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Why Jacksonville Jaguars should consider trading Tank Bigsby | Ryan O'Halloran
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- Why Jacksonville Jaguars should consider trading Tank Bigsby | Ryan O'Halloran
Tank Bigsby caught Trevor Lawrence 's screen pass during Sunday's exhibition game at New Orleans 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage. And … off … he … went.
A mini-stiff arm to get away from Saints defensive tackle Khristian Boyd .
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A darting move to start running laterally for open space.
And a foot-in-the-turf, change-of-direction maneuver to leave cornerback Isaac Yiadom searching for his cleats.
The play gained 20 yards and was a positive sign during the Jaguars' 17-17 tie and a sign Bigsby can be more rounded in his third pro season and not the player who has only eight catches (two on screens) in 492 career regular-season snaps.
But might it also be a sign the Jacksonville Jaguars were showcasing Bigsby?
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Might it also be an indication the Jaguars are confident Travis Etienne can be 2022-23 Travis (1,000-yard seasons) and not 2024 Travis (558 yards)?
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And might it also be a clue the Jaguars are not just enamored with rookie backs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen but confident they can be instant contributors?
Look, we're in the dog days of the preseason — camp feels like it started six months ago and the lid-lifter against Carolina feels like it's six weeks away — so let's workshop this.
Why Bigsby has value
Bigsby should be attractive to teams for myriad reasons.
He is young — turns 24 on Aug. 30.
He doesn't have much tread on his NFL tires — 218 rushing attempts.
And he has term left on his contract and is inexpensive — two years at salary cap hits of $1.47 million and $1.72 million, respectively, per the industry website Over The Cap.
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Those factors would likely lead teams to overlook Bigsby's lack of receptions.
Last year, Bigsby was one of only two players with at least 178 carries and fewer than 10 catches; the other, Washington's Brian Robinson , is reportedly being shopped. In the past 20 years, it's happened only 45 times and it's happened only one other time in Jaguars history (Fred Taylor had 223 carries and nine catches in 2007).
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Still interested? Yes, because this has been a taxing month for running backs around the league.
Miami is without De'Von Achane and Alexander Mattison . The Los Angeles Chargers ' Najee Harris (eye) is still recovering from a fireworks accident. And San Francisco has one healthy tailback ( Christian McCaffrey ) after Patrick Taylor (shoulder) and Corey Kiner (high ankle sprain) were injured Saturday against Las Vegas .
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The 49ers would be a perfect fit. McCaffrey could be the runner/receiver and Bigsby could sub for him in situations like short-yardage and resemble a bowling ball outfitted with switchblades when he gets running downhill.
The Jaguars shouldn't just give Bigsby away for the equivalent of a Wawa turkey sandwich and a Starbucks iced sugar free vanilla latte (or as I call it, The Perfect Lunch). A fifth-round pick? Meh. A fourth-round pick? Now we're talking.
Throughout the weekend, I thought Bigsby could be the player the Jaguars could dangle on the trade market for defensive tackle help since Arik Armstead and Maason Smith haven't practiced yet. But general manager James Gladstone acquired Khalen Saunders from the Saints on Sunday night for reserve offensive lineman Luke Fortner .
Tuten, Allen impressive so far
It's easy to like what Tuten and Allen have done this preseason. In Sunday's first half, Tuten showed physicality and determination to run for a three-yard touchdown and Allen gained six yards on a catch when he jumped to avoid cornerback Jordan Howden's tackle attempt.
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Rookie running backs are like wild thoroughbreds — they don't pace themselves, straining for extra yards on each and every play.
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I can hear you thinking out loud now: "Why not deal Etienne?"
Etienne is the more accomplished player than Bigsby, but his $6.143 fully-guaranteed salary and March 2026 scheduled free agency shouldn't make him attractive until closer to the Nov. 5 trade deadline, if at all.
Plus, Etienne adds value as a receiver out of the backfield — 132 catches in 49 regular-season games. That makes him an ideal present fit for coach Liam Coen's offense.
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Last year as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator, Coen had rookie Bucky Irving carry 207 times and Rachaad White 144 times. The Buccaneers improved from last in yards per game (88.8) to fourth (149.2) and last in yards per carry (3.49) to third (5.25). The guy knows how to design a user-friendly running game in general and for young players in particular. See gap, run through gap. See first-down marker, gain first-down marker.
If Gladstone wants to add a player at another position he feels is lacking, Bigsby is his best chip.
Things like that rarely come to fruition, but it's worth for the Jaguars to explore. You never know if a team in a state of panic will bite.
Contact O'Halloran at rohalloran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why Jacksonville Jaguars should consider trading Tank Bigsby
