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2 best trades the Jaguars must make before the 2024 NFL Trade Deadline

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Matty Breisch | Last updated 10/17/24

Where do the Jacksonville Jaguars stand heading into Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season?

Is their campaign cooked? Will Doug Pederson make it to Thanksgiving before being fired? Or will Jacksonville somehow figure out a way to rally, get back on track, and fight for their proverbial lives in a successful push for a playoff spot, down four games in the division?

With either option seemingly on the table, even if the latter is about to slide off, the 2024 NFL trade deadline could ultimately serve as a major hint at which direction the Jaguars want to go, and how much everyone wants to save their jobs instead of going into a full-on freefall that results in a new head coach, coordinators, and a GM for good measure, too.

Considering the Jaguars have already made one trade this year, it’s entirely possible they could go all-in in the future or further fortify their roster in the hopes of getting everything back on track. The options really are endless, which should make Jacksonville a very interesting team to watch indeed.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson (74) looks on during the third day of an NFL football training camp practice Friday, July 26, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

1. Trade Cam Robinson to the Patriots for a conditional third-round

When the Jaguars were gunning for the postseason, finally breaking out of the doldrums that have wrecked the team over the past few years, the idea of trading Cam Robinson felt wild.

Sure, he’s about to become a free agent. Sure, the Jaguars drafted his replacement in Anton Harrison. And sure, the top of the 2025 NFL draft has two premier tackles expected to go top-5. But trading Robinson is effectively admitting defeat on the season and making Lawrence’s life even harder in what is already looking like his worst professional season.

With that being said, Robinson is about to be a free agent; Jacksonville has already drafted his replacement and could fortify the position even further in April. If there was ever a time to move off of the middle-of-the-road left tackle, before November 5th feels like the perfect time, especially if the team’s record still starts with a one when that day comes.

Between Walker Little, Javon Foster, and Cole Van Lanen, the Jaguars aren’t bereft of young, ascending talent who could take Roinson’s spot on the left or Harrison’s on the right, should he switch sides, but trading a starting left tackle in the middle of the season for a Day 2 pick? Well, that’s so unlikely it might just be worth pursuing, especially if the Jaguars can orchestrate a deal that upgrades their pick from a three to a two if Robinson re-signs or becomes an All-Pro.

For a team like the New England Patriots, who are absolutely desperate for a new left tackle to protect Drake Maye before his rookie season is ruined, that might be worth such a hearty price and be enough for the Jaguars to stomach a big deal in the middle of the season.

Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes (13) celebrates after breaking up a pass to New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams (18) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

2. Trade for Emmanuel Forbes for a fifth-round pick

If the Jacksonville Jaguars decide they want to add talent instead of trading more away before the 2024 NFL trade deadline, one interesting player they could take a chance on is none other than cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.

Initially drafted in the first round out of Mississippi State, Forbes is one of the slightest cornerbacks in the NFL but has made up for it, at least from time to time, with his deep speed and coverage abilities. As a rookie under then-head coach Ron Riviera, Forbes appeared in 14 games with six starts, recording 38 tackles, 11 passes defensed, and an interception as an almost exclusively outside cornerback, but in 2024, he’s fallen out of Dan Quinn’s defense, playing just 61 outside cornerback snaps versus just one in the slot.

On one play, Forbes would look like an athletic corner who can get things done in space and make plays in both man and zone. But then on the next? Well, he’d get Mossed by the likes of AJ Brown, Deebo Samuel, and AJ Brown again, as it seemed like any time the Eagles’ WR lined up opposite him, a big play would come Philadelphia’s way.

Assuming the Commanders are willing to move off of Forbes like they did fellow failed first-round pick Jahan Dotson, then there’s very little downside for a team like the Jaguars to give him a shot. He’s under contract for at least two more years and could ultimately turn into a decent enough defensive player either on the outside or in the slot, where his body type might fit better.

Give him a shot against Jarrian Jones or Montaric Brown in 2024, or peg him as a starter in 2025 in place of Ronald Darby; either way, Forbes is a silis buy-low candidate for the Jaguars.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris (95) reacts on the fields during the second half of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

Jaguars Bonus: trading Roy Robertson-Harris feels like a mistake

On paper, the decision to trade Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seattle Seahawks feels like somewhat of a nothing burger.

A team with little chance to make the playoffs moving off of a veteran player for a later-round draft pick, especially with one more year on his contract at a decent figure? Goodness, that happens all the time in the NFL, and considering the states of both franchises, it’s hard to see a world where this move really moves the needle in the Super Bowl race one way or the other.

With that being said, if there’s any team in the NFL that really needs to invest in veteran talent, instead of divesting from proven leadership, it has to be the Jaguars, as their season is on the verge of collapse, with no one outside of Lawrence and Joshua Hines-Allen potentially safe from the fallout.

In this scenario, especially in between back-to-back games in London, it likely would have made more sense to keep Robertson-Harris around for the foreseeable future, right? Sure, he’s coming off of two sacks in three games, and the Seahawks are pretty desperate for help up front, but why not keep him around to help mentor players like Maason Smith, who has been rotating in on the defensive line this season?

At 1-5, the Jaguars probably aren’t going to catch the Houston Texans for the top spot in the AFC South or even make a Wildcard berth unless they really give it their all, but to give up on Robertson-Harris now feels like an admission that the season is over and that can’t be a good feeling for anyone involved… minus the former captain, who now gets to play for a contender once more.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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