TRADE DEADLINE: Trevor Lawrence – Jacksonville Jaguars Quarterback rejected $85.9 million offer from the …see more-NFL….
A report surfaced this week that the Jaguars were sniffing around a trade for San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. We have zero confirmation this report is one hundred percent true but what we can do is take the idea and run with it. The hypothetical trade looked like this: As I noted on #XLPrimetime: #49ers reportedly would’ve wanted No. 17 overall + Zay Jones. Then #Jaguars would have to pay Aiyuk. So, fizzling out.
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This sparked debate among the fan base about whether or not they should have pulled the trigger on this deal. It felt like the majority of fans were against it for a multitude of reasons. The consensus arguments against the trade essentially fell into three categories: 1. He’s not good enough to warrant pick 17 and Zay Jones. 2. The trade is fine but paying him is the issue. 3. Just draft a receiver at pick 17.
Personally, I disagree with all three of those sentiments. The Jaguars found themselves with their metaphorical pants down after losing Calvin Ridley to the Tennessee Titans. Their plan looked so smart until the deadline hit and the Titans offered Ridley a deal he couldn’t refuse. Gabe Davis signing as a free agent is a great fit for the team. I love his ability to take the top off a defense. His game speed is far better than Jones and I look forward to Trevor finally having a weapon who can be multiple steps behind the defense.
He also has great size at 6’2” as a red zone target and he was even a great scramble drill option for Josh Allen. With that said, that is still a niche role. He is not a true X receiver in the NFL and that is what this offense needs. The Jaguars cannot afford to start the 2024 season with a starting wide receiver group of Gabe Davis, Zay Jones, and Christian Kirk. Enter Brandon Aiyuk. He is a top receiver in this league, worth figuring out the salary cap later for, and a much safer bet than gambling at pick 17 in April.
