Guys, I don't know if it's safe to come out yet. The Jacksonville Jaguars dropped so many bombs at the trade deadline that their phone lines may still be sizzling. Reportedly, he was trying to cook up another deal or two as well, which means the man probably hasn't slept in days.
General manager James Gladstone's prolific day in the big chair legitimized all of the Jimmy Stones memes and Jags' Twitter constant defense of their second-year executive. You can criticize the picks he gave up for Jordan Davis (and a lot of folks are), but a Super Bowl appearance will always be worth the price of admission.
Of course, there was another trade for a defensive tackle that was eclipsed once Davis' name hit the news wire. Davon Godchaux, a ten-year veteran, was brought in at a much cheaper price to help shore up the Jaguars' weakened run defense.
I think the trade for Godchaux was a depth move to fortify the defensive line and ensure the biggest big fellas can catch a break when they need to. However, the transaction was also a sign that one of Gladstone's draft picks hasn't lived up to expectations.
Albert Regis' fall down the depth chart is the result of his own actions (or lack thereof)
When DaVon Hamilton went down earlier this season, the bitter moment doubled as a sweet opportunity for Albert Regis to establish himself as Jacksonville's nose tackle of the future. Of course, the rookie defender had other opportunities to crawl up the depth chart, as he was the second pick of a big draft class the front office thought very highly of.
Unfortunately, the Texas A&M Aggie hasn't been able to get his NFL career out of first gear. In four games played, Regis has only logged five tackles and one stuff. Of all his stops, only one of them is a solo tackle.
When we warm up the ol' PFF machine, we can see that the 23-year-old lineman has a 37.3 grade from the outlet. To be fair, he's only played 44 snaps. Then again, there might be a reason why he's played so little.
The Jaguars front office sees what everyone else does
I'm just a blogger, but the Jaguars' slew of moves shows that there were a few guys on the roster who weren't passing the eye test. Godchaux isn't the youngest guy on the block, so this won't be a permanent demotion for Regis moving forward. However, this is a sign that the days of sticking with a draft pick because of their youth and potential are over in Duval County.
On paper, having a third-round pick as your third- or fourth-string defensive tackle seems like a luxury. Jacksonville's run-focused defense makes things interesting because it doesn't ask its interior defenders to rush the passer as much as other four-man fronts.
If Regis can pick up some wily tricks from Godchaux's work in the middle, the young buck may turn into one of the league's best run defenders himself in a few years. Of course, he'll have to show some sign of development as the weeks roll on, because it looks like roster spots are becoming just as scarce as draft picks in the Bold City.
Add us as a preferred source on Google