Given his track record of making trades, general manager James Gladstone was expected to take a wild swing at the November 10 deadline. He didn't disappoint: The Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates III and later acquired defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. However, they saved the biggest splash for the end when they agreed to a jaw-dropping deal to get Jordan Davis from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Leaving aside that Davis is a game-changer, the trade turned heads for several reasons. The biggest one was probably that Philly had just given him a three-year extension worth $78 million in the offseason. However, Gladstone was so determined to get a game-wrecking defensive tackle that he offered a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to get a deal done. The Eagles couldn't refuse such a bid and ended up caving.
In Davis, Jacksonville has a playmaker at defensive tackle who can stuff the run but also get after the quarterback. Sure, he has been nearly as dominant as he was the past two years, when he earned consecutive Pro Bowl nods, but that's due to a wrist injury that has limited his impact. Either way, the Jaguars just took care of their biggest need, while increasing their odds of making the Super Bowl along the way.
And with this in mind, here are the biggest winners and losers from the Jordan Davis trade
Biggest Jaguars winners and losers from the Jordan Davis trade
Winner: Anthony Campanile, Jaguars defensive coordinator
Even though the Jaguars rank second in the NFL in points surrendered, they spared to expense to ensure Anthony Campanile had enough pieces to put together a championship defense. Sure, having DaVon Hamilton for the year stings, but Jordan Davis is as good a run stuffer as big Ham, posting the second-most run stops (58) in the league dating back to last year. Only Jeffery Simmons has more (67).
Then again, Jacksonville surrendered 100 rushing yards or more the last three games. With Davis in the fold, that won't happen again (or it won't happen nearly as often).
Loser: Albert Regis, defensive tackle
The good news is that Albert Regis logged a career-high 22 defensive snaps in the win over the Baltimore Ravens. The bad news is that he probably won't log that amount of playing time after the arrival of Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux.
Regis had trouble getting on the field to start the season and only got a chance because DaVon Hamilton is done for the year, but with Godchaux and, more importantly, Davis in the mix, don't be surprised if Regis becomes an afterthought on defense.
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Winners: Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen
The excuses are over! Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen can't make big plays because quarterbacks get rid of the ball quickly, cornerbacks can't hold onto their assignments, there's traffic on the way to the stadium, and teams routinely double-team them because the Jags don't have a game-changer on the interior defensive line. Davis will help with that, at least with the attention Hines-Allen and Walker are getting.
With Davis lining up at defensive tackle, opposing offenses won't be able to devote extra attention to either Hines-Allen or Travon, which will, in turn, become pass-rush opportunities.
You have probably heard that the Jaguars have one of the best pass-rush tandems in the NFL, but the truth is that Hines-Allen and Walker haven't played like one this season. Carter could help them change that.
Loser: DaVon Hamilton, defensive tackle
DaVon Hamilton suffered a season-ending injury in a contract year, which sucks for him because he was playing some pretty good football this season. But even after landing on the Injured Reserve, there was a chance Ham could come back in 2027. That suddenly became less likely after Jacksonville traded for Jordan Davis.
Davis is set to have a cap hit of over $18 million next year. Given that the Jags also have to pay wide receiver Parker Washington and other players, it's hard to see Hamilton returning to Duval unless he takes a steep discount.
Winner: James Gladstone, Jaguars general manager
A player is worth what a team is willing to pay him, or in Jordan Davis' case, what James Gladstone was willing to give up for him. Sure, it was a hefty price, and Gladstone has previously caught heat for making a bold move (see the Nate Boekircher draft pick or the Travis Hunter trade).
However, the Eagles also showed how valuable Davis was when they gave him a top-market extension this season. They're eating up his signing bonus, so the Jags only have to pay him $650,000 the remainder of the year.
Either way, Gladstone doesn't care about your trade value chart or whether he overpaid for Jordan Davis. What matters to him is that he believes Davis could be the final piece to make the Super Bowl, and that's the kind of gusty mentality that will get the Jaguars to the promised land.
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