The Jacksonville Jaguars and thec Baltimore Ravens agreed to a trade on Sunday. This trade sent superstar defensive lineman Calais Campbell to the Ravens in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
Following the trade, it's easy to give some knee-jerk reactions. On paper, it seems like a bad trade for the Jaguars.
However, if you take a step back and look at it rationally, it still looks like a bad trade for the Jaguars.
Let's try to be fair though. We'll look at the trade from all angles and give a final grade for each team.
Jaguars
Jacksonville didn't do much right in this situation. They've had a lot of players asking out. This has depleted them of some of their more talented and promising player.
That includes Jalen Ramsey, who many believe to be the best cornerback in the NFL.
With all these players leaving, you'd think they'd do whatever they can to hold on to the ones that want to stay.
There is no reason to believe that Campbell wasn't one of them. He was not publicly requesting a trade or saying he wouldn't play for the team anymore. All it seemed he wanted was a contract extension.
Considering he's one of the best defensive linemen in football, you'd think the Jaguars would be okay getting something done.
Instead, they didn't want to. And this led to them trading him as he enters the final year of his contract.
You'd have to imagine they might have been able to get a little more for him, but panicked a little bit.
If the Jaguars knew they were not going to re-sign Campbell, they probably wanted to make sure they got something in return. That led to Jacksonville giving him up for very little.
I understand that teams need to make tough decisions, sometimes that means losing players you should have kept. So if they weren't going to sign him, at least they got something in return.
A fifth-round pick though? For the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2019 and one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the game?
Final Grade: D-
Ravens
The Ravens were the best team in the 2019 regular season. They went 14-2, boasting the best record in the NFL
Yes, they lost in their first playoff game, but you have to love the direction that this team is heading in.
What's scary is how good the defense was in 2018. They struggled a bit at times in 2019, but overall showed they can be one of the most dominant units in the game.
Add in a superstar defensive lineman and a true leader, and things just got very real.
Campbell helps them win now. He's a veteran who will help mold the younger players and give the locker room another powerful voice. And he'll do it while contributing heavily on the field.
Add in an elite defense with Lamar Jackson and that explosive offense and this team is on track to be unstoppable.
Most importantly though, they did this without mortgaging their future. Remember, this is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate for two of the last three seasons. Getting him for a fifth-round pick just doesn't seem fair.
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