5.12.2022, 11:36
The tides of the NFL change more and more every day. One day, it is a blockbuster trade sending a long-time quarterback from the NFC to the AFC. The next day, it is a star wide receiver finding himself with a new offense and quarterback.Wednesday was the latter, with the Kansas City Chiefs trading All-World wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for a 2022 first-round pick (No. 29 overall), 2022 second-round pick Justin Grimm Jersey (No. 50 overall), 2022 fourth-round pick, and fourth and sixth-round picks in 2023 NFL Draft. In addition, the Dolphins are signing Hill to a record-breaking four-year, $120 million extension with $72.2 million guaranteed.But just like the last two weeks when Amari Cooper was dealt to the Browns and Davante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jaguars were left as observers once the deals were finalized.That isn't to say the Jaguars made no effort on trading for Cooper (they put in an offer for Cooper, per multiple reports) or Adams, who was always going to play for the Packers or Raiders only.But does that excuse the Jaguars from not being an active participant in the Hill trade? Especially when the other finalist for Hill was the New York Jets, who are entering Year 2 of a young quarterback's development just Chicago Cubs Jersey like the Jaguars are.The Jets, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, put in the following offer for Hill:Knowing what Hill went for and what the Jets nearly obtained Hill for, what does that say about the Jaguars? Should they have made similar efforts to obtain Hill? We take a look at both sides below.The case for trading for Hill would have been simple; Hill is one of the best players in the entire NFL and the Jaguars need more good players. Hill is one of the rare blue-chip players in the NFL who is inarguably elite and he would be the best player on the Jaguars' roster from his first day in the facility. There is a good argument to make that he would be the most talented player on a Jaguars' roster since Jalen Ramsey in the event the Jaguars swung a trade for him.The Jaguars spent big money at wide receiver in Christian Kirk and Zay Jones (and technically Evan Engram), but they still have a major need for an outside receiver who can stretch the field. Hill is the best deep threat in the NFL and one of the best receivers overall, and he would have provided a rare skill set the Jaguars' offense has never quite seen.Remember how explosive DJ Chark was in 2019? Hill would add that kind of element to the Jaguars' offense and then some. Hill is significantly better today than Chark was in 2019, but the Jaguars' offense as it stands today would benefit greatly from having a Chark-like impact.Scroll to ContinueHill could simply be a quarterback's best friend over the next few seasons. While he isn't a big-bodied threat who can win in contested situations over and over, he would give Lawrence the big-play threat he didn David Ross Jersey 't have at his disposal last season. Hill would have transcended the Jaguars' offense, giving them a rare type of weapon the likes of which the franchise hasn't seen at receiver since Jimmy Smith.Hill also would have made Kirk, the Jaguars' new big-money wide receiver, look that much better. Kirk thrived in his role with the Cardinals in 2021 because of the space the structure of the offense allowed him. The Jaguars' don't have the same luxury as it stands today since they have no deep threat teams have to be wary of and don't run the wide-open Air Raid offense the Cardinals do. Hill, however, would have changed that and would have opened up a ton of open space for Kirk underneath.The Jaguars are also a team who could convince themselves they are in a position to win now. They have 12 draft picks and could have matched what the Dolphins and Jets offered and still have draft flexibility moving forward. Considering the weakne s of the Texans and lack of game-changing moves made by the Colts and Titans, the AFC South could have potentially shifted odds toward the Jaguars in the event Hill landed in Jacksonville.Jacksonville also has plenty of cap flexibility moving forward, even with their currently limited room (just $1,573,052 in current cap per ). There are Kyle Schwarber Jersey releases and restructures that could free them up today, however, while there aren't many long-term contracts on the horizon for the Jaguars due to bad drafting. With Lawrence on a rookie deal, there is a chance for the Jaguars to make some bold financial moves.The case against making a move for Hill has a few different layers, however.First, there is the cost. The Jaguars already sunk considerable cap space in the wide receiver position with Kirk and Jones and Marvin Jones last season, so it would be a bit hard to believe the Jaguars would be content with pouring even more financial resources into the group.Perhaps they would have been willing to make the Hill deal before the Kirk and Jones additions were made official, but that is not the reality the Jaguars are currently dealing with. The Jaguars had no way of knowing Hill would be available for trade when they signed Kirk and Jones (though perhaps they could have had they waited just a few days).The Jaguars don't Yu Darvish Jersey have the cap room today to fit Hill into the cap, so trading for him would require some roster maneuvering. There are moves the Jaguars could make to make it work, but it is also far from a sure thing to say that Hill wouldn't impact the Jaguars' short-term financials.Still, the Jets and Dolphins had the right idea. They have a young, cheap quarterback and want to put the best weapons around them. The Jaguars have already pa sed on the other top-tier receiver options this offseason, though, and Hill is the latest example.There are downsides to trading for Hill, and I personally believe the Dolphins are a poor fit for his skillset. But the Jaguars are a team who could have seriously seen a few wins added to their 2022 odds with the addition of Hill, and there is an argument they could have been in the conversation for AFC South favorites.The Jaguars, though, have spent to the max and have made their investments at receiver. Making a move for Hill would have been smart since it would aid Lawrence's development, but the Jaguars likely have genuine reasons for not being in the running for the All-Pro.