Trading Trevis Gipson paves the way for Jaguars' younger D-Linemen to make the team

One or two surprise moves always come with roster cutdown day, and this year is no different. The Jacksonville Jaguars are trading defensive end Trevis Gipson to the Seattle Seahawks before the deadline. The Tusla product made a positive impression in training camp, but the team's brass must feel comfortable with how other pass rushers are coming along. With him no longer in the mix, D.J. Coleman or rookie Myles Cole will have a better chance of making the team.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that Jacksonville dealt Gipson to the Seahawks in exchange for a late-round selection.

As of this writing, the team hasn't confirmed the move. It's also uncertain if the pick is conditional. What's known is that taking him off the books will allow the Jaguars to free up $1.1 million in space with $41.5 million in dead money.

Update: The Jaguars have made the move official.

A fifth-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2021, Gipson had seven sacks in his sophomore campaign. However, he wasn't able to adjust to a change of scheme the following year and logged only three quarterback takedowns. The Texas native was waived before the start of the 2023 season and latched onto the Tennessee Titans.

Gipson revealed that he signed with Tennessee even though he had interest from the Jags, noting that he didn't make the right decision in retrospect. That's why he jumped at the chance to sign with Jacksonville earlier this year. However, his stint in Jacksonville only lasted a few months.

Myles Cole and DJ Coleman can step up for the Jaguars with Trevis Gipson no longer in the picture

Trevis Gipson was projected to be No. 3 behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. With him out of the picture, the Jacksonville Jaguars will lean on rookie Myles Cole and sophomore DJ Coleman, who will now have a better chance of making the 53-man roster.

Had the Jags kept Gipson around, Coleman or Cole would've been the victim of the numbers game. Then again, the front office saw enough of them in training camp and the preseason to move on from the fourth-year veteran.

An undrafted free agent in 2023, Coleman signed with the Jaguars and landed in their practice squad. He made strides in training camp and the preseason, so it wouldn't be shocking to see him make the team.

On the other hand, Myles Cole was a seventh-round pick in this year's draft. While he had enticing physical traits, he was somewhat of a raw prospect coming out of Texas Tech. For this reason, he was as a project, one who would need time to hit his stride. Maybe he's developed faster than the team projected.

Make no mistake, Trevis Gipson would've been a solid No. 3 pass rusher, but if the Jaguars traded him, that's because they think there's someone else on the roster who can have an equal or bigger impact than him. It also helps that parting way with him clears a bit of cap space.

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