

Keep in mind that even though Minshew has recently made the news for changing his hairstyle, he can also play. He may not have as much potential as Lawrence or perform as well as other young quarterbacks but he has shown he can take the football field and win a few games.

Would it make sense for the Jacksonville Jaguars to trade Gardner Minshew?

While it would be unreasonable to expect a first or second-round selection, the Jaguars would be better off keeping Minshew if all they are acquiring is a late-round selection. They have two picks in the fourth round and two in the fifth. They aren’t hurting for picks, and the 2019 sixth-round selection would offer an affordable option at backup quarterback, as he still has two years left on his rookie deal.

Had this Jacksonville team signed a veteran quarterback such as Andy Dalton or Ryan Fitzpatrick to back up Lawrence, it would make sense to trade Minshew. Nevertheless, they don’t have other viable options on the roster. Beathard also has starting experience but it’s doubtful the Jaguars’ brass would like to head into the season with the Iowa product as their primary backup.

You could argue that a quarterback controversy could brew in training camp, but Lawrence would have to fall spectacularly for that to happen. Instead, Minshew could be tasked with helping the Clemson standout get acclimatized to the NFL.

The Jaguars could listen to trade offers on draft day, but they might be better of keeping Minshew than dealing him. An old adage says backup quarterback is the second most important position on the football field and this Jacksonville team already has a serviceable one, why would they trade him now?