I was reading an article today about how the Jags are debating whether to pick up Dante Fowler's 5th year option which is set at $14.2 million. Any way you look at it, that's a lot of money for a 3rd DE, especially for a team with so much money committed to other players. With that said, what do we do? Do we decline the option and let him play out 2018, risking losing him to free agency after the season? If that's the case, the very best we can hope for is a 3rd round compensatory pick in return. Do we pick up the option, placing a huge burden on the 2019 cap and probably being forced to cut some valuable players to keep him for that season? Do we try and extend him for a slightly smaller cap number, yet still it will be a big one which could force us to make some tough cuts to other star players? Do we trade him now, losing a great young piece to the defense, yet we likely add a 2nd round selection, take pressure off the future cap and we can use that pick to either trade up or replace Fowler in this draft? There is no easy answer here. Personally, I'm leaning towards dealing him. I hate to do it, but $14.2 million is a huge number and even if we extend him before the 2019 season, we're probably looking at no less than a cap number of $12 million, if we are lucky. I'd hate to lose him, but we can trade him now and get a 2nd rounder or not pick up his option and lose him after the season getting a 3rd round compensatory pick, (if we are lucky.) At $14.2 million, I just don't see how picking up that option is even feasible. I don't wanna lose any starters on defense. We finally built that unit to get it where we want it and Ngakoue and Campbell are entrenched as starters. As much as it would hurt, trading him now would allow us to find Dante's replacement and there is some depth at pass rushing DE/LB late in the draft. Any thoughts?

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