Browns Trade for Amari Cooper: 3 Observations As Jaguars Fail To Make Move

Amari Cooper is a Cleveland Brown despite the Jaguars having a lot of interest. What does that mean for the rest of the offseason?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are still looking for wide receiver help, and the path to finding one just became a lot more challenging as the Dallas Cowboys traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns.

The Cowboys ended up unloading the former Pro Bowler to the Browns at a meager price, with the Browns sending a fifth-round pick while the two teams swap sixth-round picks.

According to multiple reports, the Jaguars were an active team in trade talks for Cooper.

Jaguars were also interested in trading for Amari Cooper, who heads to the Browns from Cowboys, and Jacksonville is expected to be a major player in wide receiver free agency market, per league sources @PFN365 #Jaguarshttps://t.co/rOVr0IxzqT

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 12, 2022

I’m told Dolphins and Jaguars were both interested in landing WR Amari Cooper before his trade to Cleveland.

Dolphins would have been strong option for Cooper if he was indeed cut and reached free agency. Miami still would like to land another WR.

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) March 12, 2022

Following the trade of Cooper and tagging of several other top receivers, the Jaguars are left with major questions at wide receiver. What does the team's failure to trade for Cooper mean for the rest of the offseason and what does it say about the team's past moves? 

Decision to not tag DJ Chark looks worse by the day 

The Jaguars spent the first portion of the offseason painting themselves into a corner. Not only did failing to swing a cheap Cooper trade following the abundance of wide receiver tags hurt their prospects of finding a true No. 1 receiver, but the Jaguars have also done their own self-inflicted damage. The Jaguars' best in-house receiver, and only option on the roster to play 'X' and have the potential to be a No. 1 target, is DJ Chark. But in just a few days, Chark will be a free agent as the Jaguars bypassed the chance to franchise tag him.

Tagging Chark certainly would have been an overpay since a receiver franchise tag amounts to $18.419 million this year, but that is only a few million more than the $16.66 million franchise tag they gave to left tackle Cam Robinson. In short, it is spending big, but it is money the Jaguars could have clearly been okay with giving away and it is barely a larger move than the one they made. And with Cooper now off the market, the odds of finding a receiver better than Chark in 2022 are slim. The Jaguars could attempt to still re-sign Chark, but tagging him would have opened the window to sign him wide open for another few months as opposed to one more week. 

Then you consider the fact that the Jaguars didn't even have to tag Robinson due to Walker Little's place on the roster and the offensive tackle options and the whole move looks odd. Not tagging Chark has put the Jaguars in a near-impossible spot at receiver, while not tagging Robinson could have been much more easily navigated. 

Jaguars' free agency hopes now live and die with Allen Robinson, who is a risky gamble

The Jaguars badly need to add receivers this offseason, whether it is an X, Z or a slot. But the simple fact is the Jaguars' biggest need is at X, where they need a big-bodied receiver who can beat press and win downfield for Lawrence. With Cooper now not hitting free agency, the only top options at X are Chark himself and former Jaguars and Chicago Bears receiver Allen Robinson. Robinson is the only player in all of free agency who could be considered an upgrade over Chark on the outside, and even that is a murky projection since Chark is still ascending and Robinson's career trajectory isn't heading in the same direction.

But the bed the Jaguars have now made for themselves mean it is basically Robinson or nothing. The Jaguars had the draft ammo and cap space to make a better offer than the Browns, but the deal still could not get done. Add in a free agency class that has few solid outside receivers, and the Jaguars can officially hit the panic button if they don't sign Robinson. There are other receivers such as Christian Kirk and Juju Smith-Schuster, but they are slot options. Meanwhile, Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a career role player who didn't put up eye-popping numbers with the back-to-back MVP.

The issue with this is the Jaguars have now made it a must-make move when in reality, Robinson is anything but a must-acquire player entering free agency. He is still supremely talented but it is clear the former Pro Bowler has slowed down in recent years and he is fresh off a 38-catch, 410-yard and one-touchdown season. Robinson is a risky gamble to be a No. 1 receiver at 29, but he is the only bet the Jaguars can really make.

Baalke and Jaguars need to desperately hit on a rookie receiver; does his track record say you can trust him?

Regardless of what the Jaguars do at wide receiver next week, it is clear the Jaguars will have to use some of their 12 draft picks on a wide reciever, including at least one of their four top-70 picks. The issue, however, is that Baalke's history of drafting at the position is disastrous at worst and nearly non-existent at best.

In seven drafts as a general manager, Baalke has drafted seven receivers. He has used one 1st rounder, three 4th rounders, and three 6th rounders. Those players combined for 100 catches, 1,206 yards and four touchdowns. Three never caught a pass for the team that drafted them.

• 2011: Ronald Johnson (6th round, No. 182). No stats.

• 2012: A.J. Jenkins (1st round, No. 30). No stats with SF.

• 2013: Quinton Patton (4th round, No. 128: 73 catches for 880 yards and 1 TD.

• 2014: Bruce Ellington (4th round, No. 106): 19 catches for 215 yards and 2 TDs in SF.

• 2015: DeAndre Smelter (4th Round, No. 132). 1 catch for 23 yards and 1 TD.

• 2016: Aaron Burbridge (6th round, No. 213). 7 catches for 88 yards.

• 2021: Jalen Camp (6th round, No. 209 overall). Never played a game for the Jaguars. Cut after preseason.

Simply put, Baalke's track record is downright terrifying considering the Jaguars' need at the position. The next productive receiver he drafts will be the very first of his career, which says something considering how many drafts he has overseen. This is the general manager the Jaguars have entrusted Trevor Lawrence's future with, however, so they will have to hope he is due to finally land a rookie receiver.