The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to shift rookie offensive tackle Luke Joeckel over to the left side of the line, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com. Jockel, a first-round draft pick this year, has been starting on the right side all season, but the more important left side will no longer be manned by Eugene Monroe.
That's because the Jaguars just traded Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens Tuesday night. Monroe still needs to pass a physical, but he's been playing well and he should pass with flying colors. The Jaguars are getting a couple draft picks in the deal, but there's no confirmation on what exactly they're receiving as compensation.
Most believe that Joeckel has been worse than Monroe this season, dealing with the same thing that any rookie deals with: adjusting to play at the next level. But Joeckel is the future and he was always a better fit as a left tackle.
Jacksonville isn't going to compete any time soon, so acquiring multiple draft picks is more important than having the luxury of being able to play a top five pick on the right side of their offensive line. It was, after all, somewhat surprising when the Jaguars called Joeckel's name in April.
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