Joe Cullen gives his thoughts on the C.J. Henderson trade

Cullen praised the play of Tyson Campbell as a reason why the team felt comfortable trading C.J. Henderson

Jacksonville surprised many around the league and even those who cover the team with Monday’s decision to trade second-year cornerback C.J. Henderson to the Carolina Panthers alongside a fifth-round pick. In return, the Jags received fifth-year tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick.

This return isn’t ideal for a player the Jaguars used the ninth-overall pick on less than two years ago, but it seemed as though Henderson never connected with the new coaching staff, and Jacksonville defensive coordinator Joe Cullen said that a change of scenery for Henderson would be mutually beneficial.

“I just think it’s a great trade for the organization, for CJ (Henderson),” Cullen said. “It’s an opportunity where we felt like [we liked] the way Tyson (Campbell) played and it gives CJ a fresh start where he’s going. I wish him well. I talked to him yesterday. It’s a business and things happen in this league day-in and day-out.”

Henderson exited Jacksonville’s Week 2 game against Denver with a hip injury, and he was inactive in the loss to Arizona on Sunday. In his place, rookie second-round pick Tyson Campbell, who had been starting at nickel, got the start on the outside.

Overall, he played fairly well in a tough spot against an extremely talented and deep Cardinals receiving corps. Cullen said that Campbell’s recent performance is part of why the coaching staff felt like it could afford to part ways with Henderson.

“I just think (Campbell) really competed from that first third down when he went and knocked the ball out on that third-and-1,” Cullen said. “He ran with their receivers really well. Even the one, as much respect as I have for (Cardinals QB Kyler) Murray, it looked like that was shot out of the jugs machine. He went up there and, you know, he was the corner on that play, so I mean we have to have some help by the middle field safety on that. But he competed really well and he’s only going to get better.”

While Campbell saw a lot of work at nickel in the preseason and the first two weeks of the regular season, he mostly started on the outside in college at Georgia. Cullen said he feels comfortable with the rookie playing inside or outside.

“He’s played both and I think, for a young guy, nickel’s a real hard position,” he said. “You have to be great in the run game, you have to be a great blitzer, and then you’re going to have to have some different cover skills for those quicker wide receivers. But I think it helps him a little bit seeing everything from one side of the field.”

With Henderson’s departure, the Jaguars failed to retain yet another first-round pick beyond their rookie deal. But it’s clear Henderson wasn’t a great fit with what the staff was trying to do, and coach Urban Meyer drafted Campbell partially as a failsafe if Henderson didn’t work out.

The Jags will hope that decision, which was a bit questionable at the time, pays off in the long run.

Jags safety Rayshawn Jenkins on C.J. Henderson trade: ‘We have everybody that we need’

Jenkins praised Henderson as a player but said he doesn’t expect a major disruption from the trade.

Jacksonville made headlines on Monday morning as news broke that the team would be trading 2020 first-round pick C.J. Henderson to the Carolina Panthers along with a fifth-round pick in exchange for tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick.

The second-year cornerback missed a large chunk of his rookie season with injuries, but he had a good preseason and had a solid start to the 2021 season with Jacksonville. Without him, the Jaguars will turn to rookie Tyson Campbell, who the team took from Georgia at the top of the second round, to start on the outside.

The Jags had high hopes for Henderson, and this is a disappointing way for his tenure in Duval to end. However, safety Rayshawn Jenkins said that he doesn’t expect Henderson’s departure to cause a major disruption.

“I wouldn’t say we’re too shaken up,” he said. “I feel like we have everybody that we need… C.J. was a good player, I know he’s going to go there and make an immediate impact. Wish him the best.”

Henderson is known as a quieter player and wasn’t considered to be a vocal leader for the team. But asked if that made working with him difficult, Jenkins quickly shot down that suggestion.

“Everybody learns differently, everybody interacts with people differently, I wouldn’t say it was difficult,” he said. “It was different but it wasn’t difficult for me. I’ve been in plenty of situations where I had to communicate or interact with someone who’s just a little bit different, it is what it is.”

Henderson’s tenure in Jacksonville was promising at times, but it also seemed like he never really clicked with the new coaching staff, and a change of scenery could be beneficial to his career. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have to prepare to take on a Cincinnati Bengals passing game that is quickly improving on a short week, and they’ll have to do so without one of their best defensive backs.

Jags officially trade CB CJ Henderson to Panthers

Early this morning, Ian Rapoport reported that a CJ Henderson was on the verge of being traded to Carolina for a third round pick and TE Dan Arnold. Well, it’s now official.

Just one season and three games after drafting him, the Jacksonville Jaguars have decided to trade 2020 No. 9 overall pick CJ Henderson.

This transaction comes after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Jags and Panthers were closing in on a deal to move the former first-round pick with a fifth-round pick Monday morning. In exchange, Rapoport reported that the Jags would be getting tight end Dan Arnold and a third round pick.

The Jags officially announced the move afterward, though there was nothing mentioned about selections being exchanged.

In the preseason, there were rumors surrounding Henderson and the Jags as various executives felt that the former Florida Gator was available for a trade. However, nothing came into fruition at that time and Henderson preceded to have a solid preseason where he registered one of the highest coverage grades over that span, according to Pro Football Focus.

Despite his preseason success, though, Henderson wasn’t as sharp in the regular season, registering PFF figures of 58.9 Week 1 against the Houston Texans and 43.6 Week 2 against Denver (exited the game early with an injury). As for his regular stats, he was able to register eight tackles this season in 108 snaps.

As a rookie, Henderson didn’t have a perfect season but showed promise and even started the first game of his career with a pick against the Indianapolis Colts Week 1. However, he eventually was placed on injured reserve (with a groin injury) after Week 10’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

As for the player the Jags are getting in Arnold, they are getting a tight end who is more of a threat as a receiver than blocker. However, with them needing a pass-catching threat desperately at the position, it makes sense that the team would want him in addition to the draft compensation they will eventually received.

Arnold will enter his career with the Jags with 58 career receptions for 799 yards and seven touchdowns. The Jags will be the fourth team he’s played for as he entered the league with the New Orleans Saints, then played for the Arizona Cardinals and Panthers.

C.J. Henderson, A.J. Cann questionable to return in Week 2 game vs. Broncos

Two more Jaguars starters are questionable to return after leaving the game with injuries.

After losing tight end James O’Shaughnessy in the first half with an ankle injury, Jacksonville suffered another pair of injuries to their starting group. Cornerback C.J. Henderson and right guard A.J. Cann left the game with a hip injury and hamstring injury, respectively. They are both listed as questionable to return.

The Jaguars are trailing the Denver Broncos 20-7, and it seems they’ll be undermanned for the fourth quarter. With Henderson out, Chris Claybrooks and Tyson Campbell have played opposite Shaquill Griffin, while backup guard Ben Bartch is playing for Cann.

Henderson is having a very solid start to the season after failing to make much of an impact in his limited action as a rookie. Cann, meanwhile, struggled mightily in Week 1 against Houston, and entered this week with a 38.o overall grade, per Pro Football Focus.

Still, the offensive line is a thin position group for the Jaguars, and they can’t afford to lose many players in the starting group. Similar depth issues also exist at corner, so it’s imperative that both of these players are able to return to the field in the near future.

C.J. Henderson among the highest-graded corners in single coverage during preseason

Henderson looked like the Jags’ best defensive back during the preseason, and PFF’s advanced analytics back that up.

It’s hard to name a player on the defensive side of the ball in Jacksonville who has had a more monumental preseason than C.J. Henderson. At the beginning of the preseason, trade rumors were surrounding a player who no one had seen take the field in nearly a calendar year.

Henderson quickly silenced any talk of a trade, however. He was dominant in the preseason and appears to be far and away the best defensive back on the roster. He certainly showed some signs of that during his shortened rookie season, but he seems to have taken a major step forward this offseason.

With his spot on the Jaguars now cemented, Henderson enters the regular season as the team’s likely No. 1 corner. And that’s a role he has earned.

According to Pro Football Focus, Henderson was the third-highest graded NFL player in single coverage during the preseason, behind only Denver rookie Patrick Surtain II and Tampa Bay’s Herb Miller III. Henderson graded at 92.3, just below Miller at 92.4.

The stat-sheet doesn’t show it, as Henderson only totaled one pass breakup during the preseason, but his impact went beyond that and he did not allow much from the opposing passing game. Jacksonville’s secondary has a lot to prove after it was one of the most porous units in football last season, but Henderson should be a leader of a group that is expected to improve with potentially an entirely new starting group around him.

C.J. Henderson delivers standout performance in preseason opener

Henderson silenced any trade rumors with an impressive performance in the Jaguars’ preseason opener.

Perhaps no other player on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster has been subject to more negative speculation this offseason than second-year cornerback C.J. Henderson. After injuries limited the 2020 ninth overall pick to just eight games as a rookie, the team signed a high-profile free agent in Shaquill Griffin at the position and also drafted a corner in the second round in Tyson Campbell.

Pair that with rumors reported last week that the Jaguars could be looking to trade Henderson, and he was a bit of an afterthought heading into the Jags preseason opener against Cleveland on Saturday.

Henderson silenced those critics, though, with an excellent performance in the loss to Cleveland. Henderson was targeted four times, allowing just two catches for 15 yards. He also broke up two passes and finished with the lowest passer rating allowed on the team.

“[He played] 28 plays. He played pretty good,” coach Urban Meyer said about Henderson’s performance. “He didn’t get winning performance, but he got honorable mention. He is very talented obviously, but it’s just seeing him getting back in game mode.”

It’s possible the team could still be shopping Henderson, but he was arguably the most impressive defensive back on the field Saturday. For a team that was once one of the worst against the pass, he may not be a player the team could afford to part ways with.

Charlie Strong on CJ Henderson: ‘He can make us a better football team’

While CJ Henderson has only taken the practice field twice since camp started, Jags AHC, Charlie Strong, believes he has time to be ready for the regular season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a trending topic the last two days, and surprisingly enough, it wasn’t because of Tim Tebow. Instead, it was due to teams believing they were open to trading 2020 ninth overall pick CJ Henderson, who is one of the youngest players and has a lot of upside.

This report, which came from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, came as many hurdles have gotten in the way of getting Henderson prepared for the 2021 season. After starting in eight games as a rookie, he was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury after Week 10’s game against the Green Bay Packers. He wasn’t able to return for the rest of the season and eventually had labrum surgery, which limited his offseason activities.

Then when he finally was able to return for training camp, he had to be placed on Reserve/COVID-19 missing the first eight actives before briefly returning for Day 9 and missing Day 10 for personal reasons. However, on Tuesday (the team had Monday off), Henderson returned to the practice field, and despite the trade rumors that have surfaced, assistant head coach Charlie Strong expressed how excited he was to see Henderson back.

“It is good [to see him back],” Strong said. “He’s a really good player and the thing about it is we know this; he can make us a lot better football team. Just to see him get around us and get out on the field and go to work was really exciting.”

Henderson is a player with a lot of potential, and with him, the Jags’ secondary could be a very respectable unit if he improves in his second year. And while the team could go into 2021 with Shaquill Griffin, Tyson Campbell, and Sidney Jones IV as their top-3 corners and succeed, having Henderson (if focused and committed) only gives the group a better chance.

If Henderson can avoid any setbacks from this point on, he has a chance to head into the regular season and be a valuable contributor — if not a starter. The team has yet to take the field for their preseason game, and for that reason, Strong said he’s confident that Henderson can be ready before the Jags’ Week 1 trip to Houston.

“I think that we still have enough time here because we’re a month still out from playing our first game,” said Strong when asked if the time Henderson missed will hurt him. “I know we have these preseason games, and they will always be good to get him back so he can get out there and run around. But just knowing that he can get back and that we can just teach him the defense and he can learn it, because we’re doing a lot on defense and that’ll be good for him to get back and just go through the whole learning process. Even if he can’t come out to practice, just being in the classroom really helps.”

If he’s going to be a part of the Jags’ roster, the next three weeks will be important for Henderson. However, if more issues pop up that prevent him from taking the field, or the team has a hard time motivating him, maybe a trade might be the best option for both parties.

Henderson, Barcoo headed to Jags Reserve/COVID-19 list, Jacobs placed on Active/PUP list

Many fans are excited to see the strides CJ Henderson can make for the Jags, but for the time being, he’ll be place on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Jacksonville Jaguars ended the week by making a few roster moves, some of which have been reported already. However, the most notable one placed cornerback CJ Henderson on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Fellow cornerback Luq Barcoo was also placed on the list, giving the Jags a total of three players on Reserve/COVID-19.

This news comes after the Jags already had placed quarterback Jake Luton on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.

Henderson, who the Jags selected in the first round last season, is a player fans have been eager to see get on the field after he started in eight games as a rookie, but dealt with some injuries along the way. He eventually was placed on injured reserve (groin) after the Jags’ Week 10 game against the Green Bay Packers and didn’t return for the remainder of his rookie season.

Earlier in the offseason, it was revealed that Henderson had labrum surgery, too. As a result of rehabbing, he didn’t take the practice field for organized team activities and mandatory minicamp.

Henderson’s situation comes as there is the potential for competition at the CB2 spot. The Jags drafted Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell in the second round of April’s draft, and though it sounds like they like him more as a nickel cornerback, starting a player picked 33rd overall shouldn’t be ruled out, either. With that being the case, Henderson may not be in position to miss too much time, and his situation will be worth monitoring.

According to a memo sent out Thursday by the NFL, vaccinated players who test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic will be allowed to return to work after two negative tests 24 hours apart. On the other hand, those who are unvaccinated will be subject to a mandatory 10-day isolation period.

In addition to the aforementioned moves, the Jags placed linebacker Leon Jacobs on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Players on this list are members on the roster who aren’t able to start training camp because of a football-related injury.

Players on the list can be activated at any point during the preseason when cleared by the medical staff. However, a player who remains on the Active/PUP list when the final roster is completed must be activated or reverted to Reserve/PUP list. That player would then have to sit out for six weeks before they are eligible to return.

The Jags also announced that Dylan Moses would be placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list. This news had previously been reported, and information on his situation can be found here.

Poll: Who will start opposite Shaquill Griffin in 2021?

Who will win the outside cornerback job between C.J. Henderson and Tyson Campbell?

Jacksonville has at least one bit of certainty in the secondary heading into 2021: free-agent addition Shaquill Griffin. After signing with the Jaguars on a three-year, $40 million deal that pays him like a top-15 corner, he is expected to be a starter this fall.

But who will occupy the cornerback spot on the other side? That’s a question that’s a bit more interesting. Conventional wisdom would say C.J. Henderson, who the Jags took ninth overall in 2020. An injury-limited rookie season was largely unimpressive for Henderson, but the team still hopes he can develop into the top-tier corner it drafted him to be.

However, he won’t reclaim his spot unchallenged after finishing the year on the injured reserve (he’s also recovering from surgery this offseason). With the first pick in the second round in 2021, Jacksonville selected Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell, who could certainly push Henderson to start.

The Jags have hinted that they may see a future for Campbell at nickel rather than on the outside (and his experience playing safety in high school could help with that transition), but it would be a major change for him. He lined up almost exclusively on the outside at Georgia (where players are crossed-trained under Kirby Smart), and the Jaguars invested a lot in him to try and play him outside of his natural position.

It’s fair to say the selection of Campbell was a bit of an insurance policy on Henderson, though they are far from mutually exclusive players. The team definitely drafted Henderson to replace Jalen Ramsey on the outside, but he probably has more versatility than Campbell and could likely handle a move to the nickel with more ease.

But that’s not where the team expected him to play when it picked him ninth, and most of Henderson’s experience has come on the outside, as well. So, it will certainly be interesting to see who can separate themselves in camp.

Do you think it will be Henderson or Campbell? Or will someone else, such as Tre Herndon or Sidney Jones, surprise everyone and win the job? Let us know in the poll below.

[polldaddy poll=10870129]

Poll: Who will start opposite Shaquill Griffin in 2021?

Who will win the outside cornerback job between C.J. Henderson and Tyson Campbell?

Jacksonville has at least one bit of certainty in the secondary heading into 2021: free-agent addition Shaquill Griffin. After signing with the Jaguars on a three-year, $40 million deal that pays him like a top-15 corner, he is expected to be a starter this fall.

But who will occupy the cornerback spot on the other side? That’s a question that’s a bit more interesting. Conventional wisdom would say C.J. Henderson, who the Jags took ninth overall in 2020. An injury-limited rookie season was largely unimpressive for Henderson, but the team still hopes he can develop into the top-tier corner it drafted him to be.

However, he won’t reclaim his spot unchallenged after finishing the year on the injured reserve (he’s also recovering from surgery this offseason). With the first pick in the second round in 2021, Jacksonville selected Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell, who could certainly push Henderson to start.

The Jags have hinted that they may see a future for Campbell at nickel rather than on the outside (and his experience playing safety in high school could help with that transition), but it would be a major change for him. He lined up almost exclusively on the outside at Georgia (where players are crossed-trained under Kirby Smart), and the Jaguars invested a lot in him to try and play him outside of his natural position.

It’s fair to say the selection of Campbell was a bit of an insurance policy on Henderson, though they are far from mutually exclusive players. The team definitely drafted Henderson to replace Jalen Ramsey on the outside, but he probably has more versatility than Campbell and could likely handle a move to the nickel with more ease.

But that’s not where the team expected him to play when it picked him ninth, and most of Henderson’s experience has come on the outside, as well. So, it will certainly be interesting to see who can separate themselves in camp.

Do you think it will be Henderson or Campbell? Or will someone else, such as Tre Herndon or Sidney Jones, surprise everyone and win the job? Let us know in the poll below.

[polldaddy poll=10870129]