Should Jaguars WR Marvin Jones seek a trade before the 2022 season?

Laviska Shenault Jr. has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate this offseason but he isn’t the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver that could be moved. Veteran Marvin Jones Jr. has also been brought up as someone who could change teams before the start of the 2022 NFL regular season.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently put together a list of NFL veterans that could seek out a trade this offseason and Jones was among those that were mentioned. Davenport points out that the former Cal Golder Bear has carved out a solid career in the pros, logging at least 800 receiving yards in five seasons and scoring nine touchdowns four times. He notes that the Jaguars could certainly use Jones in 2022 but also believes he might be better off joining a contender.

"In Jacksonville, Jones is a lame-duck veteran in the last year of his contract nearing the end of his career. In Green Bay, he could easily be the No. 1 receiver for a Super Bowl contender. The Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tennessee Titans are all potential contenders who could use a boost at the position as well."

Jones signed a two-year deal worth $14.5 million last offseason, and it’s uncertain if he’s part of the Jaguars’ long-term plans. At 32, he still has plenty of gas left in the tank and can be a productive target in Jacksonville this upcoming season. Last year, the 2012 fifth-round pick hauled in 73 receptions for 732 yards with four touchdowns despite the fact that Jacksonville was a mess under Urban Meyer and ranked 32nd in points scored.

The Jaguars are better off keeping Marvin Jones around in 2022.

There’s no doubt Jones could help several teams, especially those with postseason aspirations. It would surely be tempting to request a trade and join a club that is ready to win now. However, the Jaguars must keep the veteran around.

Christian Kirk will be the number one receiver in Jacksonville but Jones has always been better suited for a No. 2 role. In fact, Kirk could draw some coverage away from Jones, which could lead to more opportunities. Moreover, he’s the kind of veteran voice the Jaguars will need in Doug Pederson’s first year as the head coach. He was named team captain last year and could get the honor once again.

Jones is set to count $8.71 million against the cap in 2022, per Over the Cap. Releasing him or trading him would free up $3. 5 million with a dead cap hit of $5.21 million. The Jags aren’t currently in a cap crunch, so it wouldn’t make sense to move on from Jones from a financial standpoint. The team’s brass will surely want their free-agent additions, Kirk and Zay Jones to get a prominent role on offense, which could affect Jones’ playing time but Pederson can surely find a way to get enough targets for all of them.

The Jaguars are currently stacked at wide receiver and could afford to trade one of them this offseason. However, it doesn’t make sense to trade either Jones or Shenault right now. Last year, they lacked talented players and it would be counterproductive to trade those that could make an impact in 2022.