The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence first overall last April, leaving many fans excited to finally have a quarterback with upside for the first time in a while. However, when the season came around, it was painfully clear that general manager Trent Baalke hadn’t put enough great to elite talent around him.
Now, here we are almost a year later, and proof that the Jags had an ineffective offseason is right in front of us as the Jags will be picking first overall and named a new coach for the second consecutive time. That said, the Jags are going to have to try a different approach than they did last year (at least to some degree), and one of the focal points should be clearly on improving the offense.
One of the more specific needs for the Jags on offense will be getting a No. 1 receiver, and when considering Baalke’s struggles with finding skill weapons in San Francisco and Jacksonville, many fans feel a trade may be a good option. If that is indeed the route the team chooses to go, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine listed Michael Thomas as the ideal trade scenario for the team.
Michael Thomas represents a potential high-risk, high-reward acquisition. He still has three years left on his contract with each season carrying a cap hit around $25 million. That’s a lot of money for a player who only played seven games in 2020 then missed all of 2021 with an ankle injury.
The Jaguars are in a position where the risk is worth it. They have the third-most cap space in the league, a new coaching staff that will look for immediate improvement and a long way to go in catching up to the Titans and Colts in the AFC South.
Thomas’ name was thrown around for the Jags when Urban Meyer was the Jags’ coach because the two had a relationship at Ohio State. However, Meyer is no longer the Jags’ coach and was fired in December.
Still, even without Meyer, there is a lot to like about Jacksonville in Thomas’ case. For starters, they have their quarterback situation figured out, unlike New Orleans. Secondly, he’d easily be the Jags’ best receiver and would be playing for a coach in Doug Pederson with who he could also build a great connection.
There have been many trade rumors associated with receivers, though Thomas’ name has barely been mentioned in terms of this year. NFL Network reported that there aren’t plans to trade the veteran receiver. Still, the team has the worst cap situation in the NFL and is currently around $75.9 million over the even mark. With that being the case, they have an interesting offseason coming up.
But even if the Saints retain Thomas, Ballentine has the right idea in mind when it comes to the idea of getting a No. 1 receiver through trade. That could potentially be another option like Calvin Ridley or D.K. Metcalf if they are available, but making such a move feels like the right one for the Jags now more than ever.
