ESPN floats out a trade deal for Jags to send Yannick Ngakoue to Browns

With the deadline for him to sign the franchise tag approaching, ESPN proposed potential trade for Yannick Ngakoue involving the Browns.

With less than a month until the Jacksonville Jaguars report for training camp ahead of the 2020 season, their situation with Yannick Ngakoue remains one of the major talking points across the NFL.

After announcing that “his time was up” in Jacksonville in March, the pass-rusher has made no known attempts to reconcile with the organization. In fact, Ngakoue now remains one of only five players yet to sign their franchise tag tender.

With the chances of a long-term deal feeling almost nonexistent, and the former Maryland Terrapin threatening to sit out the season, general manager Dave Caldwell’s leverage is diminishing as we approach the July 15 deadline. In a nutshell, if Ngakoue isn’t going to play for the Jags and isn’t traded by then, the potential in terms of compensation for him will decrease because he’d only be eligible to sign the franchise tag, which is only a one-year deal.

If the Jaguars want to get maximum value from the player, the sensible thing to do would be to trade him before that deadline passes. Since Jamal Adams declared his desire to leave New Jersey, multiple outlets have entertained the idea that the Jaguars should package Ngakoue with a 2021 pick to propose for the All-Pro safety. That being said, any potential deal for Adams remains improbable at best.

However, ESPN’s Field Yates proposed a different deal for the Jaguars to rid themselves of this situation in order to prevent any distractions ahead of training camp. In a recent article, Yates suggested tight end David Njoku and a 2021 second-round pick as compensation to send Ngakoue to the Cleveland Browns.

Approaching the offseason, many would have expected more in return for such a productive pass-rusher, but nothing materialized. That was even the case after a pre-draft Twitter altercation between Ngakoue and son of Shad Khan, Tony Khan, that led to Khan saying the compensation had to be right.

The Jaguars already have an additional 2021 first-rounder after trading Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams last October. That said, adding further capital for the next draft could entice Caldwell as he continues rebuilding this roster for the second time.

As for Njoku, he’d add an interesting option for quarterback Gardner Minshew. Still only 23, the former Miami Hurricane could fall victim to the numbers game in Cleveland after they signed Austin Hooper in the offseason and drafted Harrison Bryant in April. For those reasons, many could view him as a tradable piece.

Njoku broke his wrist early on in 2019 and only played in four games as a result. Still, many saw promise out of him in his first two seasons. The Jaguars have already added Tyler Eifert this offseason, but the oft-injured tight end probably shouldn’t be the only answer at a position that has plagued the Jaguars since Marcedes Lewis left in 2017.

If a trade deal is to happen, the team acquiring Ngakoue will likely have to weigh whether they are comfortable paying him the long-term deal he reportedly wants, averaging $22 million a year. For the Jaguars, however, they would be acquiring a player of significant need for little to no money at all. Njoku’s 2020 salary would be a mere $1.7 million and wouldn’t require an extension until 2022.

While this might not be the most likely trade, this is certainly the type of avenue Caldwell should look to pursue. Any extra capital for the 2021 NFL Draft will be useful, and adding young starters at affordable salaries is going to be vital in his attempt to build a team that can compete for the long-term.