CALAIS CAMPBELL WAS 'CAUGHT OFF GUARD' BY TRADE TO RAVENS

Calais Campbell (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)

Calais Campbell was as surprised as the rest of us when the Jaguars decided to trade him this offseason. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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Earlier this offseason, the Jaguars made a somewhat surprising move, trading Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell to the Ravens in exchange for a fifth-round pick. This, along with the trade of AJ Bouye, was a move aimed at clearing cap space, while also adding valuable draft capital. 

Campbell, who turns 34 in September, is still playing at an elite level, but even with him on the field, the Jaguars' defense struggled in 2019. He certainly wasn't to blame — Campbell racked up 6.5 sacks, ten tackles for loss, 72 total tackles, and 71 QB pressures.

He joined the Pat McAfee Show Friday morning and shared what went through his mind when he learned of the trade. 

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"I didn't know it was coming. Obviously, it's always a possibility," said Campbell. "I was expecting to be in Jacksonville throughout the remainder of my contract and maybe even longer. I thought maybe an extension would come before a trade would come. So I was kind of caught off guard when it happened. But it happened to be to one of the best teams in football, so it was kind of a win-win situation."

It sounds like Campbell was as taken aback as the rest of the football world. Now, Campbell is in the position to contribute on a Super Bowl contender, while the Jaguars are retooling, trying to get back to relevance in the AFC South. 

As the two sides move forward, it'll be an intriguing storyline to follow. 

Will Campbell get his first Super Bowl ring? 

How many years of elite production does he have left in the tank?

Will the Jaguars regret moving on from Campbell in an attempt to clear up more cap space for Yannick Ngakoue, who wants nothing to do with being a Jaguar?

Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis. ​