The Jacksonville Jaguars had a brutal 2021 season. They didn’t perform well on the field and the embarrassment that was Urban Meyer’s head coaching tenure is something the organization would like to put behind them as quickly as possible.
Turning things around on the field and moving on from as many players, coaches and front office personnel that was attached to him is a good starting point. The Jaguars have hired Doug Pederson to take over as head coach and the franchise is hoping that he can help get things on track with Trevor Lawrence, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Lawrence was a big draw for anyone that was interviewing for the Jaguars job. He has been a highly regarded prospect since his time in high school when many projected him to be a future No. 1 pick. Now, it is time for the Jaguars to help him realize that potential.
Jacksonville has a boatload of cap space, some of which will go to upgrading the supporting cast around Lawrence. It will take some time to get the entire roster up to speed, but developing Lawrence is the team’s No. 1 goal in 2022.
The fastest way to help a quarterback improve his production is upgrading the weapons around him to get the ball to. Jacksonville could use some help at wide receiver, especially if D.J. Chark moves on in free agency.
One player that could make sense for the Jaguars is Amari Cooper of the Dallas Cowboys. Cooper was mentioned as one of the blockbuster trades that they would like to see over at Bleacher Report. He would be an ideal trade target for Jacksonville.
While the Jaguars have a lot of cap space to work with, the Cowboys don’t. Their roster will undergo a revamping this offseason as they are projected to be over the salary cap by about $21 million. They will have some cap casualties and Cooper could be one.
The talented wide receiver is projected to have a cap hit of $22 million, but the team could have $16 million in savings by waiving him. Before they decide to do that, they will assuredly look to see what value he has on the trade market.
To land him, Bleacher Report believes the Jaguars could send a 2022 third-round pick and 2023 third-round pick to Dallas. While trading away draft capital isn’t something that would normally be recommended for a rebuilding team, they have an extra third-round pick this year from the C.J. Henderson trade.
Jacksonville is unlikely to find a player that will have as big of an impact on the team as Cooper would with either of those third-round picks. He is a bonafide No. 1 option in the passing game that would help elevate this offense and the performance of Lawrence in 2022.
