Clelin Ferrell, a first-round pick back in 2019 by the Las Vegas Raiders, has often been the subject of trade rumors and conjecture. Nevertheless, nothing has ever materialized. Be that as it may, the NFL’s Eric Edholm recently listed No. 99 as a possible bargaining chip with the league’s trade deadline quickly approaching. The question is, what is he truly worth and would a team actually surrender draft capital for him?
Ferrell’s case is a curious one. The “bust” label has often been associated with the Clemson product, but it’s a little more complicated than that. Fans expected him to come in and replace the jettisoned Khalil Mack, given his status as a top five pick. However, draft analysts almost universally agreed that Ferrell was grossly overdrafted. He’s proven to be a solid run defender but has been shown to be average in terms of pass rush (eight sacks in four years). Edholm also noted that 4.5 of those sacks came in his rookie year. Since then, Ferrell has only had three and a half sacks to his name. Raiders fans likely thought that a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham was going to translate into a resurgence. Instead, Ferrell has taken 113 snaps with only one recorded solo tackle.
Raiders News: Would anyone actually trade for Clelin Ferrell?
At first glance, you’d be right to think that no team would surrender meaningful draft capital for Ferrell. At the same time, he’s still talented, and if a team feels a player can benefit from their system, they’ll pull the trigger. A change of scenery can truly revitalize a player’s career in some instances. One NFL squad that could use Ferrell’s services is the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Perhaps a team such as Jacksonville could take him on as a look-see experiment for the remainder of the season. The Jaguars’ cast of 5-techniques is solid but fairly unremarkable, even if the defense has played well. Jacksonville DL coach Brentson Buckner was on the Raiders’ staff in Ferrell’s rookie season and frequently defended him publicly when the D-lineman was called out in the media.”
Edholm points out that the Jaguars’ coaching staff has a connection on their staff to Ferrell. Brentson Buckner was the Raiders’ defensive line coach when Ferrell was drafted. If you recall, Buckner was let go by the Raiders in favor of Rod Marinelli, a move that’s still highly criticized. Perhaps Ferrell can turn it around in the Jaguars’ current defensive philosophy. Who better to help his career get back on track than the man who vehemently defended him when he was a Raiders assistant coach?
*Top Photo: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
