The Jacksonville Jaguars were able to make an impact move on the offensive side of the ball by acquiring Jakobi Meyers prior to the NFL trade deadline. However, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Jacksonville nearly had a trade in place that would have made a significant impact on defense as well.
One of the biggest moves of the deadline came from the Dallas Cowboys, trading a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the New York Jets for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Unsurprisingly, given how productive Williams has been over the course of his seven-year career, there were other suitors who were close to acquiring Williams before he was ultimately dealt to Dallas.
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In a report from Jordan Schultz on Wednesday, the Jaguars were named as a team that made a “strong push” for Williams before he was traded to the Cowboys.
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It’s hard to blame the Jets for accepting the Cowboys’ offer on Williams. While it’s unclear what was on the table from Jacksonville, the offer the Cowboys made to the Jets was certainly a lucrative one.
Regardless, it’s certainly a gut punch for a Jaguars team to miss out on a player like Williams, given the problems on the defensive side of the ball in Jacksonville.
Currently, the Jaguars’ defense ranks dead last in sacks recorded in the NFL this season. Someone like Williams, who has a double-digit sack season under his belt in the past, could have certainly helped in that department.
The decision not to leverage their future like the Cowboys did for Williams could ultimately end up being the right move from a long-term perspective.
That being said, it will certainly be interesting to see how Jacksonville approaches improving their pass rush internally now that the trade deadline has come and gone without adding any defensive line help.
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