The Jacksonville Jaguars are sitting at 4-1, so they are more likely to be buying at the trade deadline than selling. However, there are already rumors around the team trading wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., and another name who could be shipped off along with him is defensive tackle Arik Armstead, according to John Shipley of Sports Illustrated.
Shipley noted that Armstead could get plenty of return in a trade, which is why they might make a move.
“The only reason he is actually on here at all is due to the fact that he has a good bit more trade value than any player on the Jaguars’ roster not named Brian Thomas Jr.,” admitted Shipley. “His contract is fairly tradeable, and he is still producing as a disruptive interior defensive lineman — that is a player with some real trade value.”
Shipley adds that the Jaguars would have to have a lot of faith in their depth on the defensive line, which makes a trade unlikely. However, they have enough depth behind him that the right offer could make him expendable.
Jacksonville Jaguars Could Trade Arik Armstead
Armstead is a former first-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2015 NFL Draft. He is currently in the last year of his three-year, $40M deal with the Jaguars. The Jaguars have a lot of money tied up in other players. They have a few more big contracts coming, including wide receiver Parker Washington.
Armstead will be 34 years old next season as well. So, the team is unlikely to bring him back after the season. While the Jaguars want to go all-in on this team, they also know that their quarterback and head coach have opened a window to compete for years to come.
So, the Jaguars could trade Armstead if a strong draft pick is coming back. They can get by on the defensive line this year and remain in contention. Then, in the future, they will have extra cap space and a strong enough draft pick to replace him with a younger option.
Jaguars Have Defensive Line Depth
The way the Jaguars would feel good about moving on from Armstead would include them feeling much more comfortable in the depth they have. Armstead leads the defensive line group with 212 snaps. DaVon Hamilton is next with 136 snaps. Ruke Orhorhoro has 122 snaps. He would likely see the biggest increase because Hamilton would stay as the nose tackle.
Matt Dickerson and Albert Regis round out the depth. Both are under 100 snaps. Both could take more work if the team moved on from Armstead. Regis is a third-round rookie and is fifth amongst interior linemen in snaps played.
If the Jags want to see him progress, they could move on from Armstead and give him more snaps. Right now, it does not appear that Regis is earning more work. However, the third-round rookie has to see the field more in the coming weeks. Perhaps moving Armstead allows that to happen.
Jaguars Could Move on From $43M Starter Before Deadline