JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The NFL Trade Deadline is officially two weeks away, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are certainly a team to watch once Nov. 10 rolls around.
Part of that is due to the situation surrounding wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who could draw interest from teams in need of an offensive spark. Part of it is also due to the fact that the 4-2 Jaguars look ready to go on a run, which would mean it makes all the sense in the world for them to be buyers once the deadline is officially here.
So, which trade deadline targets make the most actual sense for James Gladstone's front office to go after? And which are, well, pipedreams? We break it down below.
Realistic
Los Angeles Chargers EDGE Khalil Mack
If there is one move that just makes sense for the Jaguars, from fit to need, it is likely Khalil Mack. The Jaguars have a talented pair of defensive ends in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker who should get more productive as the year goes, but their pass-rush depth behind the duo is minimal. The Jaguars have not gotten much production from backup defensive ends Danny Striggow and Bryan Thomas Jr., while Dennis Gardeck might be better off as a rotational piece than as a key part of the pass-rush rotation.
Mack makes a ton of sense for a contender like the Jaguars, he is cheap and in a contract year, and likely would take what amounts to a fifth-round pick to land in a trade. He is getting up there and his production has taken a small dip as a result, but he can still get the job done. He would fit the Jaguars' culture and mentality on defense, while also allowing Travon Walker to play pass-rushing snaps inside more frequently.
Philadelphia Eagles DL Moro Ojomo
While Moro Ojomo did get sidelined with an injury against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, he still makes a ton of sense for a team like the Jaguars as long as it wasn't anything overly serious. The Eagles are sitting at 2-5 and their season looks closer and closer to being over with each passing week. With big money tied up to Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, it has always been clear the Eagles would not re-sign Ojomo, making him an easy trade candidate.
Ojomo is young, can give the Jaguars a boost both against the run and the pass, and would allow the Jaguars to have time to figure out whether he is just a rental and a compensatory pick formula chess piece, or if he is instead a long-term option. Not many players, if any, make more sense for the Jaguars to call about.
Miami Dolphins DL Zach Sieler
While Zach Sieler has been a productive player for a long-time, he is in a different stage of his career than Ojomo. He is older, less productive as a pass-rusher right now, more expensive, and is under contract for several more seasons. With that said, he has connections to the Jaguars' staff, would improve their depth at defensive tackle, and likely would not take much to pry from the Dolphins considering where they are at with their rebuild.
Mayyyybeeee?
New York Jets EDGE Will McDonald IV & Miami Dolphins EDGE Josh Uche
Do the Jaguars actually have a use in their scheme for a true designated pass-rusher who is more of a speed threat than anything else? That remains to be seen considering the traits the Jaguars have been adding at EDGE over the last two years. With that said, both Will McDonald and Josh Uche are guys who can really go off the edge, and they would give the Jaguars the fastball pass-rusher off the edge that would mesh well with Hines-Allen and Walker.
Probably Not
Washington Commanders DL Daron Payne
This would be all about cost, both in terms of draft compensation and cap space needed. The Jaguars would need to create a few million in terms of cap space to fit Payne's deal on the books, while he is also closer to being a blue-chip player than most others on this list. Payne would make a big, big impact for the Jaguars due to his production as both a pass-rusher and a run-stopper, but this seems unlikely unless it is something like a straight Payne for Brian Thomas Jr. swap.
Los Angeles Chargers EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu
We already mentioned one Los Angeles Chargers pass-rusher as a trade option. Tuli Tuipulotu is another gifted Chargers defender who could be shopped as they continue to lose games due to his status as a contract-year defender at a premium position. With that said, chances are he would cost a good bit more than Mack due to the fact that he is a much younger player at the same position. He would also be more of a starter-type, while Mack can be more rotational.
Delusional
Literally Anybody In the AFC South
Outside of Jacksonville, the AFC South is a mess right now. All three other AFC South teams lost in Week 7, bringing the combined AFC South record for non-Jaguars teams to 5-16. The 2-5 Indianapolis Colts look like they could be major sellers ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and the result of their battle with the Jaguars in Week 8 could play a big role in that. The Houston Texans seem unlikely to be sellers since they will believe they can make a run, while the Tennessee Titans have the NFL's best defensive tackle once again playing on its worst team
With that said, do not expect for the Jaguars to land any potential departures from the AFC South such as DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Quenton Nelson, or whomever else. In-division trades do not happen often unless they are ones of little-to-no consequence, like the Jaguars trading Christian Kirk to the Texans last season. That is just how these things go, and the only real way the AFC South's movement at the deadline will impact the Jaguars is by weaking the division as they try to go on their run.
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