This time of year, every GM is seeing what is available for his team in terms of moving up and down in the NFL Draft. While most interest is just curiosity, it seems that the Jacksonville Jaguars have a legitimate desire to move down in the first round.
After securing a quarterback with the No. 3 pick in last year’s draft, Jaguars general manager David Caldwell finds himself more open to trading the No. 3 pick this year.
“We had no margin for error these last two years,” Caldwell said. “I think this year we could be more open.”
It seems like David Caldwell has a lot more confidence in his roster than he did the previous two seasons despite losing a game in the column from 2013 to 2014 and finishing the 2014 just 3-13.
Caldwell acknowledged that because of the top-heavy quarterback class, which could very well leave either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston sliding into Caldwell’s hands if Tennessee or Tampa Bay declines to draft one, there could be some more activity than there was in 2014.
“I would expect some calls,” Caldwell said. “But as you guys in the media know, you pick everything apart and some of the quarterbacks may fall just like some of the quarterbacks predicted to go high last year fell to the late first round. So you don’t really know what other teams’ value is.”
In his first NFL season, Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles threw for over 2,000 yards with a completion percentage of 58.9% and threw 17 INT versus 11 TD. In terms of QB rating he finished 33rd in the NFL.
Last year Bortles signed a 4 yr $20.6 million contract and the Jags will obviously give him a chance to lead this team but they must surround him with better players which leads into the Jags willingness to part with the third pick in the draft.
If Caldwell could generate a second first-round pick in 2015 or in 2016, this has to be looked at as an ideal draft. The team is more than a year away from competing in their division anyway, and bolstering the roster is the only way to get there.
The NFL is built for quick turnarounds but the Jags have been in such a hole recently that it’s not going to be easy for them to dig out of. They haven’t had a winning season since 2007. Trading down in the right situation would certainly give them the opportunity to pick up multiple talents instead of just one player. This team is not built to win now but a few right moves and they will start inching in the right direction.
[NFL.com]
