The Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-1 in large part because general manager James Gladstone has put together a well-rounded roster. Since his arrival, he hasn't been afraid to move on from unperforming players and make trades to address the team's large scale needs.
And precisely because Gladstone likes to make trades, he's been pitched to fortify a position group in order to increase the Jags' odds of making the playoffs.
The Jaguars are being pitched to trade for Raiders CB Eric Stokes
Matt Verderame and Gilbert Manzano of Sports Illustrated drew up a list of trades every NFL team should make before the 2025 deadline. They proposed the Jags send a seventh-round selection to the Las Vegas Raiders in return for Eric Stokes, noting that the former first-round pick could add depth to their cornerback group. Here's the skinny.
"The Jaguars are playing well defensively, having forced a league-high 13 turnovers through four weeks," Verderame and Manzano wrote. "Still, the corners beyond Tyson Campbell have some questions, and adding a talented 2021 first-rounder in Stokes, who has played in 49 games, at a low cost, is smart for first-year general manager James Gladstone."
SI continued, "Playing on a one-year, $1.5 million base-salary deal, Stokes could help Jacksonville's playoff pursuit while giving the Jaguars time to decide if they want him for the long term."
A first-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2021, Stokes had a strong start to his NFL career, logging 14 passes defensed and one interception as a rookie. Unfortunately, he was able to build off of his early success and recorded a measly three batted passes and no picks the following three years.
Not surprisingly, the Packers let Stokes walk in free agency. The Las Vegas Raiders swooped in and signed him to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. So far, his stint in the desert has been a mixed bag.
The former Georgia Bulldog was inconsistent in the preseason and wasn't particularly great in Week 1. However, he's shown a bit of improvement the past few games. Meanwhile, the Raiders aren't doing so great, which is why they may be willing to trade Stokes, especially when you take into account that they may need ammo to fortify a roster that is currently devoid of depth next season.
Trading for Eric Stokes would make sense for the Jaguars
All things considered, a seventh-round selection in exchange for a starting cornerback isn't bad at all. The Jaguars have four seventh-round selections after the Tank Bigsby trade, so they probably wouldn't mind parting ways with one of them to fortify their cornerback group. That said, it's hard to tell if Jacksonville would be willing to acquire Eric Stokes right now, even if it were as a depth piece.
Tyson Campbell hasn't been great, but he hasn't been dreadful either. Jourdan Lewis has excelled in the slot, while Travis Hunter keeps improving at corner. Montaric Brown, who missed the preseason and a few games, is back in the fold. That said, both of the depth chart is a bit suspect.
Sophomore Jarrian Jones struggled early on and was phased out in favor of Hunter. Christian Braswell made a strong impression in training camp but is mostly contributing on special teams. And if the Jags wanted to fortify the depth at corner, trading for Stokes would most definitely make sense.
Ultimately, trading for Eric Stokes wouldn't turn the Jaguars into a Super Bowl contender. However, that's the kind of move James Gladstone is known for making to improve the roster.