The Jacksonville Jaguars made one of the biggest splashes ahead of the NFL trade deadline when the team acquired wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, but that wasn't the only thing general manager James Gladstone was working on.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Jaguars also made a play for star defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, who eventually landed with the Dallas Cowboys.
Schultz notes that while the New York Jets ended up striking the trade with Dallas, the Jaguars made a "strong push" to acquire the three-time Pro Bowler, although Jacksonville's exact offer for Williams was not revealed.
"The Jaguars were active in exploring a trade for Jers DT Quinnen Williams before he was dealt to Dallas. New York ultimately made the deal with the Cowboys, but Jacksonville made a 'strong push' and it wasn’t for a lack of trying," Schultz reported.
It made sense for the Jaguars to be exploring defensive line help, as Jacksonville ranks 29th in run stop win rate and hasn't been getting good play out of DaVon Hamilton and Maason Smith.
Williams would've been a big upgrade against the run and could've provided some extra juice in the interior pass-rush.
Oh well.
At least the Jaguars upgraded their wide receivers room, which was a big move in the wake of the injury to Travis Hunter, who is on injured reserve.
Acquiring Meyers is also important because Brian Thomas Jr. has looked like a shell of the promising young player we saw in 2024, and he's banged-up, also.
Depending on how quickly he picks up the playbook and develops chemistry with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Meyers might have a prominent role immediately.
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