The Jacksonville Jaguars were very active ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
The team acquired three new players on Nov. 9, bringing in help for their defense as they try to load up for a run to the postseason. The team traded for safety Jessie Bates III, Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux as they plugged holes in their defense caused by injuries.
Advertisement
The team wasn’t only active in acquiring players, though. The Jaguars received interested suitors for wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.
Jaguars trade deadline tracker: News, analysis ahead of final bell
Thomas, the former first rounder out of LSU, has struggled in repeat seasons after a strong rookie campaign. He was credited with 10 drops last year according to Pro Football Reference. This season he’s logged two drops on 22 targets and has seen his playing time decrease for the 6-2 AFC South leaders.
There was chatter that Thomas could be moved ahead of the trade deadline, but that won’t be happening according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Advertisement
Fowler posted on X that the team plans to keep Thomas and has relayed that message to other teams. It’s not surprising as head coach Liam Coen has repeatedly spoken highly of Thomas and supported him through his struggles.
Also, the Jaguars found themselves in a situation where they lacked receivers last season because of injury and had to make a trade to bolster their receiving room. Though they drafted two receivers in April, Josh Cameron and CJ Williams, it’d be a tough situation to have to lean on them as major contributors if injury kept Parker Washington or Jakobi Meyers off the field for an extended period of time.
Even with his struggles, Thomas is an experienced player who can add value to Coen’s offense. His speed can’t be replicated on Jacksonville’s current roster and is a threat to defenses.
Thomas told reporters on Oct. 28 that he hadn’t lost his confidence despite the trade rumors surrounding him. Now, he’ll get the chance to continue on with the team as they attempt to play deep into the season.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Brian Thomas Jr. will stay with the Jaguars through the trade deadline
Read the original article here