The Jacksonville Jaguars found themselves headlining the NFL news wire again after trading another key veteran. This time it was veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2020 fifth-rounder.
The decision to let go of the well-respected veteran is just one of many storylines that has Jags fans curious about what’s to come this offseason. Before we get to free agency and the draft, though, here are three takeaways from Sunday’s headline trade:
Dave Caldwell might have more time than some believe as the Jags’ GM
If it wasn’t clear before now, it’s pretty much undeniable at the point: The Jags are heading towards a rebuild. The powerhouse defense that once propelled the Jaguars to the AFC Championship has been deteriorating since Tom Brady put together that comeback on them and went on to Super Bowl LII. Now, all that is left from the unit is Abry Jones, Myles Jack, and Yannick Ngakoue (at least for now), which means Caldwell will be tasked with a massive overhaul on defense.
With such a mess on his hands, one possibility is that Caldwell may have more time to fix things than believed. After all, his pre-Tom Coughlin draft selections (most notably from 2016), and his free-agent additions (Malik Jackson) were the foundation of that 2017 run. While they did bring in other key pieces when the future Hall-of-Fame coach arrived, his way of doing business and treating players caused an implosion, thus affecting the work that Caldwell put in before his addition.
All of that said, owner Shad Khan may feel that it’s only fair Caldwell have at least two seasons to rebuild. After all, he didn’t say Caldwell had to have a postseason berth when he brought him and Doug Marrone back and ultimately time will tell what the future holds for the veteran general manager.
The Jags have stopped living in the past, probably by force
Speaking of the Jags’ heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots during the 2017 postseason, Khan spent too much time and too many resources into getting them back to that point when it they simply overachieved that year. While the Jags were talented in 2017, it took a ton of luck to get to that moment as they didn’t have to deal with Andrew Luck or Deshaun Watson (aside from two quarters) that season.
When the quarterback play improved in the division, the real Jags showed up in 2018-19 and their struggles are something Khan should’ve come to grips with sooner for the sake of the fans time and money. Unfortunately, it all had to implode for us to get to this point but at least the team is closer to a true rebuild though many fans wished it would’ve come with a whole new regime.
Nonetheless, it still somewhat marks progress.
However, a rebuild doesn’t mean they will not be active in free agency
Some think a rebuild means the Jags will be quiet in free agency, however, I’m not sure that’s the case. The Jags were at the $32 million mark when they traded A.J. Bouye and the only reason that amount decreased was due to the projected amount of Yannick Ngakoue’s franchise tag ($18 million per Spotrac). However, he’s come out to say he doesn’t want to play for the Jags so expect that to come off the books soon, and if not, expect the Jags to lower his cap hit with a long-term deal.
If traded, the Jags will cover the tag amount. That would put them at a projected amount of $45.5 million. Add in the probable releases of tight end Geoff Swaim and receiver Marqise Lee and that number could reach an estimated amount of $51.5 million.
While the Jags have more needs than fans can count on two hands, they eventually will have plenty of money to knock out at least three of them in free agency. The veteran classes at defensive tackle, linebacker, and tight end specifically look intriguing but ultimately time will tell what direction they go.
Trading Campbell was strictly a business move
Campbell was nothing short of a role model on and off the field for Jacksonville. He gave the Jags some quality play and was the soul of the team, receiving three Pro Bowl nods and an All-Pro nod while racking up 195 total tackles and 31.5 sacks over the span of his years in Duval. That said, I’d speculate that the team wanted to keep him but simply didn’t want his services for a $15 million cap hit. The fact that he was traded for a fifth-rounder further validates those sentiments.
Last season, the Jags tried to lower the veteran’s cap number with an extension but the two sides couldn’t find common ground. Some believe they tried to do the same again this year but maybe they still couldn’t agree. Instead of keeping him around for a year that probably won’t result in a postseason berth, the Jags ultimately found a respectable team to send him to while saving a ton of money in the process.
