Most deals near the NFL trade deadline are ones made on the fringes of the roster. An update for a contender here, a shedding of a veteran for a rebuilding/retooling team there, and viola, the trade deadline has passed. Last year was an exception, with the Jets' fire sale of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams representing two of the biggest midseason trades ever.
On the other hand, Jakobi Meyers being traded from the Raiders to the Jaguars looked very much like a run-of-the-mill trade deadline swap. Meyers was expected to add reliability to a thin receiver room dealing with injuries, and the 2-6 Raiders had no reason to keep a disgruntled vet. Nothing too earth-shattering one way or another.
In fact, in our trade grades, we gave Las Vegas the higher mark. Now, though, it's clear this wasn't just a sensible add for Jacksonville, but a crucial one. Who knew a solid-but-unspectacular wide receiver — Meyers has never been a Pro Bowler and has one 1,000-yard season — could completely change an offense?
Meyers set career highs with 87 receptions and 1,027 yards in 2024, but absent a contract extension, he requested a trade right before the 2025 season. He doubled down on that request in late October, shortly before the deadline, and the Jaguars made his wish for a new home come true two weeks later. (They'd extend him shortly thereafter, taking care of that wish, too.) For the Jaguars, adding Meyers was a way to boost Lawrence's surroundings. At the time, Brian Thomas Jr. was in the midst of a tough 2025 season after a terrific 2024 rookie campaign.
Parker Washington was showing encouraging signs, but his breakout was still weeks away. On the day of the Meyers trade, Thomas led the Jaguars with 30 catches. That number ranked tied for 55th in the league.
Liam Coen clearly needed another player —one who was reliable and had, as Liam Neeson says in "Taken," a very particular set of skills. Meyers is a very well-rounded player — not necessarily elite at one specific skill, but good to very good at a lot of them. When the team acquired Meyers, GM James Gladstone said Meyers' "superpower" was not dropping the football.
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