Official: Jaguars Formally Announce Trade Which Sends Calais Campbell to Ravens

The Jaguars' trade of Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick has now been officially processed and announced.

A few days after the trade was first reported, the Jacksonville Jaguars have officially announced the transaction that sends veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2020 fifth-round selection.

It is the second trade the Jaguars have announced since the new league year began at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Yesterday, the Jaguars announced a deal that sent cornerback A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos for a 2020 fourth-round selection.

🚨TRADE OFFICIAL 🚨

We have traded Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 5th round pick. pic.twitter.com/HkwLlButW3

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 19, 2020

A true professional on and off the field.

Thank you for all that you have done, @CalaisCampbell#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/SVnh9gj7N4

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 19, 2020

“Calais has been a tremendous player, an outstanding leader and an even better person during his three seasons in Jacksonville, and his 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year recognition was well deserved," Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said. "We respect his professionalism, appreciate his contributions to the Jaguars organization and the City of Jacksonville and wish him and Rocio the best in this next chapter in Baltimore.

Campbell, 34, was set to account for a $15 million cap hit in 2020. He signed a four-year contract with the Jaguars in 2017 after spending the first nine years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals. 

The veteran defensive lineman immediately became a key piece of the defense and helped lead Jacksonville to the AFC Championship game in his first season with the team. His 14.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2017 earned him a Pro Bowl bid and a first-team All-Pro honor.

Campbell made the Pro Bowl in every season he played in Jacksonville, totaling 31.5 sacks, 44 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles. In 2019, Campbell recorded 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

After three years in Jacksonville, Campbell will leave the Jaguars as one of the most productive players in franchise history. In 48 career regular season games with them, his 31.5 sacks are the fourth-most in team history, a major feat considering his short tenure.

By trading Campbell, the Jaguars freed up a solid chunk of cap space and also gained their 11th official 2020 draft pick. They now formally have multiple picks in the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds of April's draft.

“By trading A.J. Bouye and Calais Campbell, we not only added two more selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, but also created cap space flexibility to put ourselves in a better position to make strategic roster moves during the current free agency window,” Caldwell said. 

“With more draft capital, we’ll be prepared to acquire new players via trade or in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft in April. The acquisitions that we add to our team via free agency and the draft will complement the weapons that we already have on our roster, which allows our coaches and scouts to look at all opportunities to put the best possible team on the field in 2020 and beyond.”

"Like anything in life, they say great things only last for so long. My time in Jacksonville has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience filled with love, support and pure joy from the Duval community," Campbell said in his goodbye letter to Jacksonville.

"To my teammates, coaches, the entire Jaguars organization, Mr. Khan and Tony, and every Jags fan who ever yelled DUUUVAL alongside me, thank you; thank you making me feel like family," Campbell tweeted. "Your kindness and enthusiasm fueled me to be a better player and a better member of your community. It was one of the great honors of my life to wear teal and black and I’ll forever be grateful for how my time as a Jaguar changed my life."