The Jacksonville Jaguars have put themselves in the middle of the NFL trade conversation, and now the question is whether they plan to act like it.
A Thursday Night Football rout of the Baltimore Ravens moved Jacksonville to 6-2 and only sharpened the sense that this team is in win-now mode. The Jaguars also have a general manager with a track record of being aggressive, and the roster still has some obvious holes as the deadline approaches. Defensive tackle, defensive end and safety all stand out as places where help could matter fast.
Safety is one of the clearest spots to monitor. Eric Murray is out for the year, and Caleb Ransaw has been on injured reserve for the last month.
The issue has been masked a bit over the last two games, with Jacksonville facing Daniel Jones and a third-string undrafted free agent in the past two weeks. But that could become a much bigger problem later on against the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans.
That is why Budda Baker keeps coming up. He has been mentioned before for good reason, and the Jaguars’ decision-makers know him well from their NFC West days with the Los Angeles Rams.
Baker could bring veteran presence after Murray’s injury, and Arizona’s situation may eventually push the Cardinals toward selling. A Cardinals loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9 could make that even clearer.
Whether Arizona would actually move a face of the franchise is another matter, especially with the Cardinals having been somewhat competitive at times in 2026. Still, the Jaguars should find out what the price would be.
At defensive tackle, Derrick Brown looks like the biggest swing. He is not in the Jeffery Simmons tier, but he is still a top-10 interior defensive lineman and one of the best nose tackles in football.
More than that, he would give Jacksonville a long-term piece, the kind of player who could step into the Davin Hamilton role without much dropoff. The Panthers may not feel pressure to sell even if they lose in Week 9 because of how weak the NFC South is, but if Jacksonville is willing to make the offer strong enough, Brown is the kind of star worth testing Carolina on.
Another interior name worth watching is Christian Barmore. He is not a direct Hamilton replacement, but reports suggest he is relatively available, and the Patriots do not appear to view him as one of their top-two defensive tackles in snaps this season.
New England may also be looking to move his money, which could create a situation that works for both sides. If the Jaguars could land him for a mid-Day 3 pick and he rediscovered his best form down the stretch in 2026, that would be a major win.
The question is whether that version of Barmore is really there. He has flashed as a pass-rusher before, but he has not been that player this season, and Jacksonville would need to be sure he fits both the scheme and the culture.
He would not be a nose tackle, but he could help on third downs if he is right.
Then there is Khalil Mack, who feels like the cleanest fit of all. He would likely welcome a shot at a contender, the Chargers could be staring at 0-8 after Sunday, and he is cheap on an expiring deal.
The price might only be a fifth-round pick. The problem is that Los Angeles has not exactly acted like a team ready to face reality when it comes to moving pieces.
Still, the fit is obvious. If Jacksonville wants more juice rushing the passer on 3rd-and-longs, Mack gives them another edge threat opposite Josh Hines-Allen and could even allow Travon Walker to move inside.
The Jaguars already experimented with that look on Thursday with Dennis Gardeck and Bryan Thomas Jr. Doing it with Khalil Mack would be a much bigger statement.
One more name tied to Jacksonville in the rumor mill is Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo. He keeps showing up in trade chatter involving the Jaguars, and that makes sense given the need for more depth up front. Arik Armstead and Ruke Orhorhoro are playing well, but Ojomo would add another talent to push the group now and give Jacksonville a possible building block for 2027 and beyond.
Philadelphia is reportedly hesitant to move him, especially with Ojomo in a contract year. The Eagles could try to re-sign him or let him walk and collect a compensatory pick in 2028.
That means it would likely take a significant offer to pry him loose. But Ojomo is young, ascending and exactly the kind of player that can make a deadline gamble worth it.
In Other News...
Jaguars Trade Buzz Just Raised One Huge Question About Their 2026 Push
The Jaguars long-term planning is already getting a lot of attention, and now the conversation has widened to the defensive front. Jacksonville is reportedly trying to work out a trade for either Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter or Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown, a sign the team is at least exploring major moves as it looks ahead to a 2026 push. Carter just signed a four-year extension with Philadelphia, while Brown has been active this season and has put together a strong defensive stretch for Carolina.
For Jacksonville, the appeal is obvious: both players would change the look of a defense that wants to be more disruptive when the roster is built out for that next window. The timing makes the buzz even more interesting, especially with Philadelphia dealing with its own issues and the Jaguars trying to gauge how aggressive they want to be in pursuit of a difference-maker. Whether this turns into a real trade or just another sign of where Jacksonvilles head is at, it has already raised a bigger question about how far the team is willing to go to speed up its 2026 plans. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Quarterback Chaos Just Changed Everything For The Jaguars
The Jaguars trip to Baltimore suddenly looks a lot different after the Ravens were hit with a wave of quarterback injuries heading into Thursday night. Lamar Jackson is dealing with a thumb injury, Tyler Huntley is out for the season with a toe injury, and Baltimore has had to scramble just to build enough depth at the position.
Joe Fagnano is now the likely starter, with the Ravens adding Kaden Slovis and Austin Reed to help stabilize the room. For Jacksonville, it changes the shape of the matchup in a hurry, turning what looked like a tough road test into a game with a very different kind of uncertainty attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Lawrence Got Dragged Into Another Al Michaels Broadcast Mess
Al Michaels found himself in the middle of another broadcast slip during Thursday nights Week 9 game, and this one quickly traveled far beyond the booth. While calling the action, Michaels mistakenly said Trevor Lawrence was the first overall draft pick in 2001, a mix-up that immediately lit up social media and put the Jaguars quarterback at the center of a very public gaffe.
For Jacksonville fans, it was another reminder of how quickly a national broadcast can turn into a talking point for all the wrong reasons. Michaels has already acknowledged that retirement is something he and Amazon will decide when the time is right, and the latest mistake only renewed the conversation around how long the veteran announcer plans to keep going. [Read more 🡒]