Jacksonville Jaguars
Face of the Franchise
Trade: Jaguars send offensive lineman Fred Johnson to the Eagles
Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...-jaguars-trade-offensive-lineman-fred-johnson
The Jacksonville Jaguars are shipping veteran offensive tackle Fred Johnson back to the Philadelphia Eagles.
NFL insider Adam Schefter dropped the news Sunday evening that the Jags – who signed Johnson from the Eagles this offseason to a 1-year $1.33 million deal – are trading him back to Philly for a 2026 seventh-round pick.
This trade signifies a ton of different things for the Jags as a whole.
Firstly, it states that the team is confident in its offensive line room ahead of Tuesday’s cuts and thinks that a potential seventh-rounder down the line will be more impactful than Johnson in the short term.
The team drafted a pair of linemen in this year’s draft, signed a handful of guys, and let it all play out this preseason. With the mix of grizzled vets like Ezra Cleveland and Patrick Mekhari to go along with rookies Jonah Monheim and Wyatt Milum, this team has a decent group. This preseason proved that. The Jags haven’t had a solid offensive line in quite some time, but this trade states the coaches and front office members think they have one.
The trade is also a big vote of confidence for both starting tackles, Walker Little and Anton Harrison. Harrison is entering his third season in the league, and there might have been some question marks around him this summer, but the Johnson trade squashes any of those. Adding to the offensive line group, the team will likely now keep the injured Cole Van Lanen.
By Tuesday, it stands to reason that the offensive line group will likely consist of Little, Cleveland, Harrison, Mekhari, Milum, Monheim, Van Lanen, Robert Hainsey, and Chuma Edoga. This group could grow to an even 10 members if one position group is shrunk by a player as well.
For general manager James Gladstone, this move signifies that the wunderkid GM is always working the phone lines, even in the smallest of upside circumstances. Does trading a backup offensive tackle for a seventh-round pick set this franchise ablaze and move the needle for future success? Certainly not.
However, it does show there is a living, breathing human working in the front office in Duval who isn’t going to miss an opportunity to make his team better. If Johnson was potentially going to be cut anyway, why not see if his former team might want him back just in case?
Who knew that a late-night Sunday trade of an offensive tackle could have such an impact. But that seems to be the new way for the Jacksonville Jaguars. That should be a welcome sight for all Jaguar fans.
Pretty much this
Van Lanen & Milum's health
Edoga & Mekari also both looking solid at OG w/ positional versatility allow them to keep 8-9 OL with no depth concerns
Jimmy Stones gets a pick out of it & Johnson lands in a familiar place https://t.co/JwBEcOmy3G pic.twitter.com/rlO7IHsJd9
— 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕤 🅓. ℍ𝕠𝕝𝕞𝕖𝕤 (@TravisDHolmes) August 24, 2025
Source: https://www.bigcatcountry.com/jacks...-jaguars-trade-offensive-lineman-fred-johnson