If there's one thing James Gladstone has proven since becoming the general manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it is that he's not afraid to swing for the fences. Time after time, he's made deals to either address the larger scale roster or to cut ties with players who don't fit the team's vision. After the Tyson Campbell trade, he'll have a prime opportunity to shoot for the moon.
The Jaguars aren't getting much production from their interior defensive line. Given Gladstone's track record of trading for reinforcements, the Jags should strongly give the New York Giants a call about a player who may no longer want to play for them.
Why the Jaguars could trade for help at defensive tackle
The Jaguars have one of the best defenses in the NFL. They're eight in points allowed, and their 14 takeaways lead the league. Truly, they don't have a true weak link at all three levels. That said, they could use improvements at a few position groups. Defensive tackle is the one that first comes to mind.
Arik Armstead had that clutch forced fumble against the San Francisco 49ers. On top of that, he's logged 2.5 sacks this season. But aside from the former first-round pick, the Jags could use more playmakers on the interior defensive line.
Sophomore Maason Smith has been underwhelming after a strong finish to his rookie campaign. On the other hand, DaVon Hamilton is a fine starter but far from a player who'll make opposing offensive coordinators game plan for him.
Khalen Saunders Sr. is also in the mix, but he's been a healthy scratch after landing in Jacksonville via trade in the offseason. Following the Tyson Campbell trade, James Gladstone said the Jags would continue to be aggressive to keep winning football games. That could lead them to make another trade before the Nov. 4 deadline.
The Jaguars must give the Giants a call about Dexter Lawrence
Knowing the Jaguars could make upgrades at defensive tackle, Dexter Lawrence would be an ideal trade target. A first-round pick in the 2019 draft, he has appeared in 97 games with 90 starts for the New York Giants, registering 30 sacks and five forced fumbles in that span.
Lawrence is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, which is why he signed a four-year deal worth $90 million in 2024. That said, he's not thrilled with the current direction of the G-Men. Just before the start of the regular season, he said he was displeased with their losing ways. Things haven't changed much, as New York is currently 1-4. Couple that with the fact that head coach Brian Daboll is on the hot seat and could be gone next year, and the Giants may be willing to listen to trade offers for the seventh-year veteran.
Trading Lawrence would leave Big Blue with $6.5 million in dead money but would also free up $16.7 million in space. For the sake of the argument, let's say they're listening to offers. They already paid him his signing bonus. Teams interested in acquiring him would be on the hook for cap hits of $18.5 million and $18.5 million in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
The Jaguars are set to have $20 million in space next year, but could either restructure Lawrence's deal to turn some of his salary into bonuses that they can push to future years. Similarly, they could rework other deals to make room for the three-time Pro Bowl nod.
Now, there are no reports indicating that the Jaguars are targeting Dexter Lawrence, but when you take into account James Gladstone's history of making trades and how much of an upgrade he would be at defensive tackle, the possibility should most definitely be discussed.