The Jacksonville Jaguars should get better play from their cornerback group in the second half of the season. Travis Hunter has proven he deserves a bigger role on defense, while Montaric Brown has played well in his return from a leg injury that forced him to miss several games to start the season. On top of that, Greg Newsome has had more time to get acclimated after arriving in Jacksonville via trade.
In fact, Newsome is expected to see an uptick in playing time after the BYE. This will allow veteran Jourdan Lewis to settle in the slot, where he's at his best. Lost in the mix is Jarrian Jones, who's tumble down the depth chart after struggling early in the season. The sophomore corner has hardly gotten any snaps on defense in recent weeks, which has led an NFL analyst to believe that he could be available ahead of the trade deadline.
Jarrian Jones was just dubbed a Jaguars trade candidate
Michael DiRocco of ESPN says that Jarrian Jones could land on the trade block, noting that the second-year cornerback has seen his playing time decrease and would be a better fit on a team that plays man coverage. Below's the skinny.
"The Jaguars could be looking to add on defense, but Jones' role has decreased significantly following the return of Montaric Brown and the development of Hunter," DiRocco wrote. "Jones, a third-round pick last year, has played more of a man coverage corner and might benefit from a team that prefers that style of defense (The Jaguars swapped Tyson Campbell for Greg Newsome II earlier this month at the position)."
Jones showed promise as a rookie in the slot. However, he moved to the boundaries when the Jaguars signed Jourdan Lewis to a three-year deal in free agency. The Magee, Mississippi native played a combined 68 snaps in the perimeter the first two games and gave up six receptions for 78 yards with a touchdown on 11 targets. On top of that, he struggled against the run.
Since then, Jones has only logged a measly five total snaps on defense, showing that he's been phased out in favor of Travis Hunter, Greg Newsome, and Montaric Brown.
Why the Jaguars could indeed place Jarrian Jones on the trade block
Jarrian Jones could garner interest from teams that are in need of help at cornerback. The Dallas Cowboys, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Indianapolis Colts would be realistic landing spots. That said, the Jaguars probably wouldn't get much from Jones. After all, his stock is at an all-time low.
That said, teams that want depth at corner may want to give Jones a shot. Similarly, he would benefit from a clean slate, as it doesn't look like the new regime in Jacksonville is high on him. This begs the question, what could the Jags get in return for the sophomore? Probably a seventh-round pick, but a swap of picks may be more realistic.
Either way, the Jaguars are better off trading Jarrian Jones and getting a ham sandwich instead of keeping him on the bench. It would ultimately come down to how much the team values him. But based on general manager James Gladstone's track record of moving players the past regime brought in, nobody would bat an eye if they end up shipping him out of town.