Believe it or not, Josh Allen could be traded ahead of the Nov. 1 NFL trade deadline. Only, it’s not the Josh Allen. Unless you’re a fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars, then it is concerning.
Since the Jaguars made Allen the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound edge rusher has compiled 23.5 sacks across 47 games. Only, the Jaguars also chose edge rusher Travon Walker with the top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft back in April, meaning the title for the top pass rusher in the team’s future could be in jeopardy for Allen.
Not only does the presence of Walker impact the team’s long-term outlook when it comes to paying Allen after his rookie contract expires at the end of the 2023 league year, it could also prompt Jacksonville to take trade calls on their 25-year-old sack artist.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, NFL teams have already begun to inquire about trading for Allen ahead of the deadline.
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Evaluating whether Jacksonville should trade Josh Allen
- Josh Allen stats: 19 tackles (5 for loss), 3 sacks, 2 FF, 1 PD
With the Jaguars at 2-5, in third place of the AFC South, trading Allen now could make sense. Not to mention, the Jaguars, even with Allen and Walker, are still tied for averaging the third-fewest sacks per game, at 1.6 QB takedowns per game.
Sure, Allen is a good player, but he hasn’t been back to the Pro Bowl since his rookie season. Are the Jaguars confident he can consistently be a great player? Or at least one worth investing eight figures in for the foreseeable future?
That’s a question general manager Trent Baalke and the rest of the front office in Duval will have to consider as they continue taking calls. Jacksonville’s next matchup comes against the Denver Broncos in London. It’s possible the outcome of their Week 8 battle helps determine whether Allen stays or goes, but more likely, it depends on the value of the trade offers.
Keeping Allen for another season and seeing if the pass rush can truly flourish as Walker gains more experience may not be a bad idea, either.
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