The Jacksonville Jaguars are dealing with a myriad of injuries on the offensive line. But rather than wait for everyone to get healthy, they acquired Daniel Faalele from the New York Giants in exchange for a sixth-round selection.
While Faalele is far from a top-tier guard, he offers immediate help and competition in the trenches. On the other hand, a Giants expert believes the Jags may not have gotten a good deal.
The Jaguars might have shown desperation with the Daniel Faalele trade
Matt Sidney, who covers the Giants for Fansided at gmenhq dot com, had an exchange with Black & Teal. He believes the Jags may have shown desperation when they traded for Daniel Faalele, noting that his stock had diminished following an uninspiring performance against the Minnesota Vikings in the preseason opener. Here's the skinny.
"So his role was always in jeopardy after the Giants drafted Francis Mauigoa with the intent to start him at RG, so that definitely diminished his value a bit, but he just had a terrible preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings," Sidney told the B&T. "And I think the Patrick Mekari's back surgery, either they were like "let's call the Jags and see if we can prey on desperation" or the Jags called because they needed a body."
Sidney continued, "Either way, I think between Mauigoa pick, other depth pieces performing well, and his poor performance against the Vikings, he was an easy trade to make."
You can make the strong case that the Jags overpaid for Faalele. After all, he was a below-average starter, but they still parted ways with a sixth-rounder. Moreover, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher wasn't even a lock to make the Giants roster, so Jacksonville could have waited to claim him.
That said, the Jaguars needed immediate help on the offensive line. Patrick Mekari just underwent a back procedure, and it's hard to tell what his timeline to return is. Backup Chuma Edoga is dealing with an injury and is currently unavailable. While he'll return by the end of the preseason, sophomore Wyatt Milum is struggling at right guard. Bringing in Faalele adds one option to the table.
The biggest issue surrounding the Daniel Faalele trade is that the Jaguars traded a draft pick for a below-average player, but the thing is that not every deal has to be the blockbuster variety. Jacksonville needed depth and competition in the trenches; Faalele checks off both boxes.
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Daniel Faalele gives the Jaguars the depth they needed on the offensive line
You could argue that the team decision-makers could have signed someone off the streets, but they may not have been thrilled with the options. Moreover, it's not like Jacksonville gave up a first-round selection. Sure, Cam Little and wide receiver Parker Washington were sixth-round selections, but the hit rate on Day 3 of the draft is substantially lower, so general manager James Gladstone chose to use one of his selections on an established player.
But even if you're not thrilled with Gladstone's decision to give up a sixth, he still has another one. Jacksonville obtained a compensatory draft pick when cornerback Greg Newsome walked in free agency. Even after trading for Faalele, the Jags have nine picks, including their first and second.
The truth is that Daniel Faalele won't become a mainstay of the offensive line, but he definitely adds depth and could start if needed.
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