Which Players on the Jaguars’ Roster Are Likely Untouchable in Any Trade Scenarios?

With Leonard Fournette and Yannick Ngakoue both on the market, are there any players on the Jaguars' roster who are safe from any trades?

Ever since October 2019, and even before that with Dante Fowler in 2018, the Jaguars have been on a trading spree. It has been open season on their roster, with the team shipping off a number of key players for draft picks to facilitate a rebuild of the franchise. 

From Fowler, to Jalen Ramsey, to Calais Campbell, Nick Foles, and A.J. Bouye, the Jaguars have already executed several big trades recently. Now, the Jaguars seemingly have two other veterans on the trading block with the team shopping running back Leonard Fournette and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. 

Adam Schefter of ESPN was first to report the Jaguars' interest in trading Fournette over the weekend, a move that makes sense considering the fourth-year running back is entering the final year of his rookie contract. 

As for Ngakoue, the Jaguars would actually prefer to keep the fifth-year defensive end on their roster, but Ngakoue has made it clear he wants to play for any team but Jacksonville in 2020. 

With so many former and present Jaguars finding themselves on the trading block, it begs the question of which players on the roster are actually safe from any trade talks during a firesale of the team's locker room.

While none of this is us reporting as a fact that these players are untouchable in any trade talks, we did select a few players who make sense for the Jaguars to make off-limits to any teams that come calling.

From second-year players to a few key veterans, here are six players who are likely untouchable in any trade talks moving forward. We didn't include any players that signed with the team this offseason, but of course a player like Joe Schobert would count. 

DE Josh Allen

Arguably the best player on Jacksonville's roster despite having only 22-years-old and having just one season under his belt, there is no logical scenario where the Jaguars make Josh Allen available to teams. 

With Ngakoue already disgruntled and on the trade market, the Jaguars can't afford to mess things up with Allen, their only other established pass-rusher. As a rookie, Allen recorded 10.5 sacks, which led the Jaguars and all NFL rookies, and made the Pro Bowl. He is one of the faces of the team moving forward, and trading him away would be detrimental both in terms of on-field performance and off-field imaging. The Jaguars need to learn how to start keeping their elite players, and Allen will be one of the next examples. 

WR DJ Chark

The Jaguars haven't had much luck at the wide receiver position since Allen Robinson tore his ACL in Week 1 of 2017, so DJ Chark's emergence in 2019 was a major move in the right direction at the position for the team. Following a rough rookie season, the team's 2018 second-round pick took it upon himself to overhaul his game and become a playmaker for Jacksonville. This work-ethic paid off dividends for Jacksonville in 2019 as he recorded 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games, earning his first-ever trip to the Pro Bowl.

Jacksonville's offense has been stagnant for years, so they aren't in a position to trade away field-stretching receivers who have elite athleticism such as Chark. Jacksonville already lacks weapons on offense, so there isn't a scenario where it makes sense for them to trade away their best one, especially considering Chark is cost-controlled for the next two seasons and is only 23-years-old.

OT Jawaan Taylor

Another former second-round selection, second-year right tackle Jawaan Taylor is going to be one of the building blocks of the Jaguars' offensive line moving into the future. One of the youngest players on the roster, Taylor started 16 games and played every single offensive snap as a rookie, showing great promise as both a run and pass blocker and giving the Jaguars confidence in his development moving forward. 

Taylor's best ball is ahead of him, so it makes no sense to trade him considering the number of talented edge rushers in the NFL. Taylor legitimately has the talent to become one of the best right tackles in football, which means the Jaguars are highly unlikely to be willing to part with him at any stage.

C Brandon Linder

The current anchor of the Jaguars' offensive line, Brandon Linder has a big fan in the form of head coach Doug Marrone. Marrone has said he sees Linder as one of the best centers in football and he believes Linder is coming off one of his best seasons as a pro after he appeared in all 16 games for the first time in 2019. 

While Linder may not have a long list of accolades to his name, he is one of the Jaguars' key veterans. He has survived several rebuilds already because the Jaguars know exactly what they are going to get from him each week, and they can't afford to trade away his leadership or consistency inside. It remains to be seen if Linder remains with the Jaguars once his contract expires, but if he leaves it is hard to envision it happening via a trade. 

QB Gardner Minshew II

Gardner Minshew isn't the same level of player as Allen, Chark, or Taylor, and he isn't as established in the franchise as Linder, but it is hard to see a scenario where the Jaguars would be willing to trade Minshew as the roster stands today. Even if the Jaguars add a veteran quarterback in free agency or a rookie in the draft, it is much more likely the Jaguars would make any new additions compete with Minshew for the starting job instead of trading Minshew away and leaving an open void at the position. 

Minshew has plenty of questions around his game, but the Jaguars are high on him and he will be given every chance to compete for the starting job. He is a cost-controlled signal-caller with plenty of potential, and his starting experience at this point in his young career means there is slightly less of an element of unknown to him. It remains to be seen if the Jaguars would be willing to commit to Minshew long-term, but it is hard to see any scenario where is traded.