The mayor of Sacksonville is leaving office.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are trading Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a fifth-round pick, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported. The Ravens quickly got to work on a new contract for Campbell, coming close to finalizing a new two-year, $27 million deal that includes $20 million guaranteed, Rapoport reported.
Campbell, the reigning Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, has served as the face of the Jaguars since he signed with Jacksonville in 2017 in what was a surprising move east from Arizona. The combination of Campbell's age and contract made him a trade candidate, though, and he's headed north to a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the final year of his current deal.
Campbell was due to account for $17.5 million of Jacksonville's cap in 2020, and with the Jaguarsowning just $14 million in projected space after tagging fellow edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue (per Over The Cap), it was time to trim salary somewhere. They're doing so by shipping out perhaps the most important player to the franchise in the last five years, a tough decision to make but a wise one in the long run.
Baltimore is getting an edge rusher who is as reliable and as consistent as they come, not to mention an excellent influence on his younger teammates. The Ravens will also get him at a lower annual rate, saving an average of $4 million per year while also gaining an additional year of Campbell's services, all for a fifth-round pick.
The Jaguars are taking a necessary risk by shipping out Campbell and pinning their hopes on retaining Ngakoue, no doubt, but with Campbell at 33 years old, it was a necessary one, attempting to get some sort of value back before Campbell is also due for a new contract.
With Ngakoue lined up opposite fellow youngster Josh Allen -- a 2020 Pro Bowl selection -- the Jaguars are equipped to move on without Campbell, though they'll need to find a way to replace his presence in the locker room. And they'll have to find a way to convince Ngakoue to be a Jaguar for years to come.
Allen weighed in on Campbell's departure via Twitter.
Later, Campbell took to Twitter himself to say his piece about leaving Jacksonville after three great seasons.
