The Chargers made one of the most shocking moves of recent years on Wednesday as it was reported that the team was trading JC Jackson back to the New England Patriots for a pair of late-round pick swaps.
Jackson's tenure with the Chargers was going terribly and it was best for all parties to move on. Jackson was a healthy scratch in Week 3 and while he was active in Week 4, he did not see the field a single time on defense.
It was time to move on. New England is going to try and fix Jackson back to his old form but it does not even matter if that happens for LA. The team needed to wash their hands of this situation and that is exactly what it did.
Jackson leaves behind a cornerback room that fans were extremely excited about before the season. Now, the depth of the room is potentially in question as the 2023 season rolls along.
Chargers cornerback depth chart after trading JC Jackson:
- CB1: Michael Davis
- CB2: Asante Samuel Jr.
- CB3: Ja'Sir Taylor
- CB4: Deane Leonard
Those are the only cornerbacks that the Chargers currently have on the active roster. The only reason why Jackson was active in Week 4 was because Deane Leonard was dealing with a hamstring injury. It is clear that the Chargers need more cornerback depth.
The cornerbacks on the practice squad consist of Matt Hankins and Chris Wilcox. Both Hankins and Wilcox are in their second seasons and neither player has played a single NFL game to this point.
As it stands the Chargers are fine with the trio of Davis, Samuel and Taylor starting with Leonard being the backup option. But this cornerback room is one injury away from potential collapse and a second injury away from ultimate disaster. That is not the situation a team wants to find itself in.
Jackson was not helping that situation at all so it is not like the Chargers traded a valuable depth piece. But the team still needs to replace his spot on the roster with more cornerback help or else it could get really ugly for the team.