Before the NFL trade deadline, there were reports that the New York Jets received offers for edge rusher Will McDonald. Now, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated is reporting that the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the teams that made the strongest push for the former first-round pick.
Breer noted that the Jaguars made a significant offer for McDonald after he made a trade request earlier this week.
“The Jaguars, before the flurry of action on Monday, had made a significant offer for him,” reported Breer in his trade deadline column. “Whether another one from another team is forthcoming remains to be seen. McDonald, who only played 24 snaps on Sunday, wants to go to a place where he’ll have a bigger role. And the trade request should at least smoke out any interest there is from other teams now.”
The Jaguars made the offer before pivoting to other options. So, the draft capital used to add McDonald has likely been dispersed to other teams. Still, McDonald is an edge rusher, and that is one position the Jaguars did not add so far.
So, the team could still end up looking to add at the deadline, and the position to watch is edge rusher.
Jacksonville Jaguars Continue Aggressive Pursuit at NFL Trade Deadline
The team started Monday with a trade for Jessie Bates from the Atlanta Falcons. Jacksonville sent a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick for the All-Pro safety with one year left on his deal. They added another rental in Davon Godchaux.
The Jags sent the New Orleans Saints a sixth-round pick for their run-stuffing defensive tackle. However, he will now be depth behind Jordan Davis. The Jags sent a first-round pick and a future second-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for the former first-round defensive tackle, who just signed a massive extension.
The three moves showed that the Jaguars are all-in this season. That makes the pursuit of McDonald unsurprising.
Jags Attempted to Trade for Will McDonald of New York Jets
McDonald went 15th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, the coaching staff that drafted him is no longer here. He had three sacks in his rookie season and then exploded with 10.5 sacks in his second year.
McDonald saw a different role in year three with Aaron Glenn as his new coach. Still, he produced eight sacks. Now, he has three sacks in nine games. The Jets are 2-7 and McDonald has one-year left on his deal, which is a fifth-year option. McDonald requested a trade, looking for a new fit.
However, the Jets are looking to build for the future and want McDonald around next year. So, they turned down the Jaguars, who moved on.
We will see if other teams can change the Jets interest or if the Jaguars continue to look for edge rusher help.
Jaguars Made ‘Significant’ Trade Offer for Disgruntled Star