It’s rare for a top-10 pick to be shopped by his team after just one season, but Jaguars cornerback C.J. Henderson might be in that exact situation. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Sunday that multiple executives around the NFL believe Henderson is on the block and could be had for the right price.
That’s a huge surprise for the 2020 ninth overall pick, especially considering the Jaguars aren’t exactly flush with surefire starters at cornerback heading into this season – even after drafting Tyson Campbell in the second round this year. Henderson has an ideal combination of size and speed in the secondary, and although he struggled in eight games as a rookie, that’s common for first-year cornerbacks.
Assuming he is indeed available, the Rams should call the Jaguars and think about making a move.
Their top two starters are already locked in with Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams, but there’s a hole at the third spot following Troy Hill’s departure in free agency. David Long Jr. will get a chance to replace Hill, as will Terrell Burgess in nickel packages. Robert Rochell was competing for that role, too, before injuring his wrist and undergoing surgery.
Henderson is a former top-10 pick with a high ceiling, given his coverage skills, size (6-foot-1, 204 pounds) and speed (4.39 in the 40). Not to mention, he’s under contract through 2023, with a fifth-year option coming in 2024, if the team chooses to exercise it.
The problem in the Rams’ secondary is that Williams is only on a one-year tender, meaning he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. The Rams should try to re-sign him, but given their cap situation and Williams’ ascent, it’s not unreasonable to think he could get $14-15 million per year.
Henderson’s cap hits in the next three years are $4.7 million, $5.6 million and $6.5 million. It goes without saying, that’s a low cost for a potential starter in the secondary.
If the Rams were to add Henderson before the season begins, he would make the cornerback group even deeper, bringing great man coverage skills to the unit. He’s best suited to play outside, but with Ramsey’s ability to line up in the nickel, the Rams wouldn’t have any trouble finding a spot for Henderson.
The Rams could make his contract work, too, currently with $7 million in cap space this year. And that’s before potentially restructuring Matthew Stafford’s deal to create another $12.6 million, if needed.
The issue is the cost. The Rams don’t have a first-round pick next year, nor should they trade one for Henderson. They do have a second-rounder, which they expect to be at the end of the round because of their Super Bowl aspirations.
If the Jaguars were willing to take a second for Henderson and Los Angeles likes his potential in Raheem Morris’ scheme, why not make that trade for a former top-10 pick, rather than using it on a rookie next year who will have two fewer seasons of NFL experience and only one additional year on his contract than Henderson?
The Rams shouldn’t pay a huge cost for the Jaguars cornerback, but for the right price, getting a player with his ceiling one year after he was taken in the top 10 is at least worth exploring – even if he did miss eight games last season and allow a completion rate of 64.7%.
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