The Jacksonville Jaguars have been looking to boost their interior defensive line for a while. And their pursuit has only intensified after losing defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton for the season. Understandably, they have been linked to several defensive tackles ahead of the November 10 deadline.
Days ahead of that deadline, the Jags have been matched with Moro Ojomo and Jalen Carter. Whether they are available is a whole different question. The Philadelphia Eagles may not be open to trading either one, but that may not stop Jacksonville from making a push for both of them.
If the Jaguars fail to acquire either Ojomo or Carter, maybe they can turn their attention to Derrick Brown. Even if he's a long shot, taking a flyer on him would most definitely be worth it.
Derrick Brown may or may not be available, but he won't come cheap
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared what he's hearing ahead of the deadline. He says that Derrick Brown would be the crown jewel for teams looking for help at defensive tackle but points out that it would be expensive to trade for him, noting that Carolina isn't currently interested in dealing him.
"The pie-in-the sky swing for someone to take, in the Simmons aftertmath, might be Panthers star Derrick Brown," Breer wrote. "That would be very expensive, though, with Carolina not actively looking to move him."
Having said that, Breer has somewhat contradictory intel, as he later states in his column, that they would consider acquiring picks in exchange for Brown even though they're in the thick of the NFC South race.
"Ditto on the Panthers, who are actually leading the NFC South, but have looked at the idea of trading Derrick Brown or veteran guard Robert Hunt, Breer said."
So, are they looking at the idea of trading Brown or not? What's not in question is that he's a game-changer. A first-round pick of the Panthers in 2020, the seventh-year veteran logged six sacks, one forced fumble, and a jaw-dropping seven passes defensed last year. He hasn't registered a sack this season but remains a force to reckon with at the line of scrimmage and a valuable cog in the Carolina defensive line. This is precisely why it may be cost-prohibitive to land him.
The Panthers would likely trade him for the right price, and a first-round pick would simply not get a deal done. Jacksonville would have to probably part ways with two first-rounders and maybe a late-round pick. He would most definitely be worth it.
The Chicago Bears didn't hesitate to give up two first-rounders for Jeffery Simmons precisely because he's a game-wrecker. Brown could have a similar impact for the Jags.
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Why the Jaguars may make a legitimate push to trade for Derrick Brown
For starters, it's truly hard to tell whether the Panthers are open to moving Derrick Brown. If they are, the next question then becomes how much they are asking for him. Unlike the Indianapolis Colts or the Tennessee Titans, Carolina isn't in a rebuild and still has lots to play for this season.
On the other hand, two first-round picks may be an offer too good to pass, which begs the question, would the Jaguars be willing to meet that asking price, potentially? James Gladstone isn't afraid to make bold moves, as he showed when he traded up to select Travis Hunter second overall.
Similarly, Gladstone is known for making trades to address the larger scale roster. When you factor in that Jacksonville's Super Bowl window may be open, he may be willing to make a splash, even if that means not having a first-round pick — or a first or a second, or whatever the Panthers' asking price is — if that means not only taking care of a need but also increasing the team's odds of making a deep playoff push.
Would it be a steep price to pay? You bet, but landing Derrick Brown would be the kind of move that gets the Jaguars over the hump come January.
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