If the Jacksonville Jaguars offseason wasn’t already crazy, it just got a little crazier.
According to NFL Network insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to trade veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens once the new league year starts (Wednesday ). In return, they’ll receive a fifth-round pick.
The #Jaguars have agreed to trade star DE Calais Campbell to the #Ravens for a fifth-round pick, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 15, 2020
With Calais Campbell being the best free-agent signing in team history, this move clearly is about freeing up cap space. With a rocky amount of salary cap to begin the offseason (Wednesday, March 25), there had been suspicions on whether the team would ask him to take a pay cut as they attempted to do in 2019. That said, it’s possible the Jags couldn’t find common ground again this offseason and simply decided to part ways with the veteran for some relief.
The Jags brought in Campbell via free-agency in 2017 on a four-year deal worth $60 million with half of that being guaranteed. While with the team he was dominant, going to three Pro Bowls while accumulating 195 total tackles and 31.5 sacks. He was also named an All-Pro in 2017.
Campbell was set to be a $15 million cap hit in 2019. By trading him they will have an estimated amount of $27.4 million in available cap space, per Spotrac’s roster calculator.