Jaguars to trade veteran DL to Seahawks

The terms of the first midseason trade of 2024 is in place. Jacksonville is sending defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seahawks, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The Jaguars will receive a 2026 sixth-round pick in return.

Robertson-Harris spent his first four seasons with the Bears, logging a notable role during the 2019 and 2020 seasons in particular. His play during that span helped his market value considerably and the Jaguars handed him a three-year, $24.4M deal on the open market. That led to high expectations for the former UDFA and he served as a full-time starter during his three full campaigns in Jacksonville.

After posting three sacks in each of his first two Jaguars seasons, Robertson-Harris landed a three-year, $21.6M extension. As a result, he remains under contract through 2026, something which does not make this deal a rental agreement as many trades worked out shortly before the deadline are. With that said, no guaranteed salary exists on the final two years of the UTEP product’s deal, so Seattle is not necessarily making a long-term commitment with this swap.

Robertson-Harris is due to see his cap hits jump to $8.9M and $9.1M over the next two years barring any kind of adjustments to his contract. For now, though, the Seahawks will only be responsible for the remainder of his $1.7M 2024 base salary. This low-cost acquisition will provide depth along the defensive front for a Seattle team which is need of improvement against the run.

The Seahawks currently rank 10th in terms of passing yards allowed per game, but 27th on the ground. Upgrades along the D-line could help in defending the run, something which has been central to Robertson-Harris’ skill set throughout his career. The 31-year-old has totaled between 30 and 45 tackles in each of his past four healthy seasons, and he will be tasked with chipping in on early downs on his new team.

The Jaguars were not initially interested in adopting a seller's standpoint in the build-up to the trade deadline. After another loss dropped the team to 1-5, however, it will be interesting to see if that mindset changes. Jacksonville owner Shad Khan offered an endorsement of general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson ahead of Sunday’s game, but Monday's deal could be the first of multiple trades sending veteran players to new teams over the coming weeks.