The Jacksonville Jaguars and Yannick Ngakoue are at a crossroads, and it could be time for the Seattle Seahawks to swoop in and make a deal.
It’s no secret that Jaguars pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue wants out of Jacksonville. A heated twitter exchange with co-owner Tony Khan only further drove home the strife between the two sides – but after the first day of the NFL draft, Ngakoue remains with the team.
The Jaguars are adamantly demanding a first round pick for Ngakoue, and even after not receiving a single offer on Day 1, they appear content to bring Ngakoue back into the mix on the non-exclusive franchise tag, which will pay him $17.8 million in 2020.
However, Jacksonville used their second first round pick on LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson, who looks on paper like a great replacement for Ngakoue. Does that mean the team could be willing to move Ngakoue for a second round pick, and perhaps a pick in 2021? And if so, should Seattle get involved?
If the Seahawks are able to flip pick No. 59 overall to Jacksonville in exchange for Ngakoue, they would have to pay him $17.8 million in 2020, or else find a way to negotiate a long term contract with him.
The Seahawks could clear the necessary cap space by cutting Justin Britt, who is owed $11.4 million, or they could even cut veteran linebacker K.J. Wright, who is coming off a renaissance season but who just saw the team draft his potential replacement in Jordyn Brooks.
The Jaguars seem content to hold onto Ngakoue for the 2020 season if they don’t get the compensation they feel they deserve, and the No. 59 overall pick probably isn’t enough to get it done.
If Seattle is compelled to throw in picks from the 2021 draft, perhaps a deal could be made, but at some point the cost outweighs the benefit – especially for a team that views draft picks as a very precious commodity.
Ngakoue would be a huge get for a team desperate for some help rushing the passer, but it’s hard to see the compensation lining up between the two sides, unless Jacksonville is willing to come down quite a bit from their initial ask.
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