Trades for the 2020 NFL calendar year can’t be officially official until March 18, but we’ve already got a doozy on our hands.
The latest from ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
The Broncos and Jaguars have agreed on a trade that would send cornerback A.J. Bouye to Denver for a 2020 fourth-round pick, league sources tell ESPN.
The trade cannot be processed until the new league year begins March 18th.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2020
The Jacksonville Jaguars have traded cornerback A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos. In return, the Broncos are sending a 2020 fourth-round pick to the Jaguars.
Schefter tweets the Jaguars will have 10 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, including six in the first four rounds. And while most of these picks are going to be used as part of Jacksonville’s roster rebuild, I can’t help but wonder if the stockpiling of picks will aid the team in its efforts to trade quarterback Nick Foles. Specifically, I am suddenly curious if a fourth-round pick and salary relief would be enticing enough to swing a trade with the Bears. Hey … it’s a thought!
As for this trade, it is one that satisfies needs both teams were hoping to fill this offseason.
Vic Fangio’s Denver defense adds a top-tier cornerback to combat the high-flying offenses of the AFC West. Bouye was a Pro Bowler in 2017 when he picked off six passes and came away with 18 passes defended, but has just two interceptions and 16 passes defended in 27 games since that magical first season with the Jags. Meanwhile, Jacksonville gets out from the remaining two years of Bouye’s contract that had cap numbers of $15.4 million (2020) and $15.5 million (2021). Netting some draft capital in return only sweetens the deal.
Hopefully, this trade is the first of many the NFL has in store for us as the offseason is 13 days from officially reaching another gear with the “legal tampering period” opening on March 16.