Jacksonville Jaguars: Should DT Taven Bryan be on the trade block?

Back when the Jacksonville Jaguars used the 29th overall pick in the 2018 draft to take defensive tackle Taven Bryan, they thought they were getting a difference-maker. Instead, they have gotten a player that has failed to make an impact on the football field. While some prospects take a bit more to develop, the Florida product is already in Year 4, and it doesn’t look like he will thrive in Duval. That’s why the Jags should consider cutting their losses and shop him ahead of this year’s trade deadline.

Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report recently drew up a list of ideal trade targets for every NFL team. He sees the San Francisco 49ers are the ideal landing spot for Bryan, and believes there’s no longer room for the former Gator with Malcom Brown, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Adam Gotsis as the primary interior defenders in Jacksonville.

Sobleski isn’t the only NFL writer that believes Bryan could be shopped before the deadline. Michael DiRocco of ESPN says the Jaguars might not get much in exchange for the defensive tackle but he could garner some interest around the league. On the other hand, he points out he should get more playing time after rookie Jay Tufele suffered a hand injury.

"Bryan is strong and durable (he had never missed a game until Sunday) and could be a role player or a stopgap starter somewhere. Tufele suffered a broken hand in warm-ups last weekend, so Bryan probably will be back in the rotation after the Jaguars’ bye week."

The Jacksonville Jaguars may be better off trading Taven Bryan.

Now, there are no reports about the Jaguars trading Bryan. These are just opinions. Then again, the team’s brass should definitely consider putting the fourth-year defensive tackle on the trade block. He was a healthy scratch in Week 6 and the only reason he may see time is that Tufele could be out of a while. This season, he has appeared in just 28 percent of the team’s defensive snaps and has logged six total tackles, one tackle for a loss, and no sacks.

Earlier this year, the team’s brass declined to exercise the fifth-year option on Bryan’s rookie contract, so he’s set to become a free agent after this season. Why not try to get something for him instead of letting him hit the open market and get nothing.

The Jaguars’ coaching staff likes Bryan. In fact, it was kind of surprising that he made the 53-man roster before the start of the season. Defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi praised him earlier this year, and head coach Urban Meyer said the team wanted to keep him.

Bryan has all the physical tools to thrive in the NFL but he hasn’t been able to put it together. The fact that he has underperformed under two different coaching staff should be a cause for concern. The other side of the coin is he’s still young and other teams may want to take a flyer on him. The Jacksonville Jaguars should definitely call other clubs and let them know he can be had before the deadline. Who knows there may be a team that thinks they can get the most out of the defensive tackle.