Sep 22, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew (32) rushes against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Hey, if the Jaguars are having a fire sale, why not buy low?
I have always been and will always be a fan of player movement in the NFL. It’s why I love covering the draft for FanSided’s NFLMocks.com, and why I love talking about hypothetical situations.
So take a little stroll with me here on the hypothetical trail and think about this for a bit.
The Denver Broncos are already a Super Bowl team, and they have a dominant offense. So why not make it even more dominant?
I’m not implying here that the Broncos need Maurice Jones-Drew. After all, the guy hasn’t played well and has been hurt the last couple of years, and Denver is getting pretty good production out of Knowshon Moreno and the crew right now.
That being said, I’m not going to say it’s a bad idea for the Broncos to at least explore a trade for MJD with what’s going on in Jacksonville right now. Late on Tuesday, the Jags pulled off a trade sending left tackle Eugene Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens for two undisclosed picks, and they are clearly looking to rebuild for the future and get as much as they can to work with at the 2014 NFL Draft.
If I’m the Broncos, I’d start by offering a fifth round pick, and eventually give the Jags a fourth round pick for MJD straight up, and they can take it or leave it. That will absolutely offend Jaguars fans, who have been through all the ups and downs of MJD’s career, but to be honest, they’ve gotten all the good out of him they are going to get.
MJD doesn’t want to play for the Jaguars, and I honestly think he hasn’t wanted to for a couple of years now. I could be way off base on that. When the Jaguars were a playoff caliber team and a perennial contender in the AFC South, MJD was a superstar. Lately, he’s been a super-dud.
I wouldn’t over-pay for MJD because of his contract, his inability to stay healthy, and his flat out unreliability at this point in time, but the upside on a potential acquisition here is too much to ignore.
The Broncos could easily afford to let MJD get healthy and utilize the backs they currently have, and depending upon the asking price, they could find themselves with a nice little one-year rental on their hands.
If you’re in it to win it, you at least explore any and all options to make your team better. If MJD is available, and there is a chance he will make your already dominant team better, you at least have to look into it. If the asking price isn’t too steep, this is a move that could entice the Broncos, who have been very aggressive in getting players like Peyton Manning and Wes Welker over the last two years.