JAGUARS TRADE GARDNER MINSHEW TO EAGLES

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minshew Mania leaves Jacksonville. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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The Jaguars are trading Gardner Minshew to the Eagles for a 2022 sixth-round pick that becomes a fifth if he plays in 50% of three games in 2021, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

 It's been a long and winding road in Gardner Minshew in the NFL. From sixth-round pick to a rookie sensation to a sophomore slump to a "competition" with one of the most talented rookie quarterbacks in recent memory. We won't even get started on what he went through as a collegiate athlete. 

Now, Minshew heads to Philly, where he will presumably be the backup for Jalen Hurts in 2021. Hurts isn't guaranteed to hold on to the starting job if he struggles, so there's a reasonable possibility the Jaguars could end up with a fifth-round pick in 2022. 

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A Gardner Minshew trade has been likely since the Jaguars signed CJ Beathard this offseason and gave him $2.75 million guaranteed. I'm not saying the "competition" between Gardner Minshew and Trevor Lawrence was a total farce, but there was always a bit more to that. I think Meyer used it as a motivational tool. But make no mistake about it, the Jaguars wanted to convince teams that Minshew was genuinely giving Lawrence a run for his money, which he most certainly was not. However, the "competition" served its purpose. 

Trevor Lawrence and CJ Beathard will be the top two quarterbacks for the Jaguars in 2021, with Jake Luton on the roster bubble. CJ Beathard has been the highest-rated quarterback in the NFL this preseason, according to Pro Football Focus. The Jaguars could opt to keep Luton or attempt to stash him on the practice squad. Trevor Lawrence will have one final tune-up before the regular season this Sunday in Dallas. After that, the stats and wins start to count. Lawrence and the Jaguars will take on the Texans in Houston on September 13th to open the regular season. 

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