The recent Trevor Lawrence trade chatter revealed two things: The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't done nearly enough to put him in a position to succeed and half the NFL wouldn't hesitate to acquire him if he were available. A proposal that would send No. 16 to the San Francisco 49ers proved both points.
John Buhler of Fansided drew up a list of landing spots for Lawrence if he were available and included the Niners, pointing out that they would be better off trading for him rather than paying Brock Purdy.
Buhler points out that Kyle Shanahan has gotten the most out of Purdy the past three years and wonders what he could do with Lawrence behind center.
"While Purdy has gotten more out of his talent than Lawrence has up to this point, I would trust Kyle Shanahan to do unbelievable things with him in his offense. This is a man who once loved Five Guys around No. 3..."
Bughler goes on to say that San Francisco would win a Super Bowl if Lawrence were the quarterback.
" With Lawrence, I think he keeps the 49ers playoff viable for longer. He will be coached up with more talent and a far less punitive contract than what Purdy is slated to make. Lawrence would win a Super Bowl here."
Grant Coen of Sports Illustrated caught wind of Buhler's proposal and gave it his approval, acknowledging that Lawrence has struggled in Duval but most quarterbacks would have if they were in his situation. He then adds that it would make more sense for the 49ers to get a deal done with the Jags than giving Purdy a contract that would shut down their championship window.
Although Buhler didn't offer a suggestion, it's fair to say that San Francisco wouldn't mind paying a premium — maybe a couple of first-rounders, and a pair of second-round picks — to acquire Lawrence and his current contract. After all, the Jags have already paid him a good chunk of it with a massive signing bonus, so his cap hits for the next five years are manageable.
Of course, Buhler and Grant discussed the proposal with the idea that the trade rumors were true and Lawrence was available. He's not, something the Jags pushed against.
Trevor Lawrence must do his part but so do the Jaguars
Having been dubbed a generational talent coming out of Clemson, there's no doubt that Trevor Lawrence hasn't lived up to his draft billing. Then again, how much of it is his fault, and how much have the Jacksonville Jaguars hampered his development?
Back in his rookie season, Lawrence had Urban Meyer as his head coach. He showed improvement once Doug Pederson took over but regressed once Press Taylor was thursted to oversee him. Not surprisingly, the Jags dismissed both Pederson and Taylor after the 2024 season. That said, inadequate coaching wasn't the sole reason the Knoxville, Tennessee native hasn't fulfilled his potential.
Lawrence's supporting cast in 2022 was better than the one he had as a rookie but far from elite. Expected to make upgrades to the roster, former general manager Trent Baalke instead neglected some key areas, including the offensive line.
Without good protection or a reliable running game, Lawrence was under pressure to deliver but wasn't in a position to do it the past two years. Now, Liam Coen is the head coach and Jacksonville will soon hire a general manager. They'll be tasked with fixing the trenches and bolstering the wide receiver corps. If they do, the fifth-year quarterback will no longer have an excuse.
If they don't, speculation about a potential Trevor Lawrence trade won't stop.