The Jaguars won’t get Trevor Lawrence until next month, but they’re adding to the quarterback room in the meantime. Jacksonville is expected to sign C.J. Beathard, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
It’s a two-year pact worth $5MM with additional incentives available, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets.
Beathard was originally drafted by the 49ers in the third-round back in 2017, and has spent the past four years in San Francisco. He started five games as a rookie, another five in 2018, none in 2019, and another two this past year due to various benchings and injuries. The Iowa product is 291/497 for 3,469 yards (7.0 YPA), 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his career.
Not terrible numbers for a backup, although some would argue they’re the product more of a Kyle Shanahan system than anything else. We’ve heard that current Jags passer Gardner Minshew is drawing trade interest, so this move could be a precursor to a deal there. Funnily enough the 49ers have been linked to Minshew, so they could end up just swapping places.
New Jaguars coach Urban Meyer did say recently the team wasn’t shopping Minshew “at this point.” The 49ers had discussions about Beathard over the years, and apparently could’ve gotten a sixth-rounder for him around the 2019 deadline. Besides Minshew the Jaguars also have 2020 sixth-round pick Jake Luton, who started three games last year, on the roster.
Why?
Trade Minshew.
Why is a good question. I’ll take minshew over cj
Because they can get some mid-round draft capital for him now, where if he sat behind Lawrence for the next two years, he could just walk and the Jags would get nothing.
The Jags did this to themselves. They drove his value down by leaving him in the doghouse most of last season for trying to play hurt. They should have got over their feelings and let him play. That would have given them and everyone else a better estimation of what his potential is. All in the handbook for how to establish and maintain an identity as a bottom 5 NFL franchise.