The Jacksonville Jaguars are 6-2 after beating the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football without much trouble. While players got to enjoy a long weekend, you can bet that general manager James Gladstone was busy working the phones ahead of the November 10 deadline.
The Jags have lots of talent but could use help at a handful of positions. Gladstone has previously shown that he's not afraid to take a swing if he thinks it can address the larger scale roster. This is why nobody would bat an eye if he makes a trade to take care of one of the team's most pressing needs. With this in mind, here's a trade big board with everything you need to know ahead of the deadline.
- Latest Brian Thomas Jr. trade intel
- Which non-Brian Thomas Jr. players could the Jaguars trade?
- Biggest needs ahead of the trade deadline
- Potential Jaguars trade targets
Latest Brian Thomas Jr. trade intel
Without a doubt, Brian Thomas Jr. is the Jaguars player who's generated the most trade speculation the past few months. Heck, he's been the subject of rumors dating back to last year, but it wasn't until recently that there's a realistic chance Jacksonville will move him.
See, the Jags have stated countless times that either Thomas is part of the team's plans or that he isn't going anywhere. However, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported just a couple days before the deadline that "it sounds like" the Jags will listen to offers.
Based on the wording, though, Schefter isn't saying that Jacksonville will trade Thomas, but rather that they may be open to the idea. On the other hand, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media reports that the Jaguars might be hesitant to move Thomas because they're afraid it could disrupt the team's chemistry.
In the end, the Jags may only move Thomas for the right price, which could be anything from a fourth to a second-round pick. Sure, he's seen a drop-off in playing time this season, but he had 82 catches for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns as a rookie. And despite his struggles, it looks like Jacksonville isn't just ready to give up on him.
Then again, Thomas will have no shortage of suitors if he's available, and if someone makes an offer the Jags can't refuse, maybe they'll at last cave in.
It's hard to tell whether they'll indeed trade him or not, but we'll know his fate by the deadline.
Which non-Brian Thomas Jr. players could the Jaguars trade?
Brian Thomas Jr. notwithstanding, it doesn't look like the Jaguars will be sellers at the deadline. Instead, they'll likely try to hoard talent in an effort to increase their odds of making a deep playoff run.
That said, the Jags could trade right guard Ezra Cleveland if sophomore Wyatt Milum has made progress. Maybe if Eric Murray hadn't gotten hurt, Jacksonville could move one of its safeties, but that won't be the case since he's done for the year.
One long shot could be Jarrian Jones, if the team's brass wants to roll with Jaylon Jones, Alijah Huzzie as the top backups at corner, but that seems unlikely.
Biggest needs ahead of the trade deadline
There are two or three positions the Jaguars could focus on at the deadline: Safety, defensive tackle, or the pass rush. Of the three, defensive tackle may be the biggest need.
Regarding the safety position, the Jaguars just lost Eric Murray for the season when he suffered an elbow injury in the win over the Indianapolis Colts. However, Kaevon Merriweather, Antonio Johnson, Rayuan Lane III, and Jalen Huskey are in the mix.
Barring further injuries, Johnson and Lane will start the remainder of the year and should have no trouble holding the fort, with Merriweather and Huskey providing depth at the position.
When it comes to the pass rush, the Jags have done a good job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks, but neither Travon Walker nor Josh Hines-Allen has made enough splash plays. Jacksonville could use a No. 3 behind them, as Danny Striggow and Bryan Thomas Jr. haven't done much of note.
Still, the team's brass may prioritize bolstering the interior defensive line over the pass rush. Even before DaVon Hamilton suffered a season-ending injury, James Gladstone was looking for reinforcements at defensive tackle. With Ham out for the year, the urgency to get help has only increased.
The good news is that the Jaguars will have options if they're in the market for a defensive tackle, speaking of which...
Potential Jaguars trade targets
If the Jaguars want to trade for a safety, they won't have many options. That said, they would have an appealing one in Budda Baker.
It's uncertain if the Arizona Cardinals are interested in trading him, and Baker himself has stated that he hasn't requested a trade and hopes to stay in the desert. But if they make Baker available, the Jags may have to give up a second or third-round pick for him.
If the Jaguars want to bolster their pass rush, though, they should then set their sights on Baker's teammate Josh Sweat. Unlike Baker, Sweat has been open to changing teams since the Cards ousted former head coach Jonathan Gannon. He has three sacks this season and could give the Jacksonville pass rush an immediate push.
However, the Jaguars' biggest focus will probably be defensive tackle, and they'll have options if they're open to making a swing. Heading into the headline, Jacksonville has been linked to Jalen Carter, Moro Ojomo, and Jalen Carter.
Of the three, Ojomo may be the most likely. Although the Philadelphia Eagles have stated that they're not moving him, maybe they will for the right offer, which could be a third or a second or something along those lines. If the Jags want to take a swing, though, they could make a push for either Brown or Carter.
The Panthers may or may not make Brown available, but he won't come cheap if they are. He would at least cost a first and something else, maybe a third or a second. Then again, he's a game-changer at defensive tackle, registering six sacks and a forced fumble last year.
Carter is as dominant as Brown, but he appears to be off limits. If the Eagles do trade him, he will cost as much as his Carolina counterpart, if not more - probably two firsts.
In the end, though, it's hard to tell who the Jaguars are truly targeting, but those three are the most likely options. That said, it won't be shocking if they ultimately throw a curveball and trade for someone nobody expected.
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