The Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to be active ahead of the NFL trade deadline, and rightly so. General manager James Gladstone hasn't been afraid to acquire help to address immediate needs since taking over the front office, so nobody will bat an eye if the Jags are buyers ahead of November 4.
While Jacksonville could use reinforcements at receiver in light of Travis Hunter's knee injury, their defense could also use a boost in the trenches. An NFL insider suggests that's where Gladstone is setting his sights ahead of the deadline.
The Jaguars are looking for D-Line help at the trade deadline
Dianna Rusinni of The Athletic reports that the Jaguars are looking for help on the defensive line, adding that Brian Thomas Jr. has garnered trade interest, but no team has made a substantial offer. Below's the skinny.
"The Jaguars are looking for a defensive tackle," Rusinni wrote. "They have received lots of interest in WR Brian Thomas Jr., but no substantial offers. Most around the league believe it would take a first-round pick and then some to land the 2024 Pro Bowler."
It makes sense that the Jaguars are trying to bolster their interior defensive line. Their run-stop win rate ranks 30th in the league, and they appear to be lacking a true difference-maker up front. Arik Armstead has bounced back after switching back to defensive tackle, but neither DaVon Hamilton nor Maason Smith has come through.
Regarding the Thomas scoop, it's refreshing to see Rusinni provide a bit of clarity. She had previously reported that Jacksonville was taking calls about the 2024 first-round selection. However, she didn't say at the time that no team had made a serious offer. Couple that with the fact that Liam Coen emphatically shut down all the trade chatter, and it looks like teams were just doing due diligence.
The Jaguars have options to bolster the run, including Quinnen Williams
If the Jaguars want to swing for the fences, they could target Quinnen Williams. He could turn out to be a bit costly but would immediately fix their struggles against the run and bolster their pass rush. Another option would be Sebastian Joseph-Day.
The Tennessee Titans dismissed head coach Brian Callahan in October, and general manager Mike Borgonzi might hold a fire sale to acquire future assets in an effort to rebuild the team. That would potentially make Joseph-Day available. Thus far this season, the seven-year veteran has logged 25 total tackles and one sack. Aside from suiting up for the rival Tennessee since 2023, he's played for the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers.
Trading for Joseph-Day might come cheaper than Williams, but it would ultimately come down to how many draft picks (or which player) Jacksonville is willing to give up. Then again, it has no shortage of picks. The Jags have three third-round selections and nine on Day 4. Simply, they can put together a package of picks to go after whatever players they want.
Ultimately, the Jaguars may wait until the outcome of the Raiders game is decided to pull the trigger, but trading for help at defensive tackle would most definitely bolster their chances of making a playoff push.