The Chicago Bears made their big trade of the year when they sent two 1st-round picks to the Tennessee Titans for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. His impact has been immediate and significant. He already has two sacks in his first two games, and the Bears’ defense held Seattle to 17 points and Tampa Bay to 24, despite the latter getting 5 extra possessions from turnovers. One must give general manager Ryan Poles credit. He waited a long time to take a home run swing and seems to have picked his moment perfectly.
Apparently, the Jacksonville Jaguars felt compelled to match and even exceed that same energy. With their momentum peaking in the AFC, they pushed all their chips onto the table with three consecutive trades in the span of 9 hours. It started by plucking veteran safety Jessie Bates III from the Atlanta Falcons, then defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from New Orleans. Finally, their biggest bombshell came when they secured defensive tackle Jordan Davis from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jacksonville somehow paid more for less than Ryan Poles did.
Let’s look at the total value here. The Jaguars sent the following out for those three players:
- 1st round picks in 2027
- 2nd round picks in 2027
- 2nd round pick in 2029
- 5th round pick in 2028
- 6th round pick in 2028
Thanks to those trades, Jacksonville now has just four picks in the 2027 draft, including none in the first two rounds. They have only four picks in the 2028 draft, though they’re all in the top four. Then in 2029, they won’t have their 2nd round pick. Remember, a normal amount of picks over three drafts is 21. Barring any changes in the coming years, the Jaguars are down to 14.
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It’s fine, though. The Jaguars must’ve gotten some great players for such a sacrifice, right? Well, not really. Bates is still really good. While not at the All-Pro pace he played last season, he remains a playmaker on the back end. The problem here is that he’s a free agent after this season. Jacksonville will be $15 million over the cap next offseason. They won’t be able to retain him. These next three months are all they’ll get from him for those picks.
Jordan Davis is known for his run-stopping ability. He can be awesome at it at times. Consistency has been a constant issue for him this season, along with concerns about his conditioning. Philadelphia was 24th against the run this year. His impact has waned considerably.
As for Godchaux? He hasn’t had a positive run defense grade since 2021 and isn’t much of a pass rush threat.
Jacksonville has boxed itself in.
In essence, they’ve bet almost everything on 2026. Those trades were made specifically to push this team to a championship this season. They won’t have Bates after that. If they fail to win the Super Bowl, there is nothing else to do but call this gambit a massive failure. By contrast, Ryan Poles gave up two 1st round picks for the best defensive tackle in the sport, but maintains his 2nd round picks in each of the next two years. He also has constructed contracts to a point where he can easily free up cap space to dabble in free agency if he wants.
The point is Chicago remains in a good spot to keep adding to their roster in the future. They still have 19 of their usual 21 allotted picks over the next three years. Poles has a reputation for finding ways to get more. He’s maintained the stance that he always has one eye on the present and one on the future. This entire situation in Jacksonville represents the type of danger he wishes to avoid.
