The Jacksonville Jaguars made it clear that they weren't thrilled about the depth of their wide receiver corps when they released sophomore Joshua Cephus and later made an inquiry about DeVaughn Vele.
Although the Jags missed out on Vele, they showed they were looking for upgrades at receiver. They got it when they traded for Tim Patrick, and general manager James Gladstone just explained why they pulled the trigger on the San Diego, California native.
Why the Jaguars traded for Tim Patrick
James Gladstone met with the local media and said that Tim Patrick brings a unique skill set and experience to the receiver room, noting that he gives Liam Coen yet another weapon to scheme around.
"Really excited about the addition of Tim Patrick. He is somebody that from afar, both Liam, myself, the coaching staff, the scouting staff has really appreciated his game," Gladstone responded when asked why Jacksonville made the trade (2:39 mark). "We talk about the idea of being mentally and physically tough, like I just pointed to, and I use the phrase intangible rich a lot."
Gladstone continued, "I think anybody that does their homework on Tim Patrick undestands that he comunicated to us after this decision was made that he's ready to earn every op that lies in front and when he's got that hunger that he can provide, obviously, from a veteran presence to a room who definitely has, up until Dyami, a lot of youth, a lot of experience, in comparison. And the idea of building out a basketball team, not only the wide receiver room, but multiple position groups that can be helpful, right?"
"Not the same exact genre across the group that can be something that, when you talk with Liam, being able to artfully design plays, to tap into those skill sets is something that he gets creative juices from and so that was something that was really excited about the addition of Tim, knowing that he brings something that we don't currently have in the space."
When Gladstone uses the term intangible rich, he's talking about mentally and physically tough players. And based on his comments, Patrick fits the bill.
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What are the Jaguarus getting in Tim Patrick?
James Gladstone said that Tim Patrick has had to overcome challenges throughout his football career. One of them was missing back-to-back seasons because of injuries in 2022 and 2023. But he remained unfazed and bounced back with the Detroit Lions last year, hauling in a solid 33 receptions for 394 yards with three touchdowns.
But Patrick became expendable due to the ascension of rookie Isaac Teesla, so the Lions traded him to the Jags. Now, the former Utah Ute joins a group that includes Brian Thomas Jr., Dyami Brown, Parker Washington, and Travis Hunter.
Given how stacked Jacksonville is at receiver, you could have reservations about Patrick will getting playing time. He will because of his unique skill set.
At 6'5, Patrick will give Trevor Lawrence a massive target in the passing game. On top of that, he's a willing blocker, so he'll see the field often.
When you add it all up, it's easy to see why the Jaguars didn't hesitate to add Tim Patrick to their wide receiver room.
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