Since becoming the general manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars, James Gladstone has done a great job of replenishing the roster and addressing several key areas. He took care of another one a couple days after the win against the Kansas City Chiefs when he traded cornerback Tyson Campbell to the Cleveland Browns in return for Greg Newsome.
The deal was basically a cornerback swap, but Campbell didn't seem to fit Jacksonville's defense scheme. Instead of waiting until 2026 to address the cornerback position, Gladstone went ahead and took care of it now. In Newsome, the Jaguars are getting a physical corner who can make plays. Given that he's in a contract year, he may be incentivized to prove he deserves to be paid.
Circling back to Campbell, he may not be the last player the Jaguars trade before the 2025 deadline. In fact, there's a candidate in plain sight.
The Jaguars could trade Maason Smith after sending Tyson Campbell to the Browns
The Jaguars haven't hesitated to move on from underachieving players, and Maason Smith has most definitely been underwhelming to start 2025. A second-round pick in last year's draft, he got off to a slow start to his rookie campaign. The former LSU Tiger was even a healthy scratch for several games before, but something clicked, and he finished the year season strong.
Expected to pick up where he left off last year, Smith has instead been a non-factor. He missed time in training camp with a lower-body injury and was an inactive for the opener. Although he has since suited up for four games, he hasn't done much of note, logging just a measly three tackles and no sacks.
That's most definitely not the kind of production Jacksonville envisioned from the sophomore defensive tackle. Heck, the front office traded for Khalen Saunders Sr. during Smith's injury absence, and if he continues to struggle, he could either tumble down the depth chart or even be traded.
The latter scenario shouldn't be ruled out after the Tyson Campbell trade. He was another player that the past regime paid but didn't live up to expectations. The only question would be how much of a leash Smith has. The trade deadline is Nov 4, so he has a few weeks to show he deserves to stick around.
Why would the Jaguars cut ties with Maason Smith?
Following the Tyson Campbell trade, James Gladstone said that the Jaguars may not be done making moves, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Here's the full quote:
"[An extension] is not out of the realm of possibility but it's not part of the active equation [of the trade]," Gladstone said. Gladstone also said this may not be the last trade the team makes between now and the trade deadline to win the AFC South. "We are trying to win football games and part of this trade is that we think Greg Newsome helps us do that," he said. "We will be aggressive to make us the best possible team this year."
Based on the verbiage of the snippet, the Jaguars could make more trades to further fortify the roster, but there's also a chance the team could cut ties with players who aren't part of its long-term future. This isn't that far-fetched when you take into account that Jacksonville traded running back Tank Bigsby after Week 1, and before that, center Luke Fortner in the preseason.
This is a long-winded way to say that Maason Smith could be traded, and if he is, nobody should bat an eye. If the Jaguars have made something abundantly clear, under James Gladstone, it is that nobody is off limits.