While Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell shot down the rumors of Yannick Ngakoue being traded any time soon, it’s still a small possibility he suits up for another team. Sure, he recently changed agents and has made contact with the Jags, but according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Ngakoue still would prefer to be moved.
While the initial decision to let him go is ultimately up to the Jags, Vegas oddsmakers aren’t quite buying Ngakoue remaining in Jacksonville. With many suitors and rumors popping up dating back to April, SportsLine betting, in particular, made an odds listing with the notables who’ve been associated with him.
Unsurprisingly, the New York Jets led the way with odds of 3/2. The Seattle Seahawks (3/1), Las Vegas Raiders (4/1), Philadelphia Eagles (5/1), and “other” (15/2) all came in behind them, respectively, and the Jags registered odds of 18/1.
SportsLine’s odds on where @YannickNgakoue plays in 2020 …#Jets +150#Seahawks +300#Raiders +400#Eagles +500
Other +750#Jaguars +1800 pic.twitter.com/nKRtPfQ7Vy— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) August 21, 2020
The Jets’ being atop this list makes sense because they have the cap space (over $30.3 million) to ingest his $17.7 million franchise salary and compensation to land him. Due to trading safety Jamal Adams, they received an additional 2021 first-round pick, a 2021 third-round pick, and a 2022 first-round pick (plus safety Bradley McDougle). That makes some of their future early-round additions expendable for a player like Ngakoue, as Pelissero believes the Jags want something close to a second-round pick and some change.
As many are aware, the Seattle Seahawks struggled to get to the quarterback last season with just 28 sacks. They’ve still been associated with Jadeveon Clowney, so there is a need for a player like Ngakoue, who has proven to be more durable. Unlike the Jets though, it would take some maneuvering in terms of cap space because Seattle only has a little over $15 million available.
The Raiders were a team who NFL insider Ian Rapoport mentioned has kept tabs on Ngakoue this week, so it makes sense that they would be listed, too. Then the Eagles, of course, are a team Ngakoue has hinted at wanting to play for in additions to rumors surfacing on the web. While they don’t have the ammo that the Jets do, they could work something out if they wanted and have $24.3 million in available cap space to take on his salary.