Jacksonville Jaguars first-year head coach Urban Meyer is currently in the midst of building his roster in his own image, and that image might not include a former first-round pick. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Jacksonville is shopping cornerback C.J. Henderson in trade talks.
A surprise: Multiple team execs believe #Jaguars corner C.J. Henderson — the ninth overall pick in 2020 — is available via trade. Jacksonville has given impression in some league circles that it's shopping Henderson, a high-pedigree player one year into rookie deal.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 8, 2021
Henderson didn’t light the world on fire as a rookie, but he is just one year away from being a top-10 pick. There should be plenty of people in the league that still believe in his talent, and he’s only entering his age-23 season. Young, talented cornerbacks are difficult to find, but these teams have the best odds of acquiring the Florida product.
[pickup_prop id=”10639″]
Five Teams That Could Trade For C.J. Henderson
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers had a bad defense last year, but the pieces are there for a young foundation. Jeremy Chinn had a fantastic rookie season, Brian Burns is turning into one of the NFL’s better pass rushers, and Jaycee Horn should be a superstar right out of the gate. Adding young playmakers is crucial in building any defensive attack, and a starting cornerback duo of Horn and Henderson has the potential to be one of the best in the league. Tom Brady only has two more years on his contract, and the rest of the division isn’t looking too hot. Carolina should spend the next two seasons getting as many young pieces as possible before capitalizing once Brady either retires or shows signs of slowing down.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills recently locked up quarterback Josh Allen to a massive contract. Allen will be well worth the money if he continues to play as well as he did in 2020, but there is no denying that the team-building process just got a lot harder. The Bills have struggled to find a solid cornerback opposite Tre’Davious White for quite some time, and that process will only be more difficult with Allen taking up such a large percentage of the cap. Acquiring Henderson while Allen’s cap number is still reasonable could be the best way to build a short-term contender without making it impossible to build a well-rounded team down the road.
New England Patriots
As of this posting, the New England Patriots and Stephon Gilmore have yet to come to terms on a revised contract. New England’s defense is always at its best with an elite cornerback in the secondary, but they might not have that player in 2021. J.C. Jackson is a good cornerback, Jonathan Jones excels in the slot, but the depth behind those two leaves a lot to be desired. If Bill Belichick believes that Henderson can live up to his draft capital, then trading for him should be a no-brainer. Belichick isn’t getting any younger, and his aggressive free agency shows that he has no interest in a long-term rebuild.
One of the next deals that needs to get resolved is Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore’s. Gilmore is due just a $7 million salary in 2021.
Gilmore is currently on the PUP list as he recovers from a torn quad suffered late in the 2020 season. https://t.co/yhuzqmv9u8
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) August 8, 2021
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have the biggest competitive advantage in football: an elite quarterback on a rookie contract. Justin Herbert outplayed all realistic expectations in his rookie season, looking like the best quarterback from his class and proving to be a worthy heir to Philip Rivers. With Herbert still on his rookie deal for another four years, the Chargers should go all-in on making this team as competitive as possible in the short term.
Dallas Cowboys
Assuming Dak Prescott’s elbow injury isn’t a serious concern, the Dallas Cowboys should be competitive in 2021. Prescott is one of the NFL’s better young passers, and the receiving trio of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup is one of the best in the league. However, if this team wants to compete for a championship, they’ll need to improve their defense. The Cowboys aggressively addressed that side of the ball in the NFL Draft, but their cornerback depth chart could still use an infusion of life.
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