DaV on Hamilton’s season-ending quad injury turned the Jacksonville Jaguars into aggressive buyers ahead of the trade deadline.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, their preferred target would be a DT. “(The Jaguars are) targeting a top-tier defensive lineman. Will they get one?”
While several names have surfaced, Eagles breakout tackle Moro Ojomo has emerged as a top candidate.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Ojomo is officially a “person of interest” for Jacksonville as general manager James Gladstone scours the market. Eagles’ Ojomo has been a frequent name linked to the Jags multiple times in trade pitches.
Jaguars Heavily Linked to Eagles Moro Ojomo
“The Jaguars are compelling deadline players for a few reasons. Jacksonville is looking and willing to be aggressive for defensive line help,” Fowler writes. “It would have heavily pursued Simmons last week if it weren’t in the same division as the Titans, Simmons’ old team. Now, Simmons is a unique case — no other available player is like him. But the point stands that Jacksonville could make a move for a key player at the right price.”
The Jaguars were right in the mix alongside the Giants, trying to pry Jeffery Simmons away from the Titans before Chicago ever crashed the party. But Titans GM Mike Borgonzi naturally took the highest bid, flipping Simmons to the Bears, leaving the Jaguars empty-handed and desperate for interior defensive line help.
Worse yet, the Bears set a massive overpaid standard with the Simmons trade, and the Jaguars might have no choice but to go more than their initial price to even get the Eagles to consider. Otherwise, as Fowler points out, the Jags’ only option might be dangling a premier player who solves an immediate position of need in Philadelphia.
“This could be for edge or interior help, in part because the Jaguars have versatile players such as Travon Walker who can play multiple spots up front. Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo is a person of interest here, though Philly is inclined to keep and potentially extend him.”
Jaguars Need to Convince Eagles
The last sentence is the key here. The Eagles might not be hearing offers on Ojomo at all, which should be a cold reality check for the Jaguars.
On SI’s Albert Breer reported that the Eagles have given off “a vibe” that they’re eyeing a contract extension with Ojomo next season.
“The Eagles have gotten calls on DT Moro Ojomo, a rising star in a contract year. And that makes sense, given that the team has already paid Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis at his position. Still, the team has told others that Ojomo is not available, and has at least given off the vibe that it’ll try to re-sign him, despite having Carter and Davis already on big deals,” Breer writes.
This just makes the Jaguars having to spend so much more obvious if they want Howie Roseman to even pick up the phone. They need a DT now, and if they want Ojomo that bad, their only remaining option would be presenting a trade package the Eagles simply can’t say no to.
Jaguars Heavily Linked to Eagles Star Defensive Tackle