Urban Meyer and Jaguars' Players Reflect On CJ Henderson Trade and His Time With the Jags
There had been a sense all offseason that the Jacksonville Jaguars might move on from cornerback CJ Henderson. On Monday, it finally came to fruition, as the Jags traded Henderson—the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft—and a fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick.
Related: Jaguars Trade CJ Henderson to Panthers: 3 Thoughts on the Blockbuster Move
Henderson started hot in his rookie season, then notably missed eight games with an injury. This offseason, he missed much of the work due to another injury and then he spent time on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Head Coach Urban Meyer spent much of the offseason complimenting Henderson and expressing faith he’d be back on the field soon.
For a while, it appeared Henderson was set to prove Meyer right. He came back from the COVID-19 list buried on the depth chart. By the end of training camp, he’d worked his way back into a starting role. Versus the Denver Broncos in week two, he left the game at halftime with a groin injury. On Sunday in the Jaguars' loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Henderson was inactive with the injury.
Meyer, speaking with local media on Monday afternoon, said conversations had been ongoing with the Panthers for “a week or so” but the potential deal had nothing to do with Henderson’s inactive status on Sunday.
“No, he was injured.”
But as for the actual conversations with the Panthers, they evolved, revealed Meyer, as the Jaguars became more comfortable with rookie Tyson Campbell at outside corner as well as in desperate need for a tight end.
“I think number one is the development of Tyson Campbell,” explained Meyer, of what went into the decision on the Jags end. “He’s starting to form of what we expect him to be; very, very talented guy. Get Tre Herndon back [from injury], playing nickel.”
Then on Thursday night, in a win over the Houston Texans, Carolina lost their own top 10 corner, the 2021 No. 8 overall selection, Jaycee Horn, to multiple foot fractures.
After that, Meyer said Carolina’s need became “aggressive” and the trade worked out well for all sides, allowing each team to fill a need, while giving Henderson a fresh start after what has been a tumultuous time in Jacksonville.
“We have to improve a lot of areas on our team and just seemed like it’d be a good fresh start for CJ. I had a great visit with him and his family. I love CJ, spent a lot of time with him and his parents and I think it's gonna be good for both of us…he missed a lot of games and, you know, we just think it's the best for both.”
Still, Meyer said this about the trade rumors surrounding Henderson this offseason:
“I don't see that as an option. I see a guy that's fighting through stuff right now and the stuff is a lot. He had to get ready for training camp, [then] boom, COVID. Last year, obviously [his] rookie year started off strong and then [fought] with injuries, so there's a lot to this.”
So the move now begs the question, was this purely about other needs and Campbell’s progression or did his view of Henderson change? Meyer said on Monday he still sees a bright future for Henderson if he can stay healthy.
“You can see it, extremely talented guy, great size, great length, great speed. But he missed, misses a lot of action. So maybe just stay healthy.”
For those still in the defensive back room, the trade means losing a teammate and friend, but with a Thursday night primetime game versus Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals looming, they have little time to reflect.
"I wouldn't say we're too shaken up,” said safety Rayshawn Jenkins. “I feel like, we have everybody that we need, so I wouldn't say we're shaken up. CJ was a good player. I know he's gonna go wherever he's at Carolina so I know he's gonna go there, and then make an immediate impact so wish him the best.”
Added corner Shaquill Griffin, “As a teammate as a friend, you know it's tough. I think we all know business is business. We wish him the best, definitely always rooting for him. Definitely, a guy I continue to check up on you know, the relationship goes way beyond football first off, but yeah like I said, you know it's business. We all get that when we first got here, we understand that. Crazy thing is, it’s kind of hard to harp on it or think about it, we've got a quick turnaround so we've got things we got to focus on ourself.”
Henderson (23) walks off the field with teammate Laviska Shenault (10) after a game winning performance in his rookie debut versus the Indianapolis Colts. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Jenkins and Griffin were both free agent signings this offseason, but came in and quickly entrenched themselves with the locker room, being voted on as captains for the season. They are both also notoriously outspoken and outgoing. That’s the polar opposite of the extremely quiet Henderson, but both Jenkins and Griffin downplayed any issue within the unit due to different personalities. Instead, they spoke to a complementary relationship that balanced out.
“I wouldn't say it was difficult with him. Everybody learns differently, everybody interacts with people differently so I wouldn't say it was it was difficult, you know, it was different but it wasn't difficult for me,” noted Jenkins. “I’ve been in plenty of situations where I had to, you know, communicate or interact with, with someone that you know, was just a little different, it is what it is. But, as in terms of communicating, hard to communicate with him, no, I wouldn't say that at all.”
For Griffin, the starter opposite Henderson, their opposite personalities just meant finding new ways to connect. The veteran feels the duo was able to find a groove on the field, and it was only getting stronger.
“I feel like my main thing is I had to understand who CJ was as a person first, you know, trying to be a leader and being able to talk to the person, the right way, he's definitely more quiet than I am of course,” laughed the uninhabited Griffin.
“So my main thing is the way you approach him, you know, you walk up to him, you talk to him one on one. You know, he don't do all the extra stuff. He's not the type of guy. [But] he listens. He understands what's going on. And when it comes to, you know, being on the back end where you got to talk a little more, that’s the relationship and you know communication got to have between your corner and your safety.
“I can look at CJ and he give me some type of signal. He might not yell it but I know what's going on. I know what he’s thinking, I know the way he move. But I had to understand CJ as a person first, and that part is okay. Some people want to be vocal, some people not, but as a leader you got to understand how to coach, and talk to each person individually.
“Everybody is different, and I feel like I got a better feeling, you know, being around OTAs, he was injured and then camp, got a chance to move around with him. Sometimes it’s just having a casual conversation, you know, going to dinner. Doesn’t matter what it is; understood him as a person. So, we had no issue when it came to that.”
Griffin, Jenkins and the entire secondary will now work on building that relationship with Tyson Campbell instead. CJ Henderson’s time with the Jacksonville Jaguars is over, before he ever played a full 16 games.
