Since James Gladstone became the general manager early in 2025, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made several moves to address the larger scale roster. Throughout it all, they’ve shown that they’re not afraid to move on from players that don’t fit their vision.
Having said that, it’s a bit surprising that the Jags have considered the possibility of cutting ties with Brian Thomas Jr. seven weeks into his sophomore season.
The Jaguars are reportedly open to trading Brian Thomas Jr.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the Jaguars are listening to offers for Brian Thomas Jr., but argues that the move “feels highly unlikely. She goes on to say that the Jags are also shopping for defense, so they could be both buyers and sellers at the NFL deadline.
“The Jaguars are listening on calls for WR Brian Thomas Jr., eve if a move feels highly unlikely,” Russini said. “They’re also shopping for defense.”
Later in her report, Russini points out that the Buffalo Bills are looking for help at receiver, so they could be a realistic suitor for Thomas. After all, tight end Dalton Kincaid and wide receiver Khalil Shakur have been solid weapons, but Josh Allen’s arsenal could use a boost.
A first-round pick in the 2024 draft, Brian Thomas Jr. had 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns last year. On top of that, he was a Pro Bowl alternate and finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Following his impressive rookie season, Thomas was expected to keep improving and potentially join the top echelon of NFL receivers. However, the former LSU Tiger has been underwhelming, hauling in 27 receptions for 365 yards with one touchdown. Couple that with the fact that he’s struggled with drops, and it’s easy to see why the team’s brass may want to shop him.
What compensation can the Jaguars get if they trade Brian Thomas Jr.?
At this moment, Brian Thomas Jr.’s stock is at an all-time low. Had Russini shared her report after 2024, he would be worth a first-round pick. Right now, he’s struggling, so perhaps a second or third-round selection may make more sense.
You could argue that teams may be hesitant to trade for a player who’s in the midst of a funk, but the prospect of revitalizing Thomas’ career and acquiring an All-Pro talent (at least in theory) may be too good to pass up.
The Jaguars, for their part, may not want to keep a player who’s underachieving and may not be a fit in Liam Coen’s scheme, the locker room, or both. This is especially true when you take into account that the new regime didn’t hesitate to cut ties with tight end Evan Engram, wide receiver Christian Kirk, and more recently, running back Tank Bigsby and cornerback Tyson Campbell.
The bottom line is that it was a bit surprising to see Diana Rusinni report that the Jaguars are willing to shop Brian Thomas Jr. What’s not shocking is to watch them continue to make moves in order to steer the ship in the right direction.