Jacksonville Jaguars: 2 lopsided trade proposals that make no sense

The Jacksonville Jaguars have shown they aren’t afraid to trade players that don’t fit their vision. That doesn’t mean they’re holding a firesale the way a recent article makes it seem. 

Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus recently put together a list of 12 potential trade proposals in the AFC ahead of the deadline. Some of them do make sense but the ones involving the Jaguars don’t. Spielberger believes Jacksonville should trade left tackle Cam Robinson to the Carolina Panthers and wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Spielberger says the Panthers “need a solution” at left tackle and believes Robinson can be it. He points out that they have enough cap space to make a deal happen and thinks that a 2022 fifth-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round selection could get a deal done. He also notes that Carolina has been very proactive this season and didn’t hesitate to trade for cornerbacks C.J. Henderson and Stephon Gilmore.

On the other hand, Spielberger sees the Chiefs as a potential landing spot for Jones. He cites Kansas City’s lack of impact wide receiver outside Tyreek Hill as a factor for pulling the trigger. Spielberger believes a 2022 fourth-round pick and a 2023 seventh-round choice are a fair price to pay for Jones. He highlights the veteran’s consistency throughout his career and his contested catch rate as reasons why the Chiefs should acquire him.

Here’s why the Jacksonville Jaguars won’t consider either trade.

The Jaguars are in a development year. Just like the Panthers, they have made several roster moves. In addition to Henderson, they traded cornerback Sidney Jones, linebacker Joe Schobert, and quarterback Gardner Minshew just before the start of the 2021 season. However, it doesn’t make sense to move on from Robinson nor Jones.

Robinson hasn’t played like a franchise left tackle this year, posting a 55.6 PFF overall grade. He’s never had a mark higher than 63.4 in his NFL career and might not be the long-term answer at the position. But the Jaguars don’t have anyone else right now. They drafted offensive tackle Walker Little with the 45th overall selection in this year’s draft, probably expecting him to compete for a starting job. Nevertheless, he hasn’t appeared in a single offensive snap in 2021, and it doesn’t look like he will take the field any time soon. In fact, the rookie may need to wait until next year to make his debut.

Then, there’s Jones. Why would the Jaguars trade from their best receiver? The 2012 fourth-round pick played a key role in the team’s Week 6 win, catching seven passes for 100 yards. The Jags have Laviska Shenault Jr. and Jamal Agnew could see his offensive snaps increase but Jacksonville would be taking away one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s most trusted targets. Maybe if DJ Chark weren’t on the injured reserve list, and they had another option at wide receiver, the Jaguars could move Jones but that’s not the case. Also, two late-round picks in exchange for the Cal product is too little.

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to hoard as many assets as they to keep rebuilding but not at the expense of their playmakers. Cam Robinson may or may not be in the team next year but the team needs him right now. Meanwhile, Marvin Jones was one of the Jags’ best free-agent acquisitions this past offseason. They can’t afford to trade either.