The Brian Thomas Jr. Stance

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It could be a very interesting next two days for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Well, it will be an interesting next 50 hours or so for all 32 teams as the NFL Trade Deadline approaches with speed. But the Jaguars are an especially interesting case considering their spot as a contender in the AFC at 6-2, and considering they have some clear needs at a few defensive spots.

So, what do we make of the Jaguars and where they sit entering the trade deadline’s final two days? We have some thoughts.

The Latest Brian Thomas Jr. Reports Don’t Seem to Mean Much, Yet

Perhaps I am being stubborn. And I did say a few weeks ago the Jaguars should trade Thomas due to his declining role. But the vast majority of Brian Thomas Jr. trade reports this weekend have felt like … nothing much to me. We have all seen the case of the Jaguars being stubborn about Thomas before; the team itself has even pushed back on Thomas trade noise in the past. We have also seen reports of other NFL teams believing that a Thomas trade will eventually happen despite the Jaguars’ stubbornness.

The latest report that seems to be getting traction is one from Adam Schefter this morning where he says the Jaguars appear to be set to listen to offers. To that point I contend… why wouldn’t they? When have the Jaguars not listened? Would they not listen on virtually anyone at the deadline, because that is what teams do? Were they not expected to take any phone calls for the next two days? It very much so feels like a situation that hasn’t changed, and people are frustrated at the lack of change.

This isn’t to say Thomas hasn’t seen his role decerease since the start of the season. He has caught one pass since Week 4, and it stands to reason he could help another offense in the NFL more than he is currently helping a Jaguars offense that is doing just fine without a big impact made by Thomas. But for now, this all feels like … just not much.

What a Trade Timeline Could Look Like

I know that some fans thought a team like the Jagurs might want to make a trade before the Sunday games to keep a target from getting injured, but that doesn’t really happen outside of the weird Marvin Harrison Jr. trade from last month. Ultimately, most trades before the deadline happen either right on Tuesday or on the day after the Sunday games and, in some cases, after the Monday Night Football game.

I think if we see the Jaguars make a trade, we see it happen close to Monday evening/Tuesday afternoon. Get the player in for Wednesday and go from there to see if they can get them ready to play in Week 10 against the Tennessee Titans on the road. That is only in the event the Jaguars do pull off a trade, of course, but my prediction is that we do see at least one.

The 3 Teams Jaguars Could Be Competing With

I think the Jaguars are going to be in the defensive tackle and safety market, and there are three teams I think they are going to have to compete with for targets.

  • New York Giants: The team that has been rumored right along with the Jaguars the most at defensive tackle has been the New York Giants. They seem to be all in on building from their early-season success and they might have the chance to do something, well, silly to messup the market.

  • Minnesota Vikings: Like the Giants above, the Minnesota Vikings seem like they have been the team most connected to defensive tackles. Brian Flores’ scheme relies on space-eaters at defensive tackle and the Vikings have a win-now window in a wide-open NFC.

  • Buffalo Bills: I think the Bills need safety help even more than the Jaguars do. The Jaguars still have a top-ranked defense despite their injuries at safety throughout the season, while the Bills’ passing defense has been a clear fatal flaw over the course of the season. The Jaguars are fighting with the Bills for seeding, and I could see them have to fight them for a safety, too.

The 1 Deadline Move the Jaguars Shouldn’t Make

I am normally very much so i nfavor of teams taking massive swings with draft picks. I loved what the Rams did during their Super Bowl windows. I thought the Travis Hunter trade was a good one. And I think the Chicago Bears made the best move of the year grabbing Jeffery Simmons. With that said, not every blockbuster is built the same, and there is one popular blockbuster hypothetical thrown out there that I just would not do: a king’s ransom for Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

I have not really considered Carter much as a potential option for the Jaguars. Partly because I do not think the Eagles would want to have to deal with the dead cap that would come with trading Carter, and partly because Carter is just a player I would not put together a Simmons-like package for. My feeling is there has to be some reason the Eagles would be selling. It made sense for the Titans to; Simmons is gonna be a few years into his 30s the next time they sniff .500. But the Eagles should have a window. If they would be comfortable with moving on from Carter, I believe there likely would be a reason. He is an elite talent, but I would look elsewhere.

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