Jacksonville Jaguars: Will a move be made before the trade deadline?
By Larry Brake
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in playoff contention but will they make a move before the trade deadline on October 31st?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are tied for first place in the AFC South division with a record of 4-3. They are in position to make a playoff run. Will Jacksonville make a move before the trade deadline to improve their chances to win the division?
Allen Robinson‘s injury left a huge void in the receiving corps especially after losing rookie Dede Westbrook’s preseason injury. Adam Schefter of ESPN speculated on just-for-fun ideas for trades. A suggestion for the Jags included trading for Jarvis Landry in exchange for a second-round pick:
"The Dolphins face the prospect of giving Landry huge dollars or franchising him in 2018, and perhaps they extract some draft value instead. The Jags lost Allen Robinson about an hour into the season and could use the help now that they’re in a playoff position. Suddenly, it’s a win-now Jags team."
Schefter may be joking, but should Dave Caldwell explore making the move? Eli Manning has been mentioned as another potential trade target, but Manning expressed an unwillingness to be traded. Due to the injuries throughout the receiving corps, would adding Jarvis Landry make sense?
Landry has caught 45 passes for 365 yards with three touchdowns while being targeted 68 times in 2017. He would lead the Jaguars in receptions and receiving yards, if he were on the team, of course. His presence would open the field for Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee. Landry is an unrestricted free agent after this season ends. He is still on his rookie contract. He would be an upgrade at receiver that the Jaguars need.
Per spotrac.com, Jacksonville has Hurns under contract until 2021. Robinson and Lee become unrestricted free agents in 2018. Westbrook is signed throughout the 2020 season. Jacksonville faces the decision of which receiver, Lee or Robinson, to re-sign or if they should hold on to both. Adding Landry would make the decision easier.
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Let’s say that Jacksonville is able to make the deal to acquire Landry for a second-round draft pick. In a four-receiver formation, Landry, Hurns, Lee and Westbrook would give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares. It may be a pipe dream, but it’s at least one that makes sense for a Jacksonville team looking to capture the AFC South crown.