Jaguars Trade Trevis Gipson: 3 Observations On the Move

What do we think about the Jacksonville Jaguars trading Trevis Gipson to the Seattle Seahawks?

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Trevis Gipson (50) pressures Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask (2) during the second quarter of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-7. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars shook up their edge depth on Monday, reportedly trading edge rusher Trevis Gipson to the Seattle Seahawks for an undisclosed late round pick.

Considering Gipson had looked to be the favorite to be the No. 3 edge rusher (or No. 4, depending on how you classify Arik Armstead), the move came as a surprise to many. But after digesting the move, what do we make of the deal? We break it down below.

This is likely more of a testament of D.J. Coleman and Myles Cole than a knock on Trevis Gipson

This in no way feels like a trade the Jaguars made as a result of Gipson underperforming. Gipson had a solid training camp and preseason and the coaching staff frequently talked him up. This instead feels like two young edge rushers in D.J. Coleman and Myles Cole have done better than the Jaguars expected or even hoped, which made them more flexible in their decision-making.

On paper, this looks like the Jaguars think Gipson was relatively close to Coleman and Cole. Gipson has more trade value as a veteran who has produced in the regular season, so if you get an offer for him, why not take advantage?

The Jaguars have internal options

Aside from the young guys on the depth chart, the Jaguars do have some internal options to step up as depth behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. This doesn't mean the edge depth shouldn't still be a concern, because it still is. The Jaguars are in trouble if a starter goes down. With that said, there are a few players who were already locks to make the roster who could take edge snaps in pass-rushing situations.

Defensive tackle Arik Armstead could be the Jaguars' No. 3 edge defender after spending snaps on the outside in San Francisco. Yasir Abdullah and Chad Muma will likely both get some pass-rush reps as the SAM linebackers in specific situations as well. It isn't ideal depth, but Gipson isn't a loss they weren't already built to work around.

Jaguars got good value, but it would be surprising if they were the ones to begin these talks

No matter any way you slice it, the Jaguars getting any kind of trade compensation for a player who was likely closer to the bottom of the 53-man roster than the middle is a good move. Day 3 picks are how you get the likes of Antonio Johnson, Parker Washington, and Cam Little, so the more darts you have to throw, the better. The draft is a crapshoot, but the more picks you have the better your chances are.

With that said, it would still be surprising if the Jaguars were the ones shopping Gipson. It makes more sense that the team was instead trying to make a decision with him to be on or off the roster and a pass-rusher needy team like the Seahawks, who just traded a pass-rusher for a sixth-round pick, instead called them first.

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