Radio host suggests Jaguars trade cornerstone player to move up in the NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars hold the 17th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. With that pick, they'll be in a position to take a good player. But if they want to have a shot at taking one of the top receivers, whether it's Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, or even Marvin Harrison Jr., they'll need to move up several spots. To do so, a local radio host suggests the Jags trade one of their top defensive players.

Tom McManus of 1010 XL thinks that Jacksonville should trade Josh Allen to get to the top 10 and get Trevor Lawrence one of the top receiver prospects in the class. McManus points out that the Jags and Allen's representatives have been trying to get a deal done but if negotiations get rocky, a trade could be the best course of action.

"They haven't gotten a contract on. They're still working on it, maybe it's done but it hasn't been announced yet. I'm not hearing anything that it is," McManus said. But let's say, they're having trouble getting it done, and clearly, they are. You don't tag him if he agreed on value already, it would be a done deal. So then I started thinking, well, when things aren't getting done in the contract world, other teams are calling."

"They probably fielded calls from maybe every team. Maybe not every single team but any team looking for a pass rusher. You know they've called Trent Baalke. Hey, would you possibly trade Josh Allen? Is that something you would consider? I'm not saying that the Jags will do it. This is all a hypothetical thing. But if you believe because here's the scenario, if you believe you can move on from Josh Allen, right? And Travon becomes the number one guy, right you figure the other side out," McManus said.

McManus and his cohost say that once the Jags find a trade partner, they could then target Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, or Malik Nabers, noting that none of them are going to be available at No. 17.

Josh Allen, a first-round pick in 2019, is coming off a breakout year. The Jags wanted him to play out his rookie deal and prove he deserved an extension. He went on to register a team-record 17-5 sacks and earn the second Pro Bowl berth of his career. By late January, the team's brass hadn't reached out to Allen and his representatives, something he didn't take kindly. However, they started negotiations not long after and had productive talks.

Unfortunately, they couldn't agree to a deal before free agency began, so the Jaguars used the franchise tag on Allen. Talks have been positive, and the tag is expected to be a placeholder, so it may be a matter of time before they strike a deal. Here's the full clip of McManus discussing the hypothetical trade.

Why the Jacksonville Jaguars wouldn't trade Josh Allen

Nobody would deny that Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, or Rome Oduzne would be great additions to the Jaguars' wide receiver corps. That said, moving up at least 10 spots would be cost-prohibitive. They would have to give up a king's ransom to trade up, or Josh Allen, as Tom McManus suggests. That would be a non-starter.

After all, Allen is Jacksonville's best defensive player, and trading him would leave a massive hole on that side of the ball. It's true that he wasn't nearly as consistent as the team wanted in previous years but he proved himself in 2023 and now deserves to get paid. Moreover, Travon Walker is trending in the right direction but the Jags would need another pass rusher if they traded Allen. Simply put, it would create an unnecessary need.

When you take into account that Adonai Mitchell, Brian Thomas Jr., and Keon Coleman will probably be available at No. 17, giving up a player of Josh Allen's caliber to trade up to the top 10 doesn't make much sense. Granted, Thomas or Mitchell aren't in the same tier as Harrison or Odunze but they're still quality prospects with plenty of upside. Heck, it's not a given that the Jags will go wide receiver in the first round.

The bottom line is that the Jacksonville Jaguars are better off keeping Josh Allen and taking the best player available at No. 17. Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make.

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