(04-21-2018, 10:03 AM)NYC4jags Wrote: I think you simply let 2018 play out on the field (don't pick up the option) and the decision may become easier.
The money being spent on Dareus, Campbell and Jackson is prohibitive.  

The first and easiest way to help find a way to keep Fowler (and still re-sign the more obvious keepers of Jack/Ramsey/Ngakoue) is to move on from Dareus in 2019 when the "out" in his contract comes up.  
That likely means going all in on a run stuffing DT/NT in the 2019 draft (unless they surprise us and draft one next week.)
Campbell, who will be 33 by week one of the 2019 season, also has an out in his contract after this season.  Will he show any signs of father time nipping at his heels?  Does Smoot flash enough this year to give us confidence to move on?

There are just too many unanswered questions for me right now to want to deal Fowler away. I'd like to find a way to keep all of the contributing young players on this defense and I think saying goodbye to a vet (maybe two) and replacing them with draft picks may be all that is required.

Can we afford to lose Dareus? Look at how our run defense completely turned around once we picked him up. He fit like a glove. What if we let him leave and we strike out on drafting a NT to replace him. Do you really wanna go back to the run defense being a major weakness? Age or not, Campbell may have been our best defensive player in 2017. He had a career year and allowed Yannick to thrive as well. I certainly don't wanna get rid of him. That's not even an option in my eyes. I am not a fan of Smoot. IMO, that would be a huge downgrade. 

I don't wanna have to deal Fowler either, but it's time to pay the piper and I absolutely do not want to get rid of any of our defensive starters on the D-Line, linebacker or CB. I refuse to even allow that to be an option right now in my mind. Given the future cap situation, we have to make a decision. You simply don't just cut major contributing defensive veterans and replace them in the draft. You don't always find their replacements right away. Sometimes you strike out and end up worse off. Our defense is what carried us last season. As long as we have a QB who can't carry the team on his back, we need to have a top defense and that means keeping our starters as long as possible.

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(04-21-2018, 10:19 AM)Bullseye Wrote: I have asked a version of this question in another thread, but I can't find it, so I will post the current version of this tangentially related hypothetical.

Suppose the Packers brass decided they need an edge rusher and are all in on Marcus Davenport, but he is taken off the board before their pick.  They do not like any other edge rusher in this class, and decide to offer their first round pick straight up for Fowler.

That would give the Jaguars picks 14 and 29 in the first round.

1.  Do you take the trade?
2.  If so, what position do you address at pick 14?  What position do you address at 29?

3.  Would your answers change if the trade was not straight up for a first round pick, but an inducement for a swap of first round draft position, where the Jaguars sit only at pick 14 in the first round, not at 14 and 29?

Yes. I would see if one of the QB's fell to #14. If not, I trade back and add draft picks. 

I would not accept a simple swap of draft picks though.

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(04-21-2018, 10:43 AM)Andy G Wrote: I’d keep him.

If we’re going to make another run at the Super Bowl we need to have quality depth on the defensive line and while he’s not set the world on fire yet, he’s still a very good player and one opponents have to worry about.

And as with Blake, there is no harm in picking up the option.

If he doesn’t work out this season we can still decide not to take up that option.

If he does work out, then we offer him a longer term deal (and in that scenario, why wouldn’t we want to pay a quality DE who has produced over the course of the season?)

Unless someone is willing to offer us a first round pick (I don’t believe anyone would for a player who has yet to really shine) then a trade simply doesn’t do enough for us.

What if we pick up the option and he gets injured? Then we are on the hook for $14.2 million no matter what. That could happen.

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