The Jacksonville Jaguars' season continues to just get longer and longer. The team cannot escape the poor performances of Blaine Gabbert. They traded away left tackle Eugene Monroe, proving unwilling to pay him a potentially high contract. Now, there are trade rumors running rampant around running back Maurice Jones-Drew, causing general manager David Caldwell to go on the defense about the team's future outlook.
The general manager and head coach Gus Bradley is reassuring fans that the departure of Monroe is not a sign of bigger trades to come. The official trade deadline is Oct. 29 so anything can happen between now and then, but Caldwell says the team is not actively shopping around Jones-Drew.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that while Caldwell is looking to stockpile on draft picks to help rebuild the team, they are not looking for deals on big-named veterans anytime soon. While he claims that Jacksonville will certainly listen to offers, they are not seeking anything out.
The regime in place in Jacksonville appears to not be afraid to get rid of overpriced, underwhelming talent. It is a given that Jones-Drew would be at the top of that chart. So far this season, the running back has put up just 138 yards and one touchdown as the main work horse. He is averaging just 2.4 yards per carry. However, it is unclear how much of that is due to Jones-Drew and how much is related to the poor offensive line the Jaguars have in place.
Tight end Marcedes Lewis and wide receiver Justin Blackmon also fall into the trade rumors. Blackmon has been trouble-prone since he entered the league. Jacksonville could be considering parting ways with him. However, any low number put up by offensive playmakers by the Jaguars must be followed with an asterisk since either Gabbert or Chad Henne are the ones running the offense.
Jacksonville continues to take the stance that no one is going anywhere for the remainder of the season. However, two more losses and the management might figure the season is a loss and begin preparing for the draft. History shows the right quarterback can begin to change a team around. The 2014 draft class is stocked with talent at the position. The Jaguars got a draft pick for Monroe and might be looking for more.