One Blockbuster Trade That Could Still Transform the Jaguars' Entire Season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- After June 1st trades that sent Myles Garrett and A.J. Brown to Super Bowl contenders, it certainly felt like there were no more blockbusters to be made ahead of Week 1.

For the Jacksonville Jaguars, though, perhaps there is one clear option that has not been considered much before: Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who has still not signed a mega-deal with the Eagles despite the fact that he is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal.

The Jalen Carter Question

While there have been no indications that the Eagles are openly shopping Carter, a two-time Pro Bowler, it does say something that their front office has seemingly yet to engage on contract talks.

He is still set to play on his rookie deal in 2026 and then 2027 (on a fifth-year option), but the Eagles have traditionally signed players to new deals early in the process -- similar to what Jaguars general manager James Gladstone has done with Travon Walker, Jakobi Meyers, and most recently, Ross Matisick.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer tackled the question of whether the Eagles are hesitant to offer Carter a likely top-of-the-market deal, which could eventually open the door for a team like the Jaguars to take a swing.

"Ben, the answer is yes, they are hesitant to pay him. Philadelphia is telling you what you need to know with its actions. The Eagles have always been aggressive paying their own, in large part because they know that the earlier you do the deal, the better the price you’ll get. It’s a strategy that takes commitment from ownership, which Philly clearly has (some owners would rather keep money in their accounts until the summer), and has served the team very well over the years," Breer said.

"So the fact that we’re into June without Jalen Carter having a deal is notable. And I’d guess if they do one now, before his fourth season as a pro, then it’d come with flexibility for the team. If Carter won’t give them that flexibility now, maybe he’ll just wait another year. Which would make this a little like the George Pickens situation in Dallas—where a team might want to see a little more from a player, just from a character perspective, before committing long term."

If this is how the Eagles are approaching the Carter situation, then the Jaguars should not hesitate to get involved if he does ever become available. It is not hard to see where the Eagles are coming from considering Carter's path to the NFL and last year's act of immaturity in the opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Carter likely needs to show that he is more than just an elite defensive tackle for them to fully trust him with a new deal.

But this is why the Jaguars have gone all-in on overhauling their culture, no? The Jaguars have been incredibly selective about the type of players and people they invite into their locker room since Gladstone, Liam Coen and Tony Boselli were hired, but there is a difference between being selective and being risk-averse.

If the Jaguars' culture is as strong as they believe it is -- and it is hard to argue with that belief -- then they could take on the weight of a player like Carter who is supremely talented but needs to be a better decision-maker.

Carter is simply the type of blue-chip talent who could take the Jaguars' defense from pretty good to potentially elite. Adding Carter to a defensive line with top pass-rush duo Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker and a top-tier run-stuffer in DaVon Hamilton would give the Jaguars the type of long-term impact in the middle of their defense that they have missed since the days of Malik Jackson and Calais Campbell.

Unlike some of the other big names that have been traded this offseason, Carter is still a young and ascending player who has yet to hit his prime. There would have been age questions for Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and Dexter Lawrence, but Carter turned 25 in April.

It would be a big swing and would likely take a first-round pick and then some, in addition to a massive deal for Carter. But if the Eagles are really not ready to commit to Carter, then the Jaguars should explore what it would take. Doing so could make the difference between being AFC South contenders and Super Bowl contenders.

Gladstone and the Jaguars have been bold before. If the Eagles are open for buisness when it comes to Carter, they should be bold again.

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