Jaguars: Winners and losers from the CB CJ Henderson trade

The Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t off to a good start in 2021, losing their first three games of the season. However, they aren’t giving up just yet and are looking for ways to improve. That’s why they traded cornerback C.J. Henderson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for tight end Dan Arnold.

Should the Jags lock up Arnold back in free agency? Definitely, signing him wasn’t cost-prohibitive. Also, they wouldn’t have had to part ways with Henderson. Hindsight is 20/20 but they dropped the ball on this one. In fact, it’s possible that they wouldn’t have brought in Tim Tebow for a workout nor added Jacob Hollister after the roster cuts if they had signed Arnold in free agency.

Head coach Urban Meyer says Arnold will suit up against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. He might not start but should see a significant amount of playing time. The Jags need a reliable target at tight end and Arnold could be it.

On the other hand, it could be argued that the team’s brass wasn’t patient with Henderson. He’s dealt with injuries and was placed on the COVID-19 list during the summer, but he isn’t lacking talent. The case could be made that the current regime inherited the ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft and wasn’t a fit but you just don’t trade your best players.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule recently told the media that they’ve liked Henderson for a long time. Maybe the corner is finally able to reach his potential. In the meantime, here are the winners and losers of the trade.