The Jaguars’ cornerback situation is starting to feel like one of those problems that won’t stay quiet much longer. The NFL trade deadline is still a few weeks out, but if Jacksonville wants to shore up the outside of its secondary, the market could give it some options.
One name that stands out is Tariq Woolen. With the Eagles’ season effectively over after the news of Jalen Hurts being out for the rest of the year, Philadelphia should be leaning toward selling, and Woolen looks like one of the more movable pieces on the roster.
He signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Eagles this past offseason, which makes him a natural trade candidate. For Jacksonville, he fits the need for an outside cornerback and could come at a relatively low cost.
A Day 3 pick feels like the kind of return Howie Roseman could accept, and because Woolen is set to become a free agent, there’s even a path to a future pick if he leaves next March. The Jaguars need to be aggressive, and he would fit that bill.
Zyon McCollum is another option, though he’d be the priciest one here. Tampa Bay looks increasingly like a team that could pivot into sell mode, especially with Todd Bowles on his last leg as head coach and the Buccaneers sitting at 1-5 through six weeks.
McCollum has played well enough that he isn’t part of the problem, which is exactly why he would draw interest. He’s still under contract on a three-year, $48 million deal, and that salary barely cracks the top 25 among cornerbacks.
Jacksonville could use him to steady a secondary that badly needs it, and he would give the Jaguars a more dependable outside duo along with much-needed depth.
Brandon Stephens also makes sense if the Jets eventually decide to keep gathering draft capital. The sixth-year corner has experience in both zone and man coverage, and outside of a few touchdowns allowed, he’s put together a solid season.
New York keeps losing, and with younger corners already on the roster, there’s a clear argument for moving veterans and loading up on picks. For Jacksonville, Stephens would raise the floor at corner without changing what Travis Hunter does for Anthony Campanile’s secondary moving forward.
Kristian Fulton fits the same general mold as a pure outside cornerback, but his season has been especially strong. He’s allowed just 19 yards on nine targets, which has produced a 12.0 passer rating allowed in coverage.
The catch is that he hasn’t been a full-time player, as the Chiefs have leaned more heavily on Nohl Williams, L’Jarius Sneed, and first-round pick Mansoor Delane. That could make Fulton available, even if Kansas City would have to weigh whether it wants to deal with a team chasing the top of the AFC.
Still, at 28, he offers plenty of football ahead of him and checks a lot of boxes for Jacksonville.
Deonte Banks rounds out the list. The Giants may not want to admit it, sitting at 3-2-1 in a winnable NFC East, but their quarterback situation is a mess and the schedule isn’t doing them any favors with the Texans, the Jaguars, the 49ers, the Lions, and the Seahawks still ahead.
They’d be smart to collect picks where they can, and Banks could be one of the players who makes sense to move. He’s having the best year of his career, he plays strictly outside corner, and that matters for a Jaguars team dealing with Montaric Brown’s injury, Travis Hunter’s offensive role, and Jarrian Jones looking like the best slot corner after some recent struggles outside.
Banks would strengthen the room immediately and could also help Jacksonville chase compensatory picks if he walks in free agency next March.
In Other News...
Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Buzz Just Got More Real For Jaguars Fans
Brian Thomas Jr. has become one of the more intriguing names to watch around Jacksonville as the season unfolds, not because anything is imminent, but because his future with the Jaguars suddenly feels less settled than it did not long ago. The receiver market has a way of turning quickly, and the latest chatter has connected the Rams and Commanders to the kind of wideout help they may need after injuries thinned out their depth charts.
For Jaguars fans, the interest is obvious because Thomas brings real value and still sits at the center of a conversation that is more about fit and timing than any official move. The Rams and Commanders both make some sense on paper given their receiver situations, but for now it remains exactly that, a theory built on roster need and uncertainty rather than a confirmed deal. [Read more 🡒]
Liam Coen Made One Jaguars Decision Fans Will Debate All Week
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Coen later pointed to his confidence in the kicker and the situation on the clock as the reasons for taking the points. Still, the choice will linger in Jacksonville after the Texans answered with a game-winning field goal of their own, turning a successful gamble on the scoreboard into one of those coaching decisions fans will revisit all week. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Bye Week Focus Says Everything About Their Biggest Problem
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For a team trying to become more efficient in close games, it is a revealing list of fixes. The Jaguars are treating the bye as a chance to clean up the self-inflicted errors that have made game management harder than it should be, and the next stretch of the season will show whether the reset actually translates once the pressure comes back. [Read more 🡒]