Cody Kessler traded to the Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Wednesday afternoon that they have traded for Cleveland Browns quarterback Cody Kessler in exchange for a late round 2019 NFL Draft pick. The move is a bit of a surprise, but it is no secret the Jaguars have been in the market for a backup quarterback since deciding to let Chad Henne leave in free agency.

“We are excited about the opportunity to add Cody as depth to our quarterback position,” Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said in a team release. “Despite being just 24 years old, Cody has already seen NFL game action and was very effective as a rookie in 2016, showing accuracy and efficiency in posting a quarterback rating of 90-plus. From our research and through getting to know Cody during the draft process, we know he is a smart, tough and competitive young man and we expect him to be a great addition to our quarterback and offensive meeting rooms.”

As mentioned Kessler started eight games for the Browns as a rookie in 2016 after being a third-round draft pick and, at least numbers-wise, wasn’t completely awful. Kessler is someone I’ve mentioned a few times that I think would be a nice long-term backup for an NFL team that isn’t the disaster that is the Browns.

It’s a good move for the Jaguars to address the backup quarterback position, but I don’t believe it rules out any plans to potentially spend an early pick on a quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft.