The NFL preseason isn’t just about testing young talent, though the Jacksonville Jaguars have plenty of that to sift through. The preseason is also about the chess game behind the scenes, and general manager James Gladstone has shown he's a master at the game.
As teams trim down to the final 53, front offices start calling, looking for players who might not survive cutdown day but still have value elsewhere.
The Jaguars' roster is (hopefully) stronger and more competitive than it’s been in years, which is both a blessing and a challenge. Add in the new coaching regime, and some proven veterans and promising young pieces might get squeezed out, not because of a lack of talent, but because of sheer numbers. That makes them prime trade candidates—and you can bet other teams will be ready to pounce before cutdown day.
With that in mind, here's a list of Jaguars players other teams could inquire about.
Chad Muma, Jaguars linebacker
Chad Muma has had something of an underwhelming NFL career. While he's not played poorly, he's also not excelled as fans and coaches had hoped. The Jaguars' linebacker room has quickly become one of the defense's biggest strengths, both at overall skill and depth. Foyesade Oluokun continues to excel, and fourth-year veteran Devin Lloyd has shown steady improvement over the years.
Now, with the drafting of Fighting Irish alum Jack Kiser—who's had a stellar camp and preseason—Muma just may get pushed out in favor of proven veterans and promising young talent. While I expect the fourth-year veteran to be on the practice squad this year, there's a strong possibility he warrants at least a late-round draft pick to bolster another team lacking Jacksonville's depth at linebacker.
Darnell Savage, Jaguars safety
Darnell Savage might be another victim of Jacksonville's burgeoning young talent. The new coaching staff snagged two rookie safeties during the 2025 NFL Draft, and they signed Eric Murray, as well. That makes eight players on the depth chart heading into preseason week 3.
Savage didn't have a bad season in 2024, though he didn't stand out, either. It's possible that, like Muma, the seven-year veteran could warrant a look from other teams. With the depth and youth on the Jaguars' roster, Gladstone just might bite.
Related: An ascending Jaguars rookie just got a massive endorsement from Grant Udinski
Johnny Mundt, Jaguars tight end
When the Jaguars released tight end Evan Engram during the offseason, no one would have said that they had tight ends to spare. Yet the team is very happy with third-year veteran Brenton Strange. He's even earned high praise from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the coaching staff. Tight end Hunter Long appears to be a more versatile option than Johnny Mundt. Add in Quinton Morris's compelling preseason—five catches for 62 yards—and Jacksonville has depth beyond just Strange and Long.
Mundt's strength as a solid blocking tight end might be just what another general manager needs. Taken together, this means that Gladstone may be more likely to answer the phone if another team came calling.
Tank Bigsby, Jaguars running back
I know, I know. Jaguars fans love Tank Bigsby, and so do the coaches. A few weeks ago, I would have been preaching about the one-two punch of Travis Etienne and Bigsby in some kind of hopeful callback to the days of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew (man, those were the days!).
Now? New head coach Liam Coen made a few telling but not-so-clear remarks regarding the Jaguars' running back room: "I mean, I think that we've seen great things from all four of those guys," he said (4:51 mark). "It's going to be darn near impossible to have four with a jersey on game day. That's the challenge that we have to work through over the next few weeks."
With Bhayshul Tuten having such a great preseason, could this mean the end of Bigsby's time in Jacksonville?
Related: Jaguars showing massive insight with starters decision for preseason finale
Final thoughts
The Jaguars won’t be able to keep everyone, and rival GMs know it. Whether it’s depth at linebacker, youth in the secondary, or a packed running back room, expect the phones in Jacksonville to stay busy.
A few surprise moves before cutdown day could not only bring back draft capital but also reshape the roster heading into 2025. And Gladstone has already proven he's not afraid to make a trade.
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