Grading the CJ Henderson Trade: How Did the Jaguars and Panthers Fare?
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a major trade on Monday, dealing former No. 9 overall pick CJ Henderson to the Carolina Panthers. Just like the Jaguars have ever since Trent Baalke and Urban Meyer took the reins of the franchise, the Jaguars have been quick to dump the investments made by the previous regime in an effort to reshape the roster in their own image.
But did the Jaguars make the right move on Monday? That depends on who you ask, and what you think of both Henderson and tight end Dan Arnold. But for the Jaguars and Panthers, Monday was a significant day no matter how you look at it. For the Jaguars, it was a bold subtraction of a former top pick. For the Panthers, it was a move to go all-in on the 2021 season.
What does the trade mean for the Jaguars moving forward, as well as the Panthers? Who won the deal, at least for now? We break it all down here.
Grading the Jaguars' haul: C+
Received: TE Dan Arnold, 2022 3rd-round selection
For the Jaguars, this is a tough trade to gauge. On one hand, a 3rd-round selection for CJ Henderson is fine value considering the fact that he has played just 10 career games in 19 chances and has been an unreliable contributor for a few reasons. The Jaguars couldn't really count on Henderson in any facet, and his NFL tape after his NFL debut hasn't exactly suggested he is a player that teams would line up to trade a top-50 pick for. Henderson has a lot of potentials, but most signs indicate he will struggle to reach that potential. All things considered, a third-round pick for Henderson is fine, even if he was a top-10 pick just a year ago. That third-round pick may as well be a fourth-round pick since it will likely come at the end of the round due to the Panthers' strong season thus far, but there isn't a lot to look down on in terms of value as long as one doesn't get hung up on Henderson's draft status.
With that said, the Jaguars should have done much more at cornerback this offseason if they knew they would be so willing to move on from Henderson. Henderson's status with the team never seemed solid considering the additions of Shaquill Griffin and Tyson Campbell, so it is hard to say the Jaguars didn't see this coming in some facet. And since they did, it is a bit inexcusable that their top backup cornerbacks are now Nevin Lawson and Chris Claybrooks. That factors into this trade a good bit, because the Jaguars look like they simply have been walking blind at cornerback.
As for Dan Arnold, he gives this trade a bit of a boost considering he is a substantial upgrade over Luke Farrell and Jacob Hollister, who each had abysmal performances in Week 3. Arnold isn't anything more than an average tight end, but the Jaguars didn't have an average tight end on their roster. Expect for Arnold to step into the No. 1 role sooner than later, even when James O'Shaughnessy returns. Arnold doesn't change much for Jacksonville, but he is at least a slight upgrade.
"Dan Arnold is going to become a go-to target for Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville over time. He has really good hands and is built more like a receiver than anything. He won't be asked to do much blocking but he is capable," Schuyler Callihan of All Panthers told Jaguar Report.
"Panthers QB Sam Darnold was just beginning to establish a strong rapport with Arnold in the passing game over the past couple of weeks after a quiet start to the season. Arnold has the potential to blossom into one of the better receiving tight ends in the NFL and now, he's going to a team that will give him that opportunity. Panthers rookie Tommy Tremble has come along a little faster than expected which is why GM Scott Fitterer didn't flinch to make this move. With rookie CB Jaycee Horn out for 2-3 months, Carolina needed to strengthen the secondary. In my opinion, this is a good trade for both sides. Most folks may not know a lot about Dan Arnold but he is going to be a good one."
In short, the Jaguars got decent value for Henderson and a solid, but unspectacular, tight end in Arnold. If the Jaguars had prepared for Henderson's departure better than they did, then they could have seen this grade jump up a good bit higher.
Grading the Panthers' haul: C-
Received: CB CJ Henderson, 2022 5th-round selection
The Panthers got a talented cornerback in CJ Henderson -- they just have to get him to show that talent on the field more consistently than he did in Jacksonville. Henderson had legitimate flashes with the Jaguars, but there is a reason the 0-3 team with pass-defense issues was quick to move on from Henderson. The Panthers have to understand this isn't simply getting a plug-and-play top-10 pick who was on a bad team. They are getting a streaky but talented cornerback who has had durability issues, which presents a decent amount of risk. If the Panthers can get the most out of Henderson, a third-round pick will look fantastic. But if they don't, which may be the most likely scenario, then trading a potential top-100 pick for him won't look nearly as enticing.
With that said, the Panthers have a massive need at cornerback following Jaycee Horn's foot injury. Horn will miss the next two to three months following the injury, which he sustained on Thursday Night Football against the Houston Texans. Henderson can potentially fill that void if he can get healthy and stay on the field, but he has a lot of developing left to do. He was likely the most talented cornerback the Panthers could get at this junction, but there is some considerable risk in trading for him, even without sending a top pick.
