Why the Jaguars should or shouldn't trade for DE Trey Hendrickson

Trey Hendrickson would be a great addition to the Jaguars' rotation

Trevon Walker and Josh Allen had 27.5 sacks between the two last year but they didn't get much production from the rest of the rotation. K'Lavon Chaisson logged two sacks as the No. 3, and Yasir Abdullah, a fifth-round pick, hardly ever got playing time. Chaisson inked a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, and Abdullah remains a work in progress.

Dawaune Smoot, a long-time mainstay of the defense is also gone. Last year, he was recovering from an Achilles tear he suffered late in 2022. He wasn't 100 percent and didn't register a sack. He remains unsigned after becoming a free agent in March. He recently visited the Houston Texans but didn't reach an agreement as of this writing.

The Jaguars signed Trevis Gipson in free agency, but he's somewhat of a reclamation project at this point. A fifth-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2020, he tallied seven sacks in his sophomore campaign but he struggled to make the switch to outside linebacker in 2022 and finished with just three quarterback takedowns.

Gipson was released before the start of the 2023 season and was quickly claimed off by the Tennessee Titans. Expected to bounce back, he was a non-factor most of the year. Working in his favor is that he'll play with his hand on the ground under defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen in Jacksonville. That's where he's at his best. That said, the Jags could still use reinforcements in case he doesn't produce.

Trey Hendrickson would also be a fit in Nielsen's scheme. In fact, he played for him when he was the defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints in 2017-2020. Playing with his old position coach could incentivize him to play for the Jaguars.