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The Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly agreed to trade terms with the Minnesota Vikings on defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The compensation includes a second-round draft pick in 2021 and a conditional fifth-round draft pick that could be as high as a third rounder in 2022.
If Ngakoue were to make the Pro Bowl this season, the fifth-round pick will turn into a fourth-round pick, according to Schefter. If Ngakoue makes the Pro Bowl and the Vikings win the Super Bowl this season, that pick will become a third rounder in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Yannick Ngakoue and the Jaguars will have to coordinate today when he is going to sign his tag so he can be traded to the Vikings, and Minnesota is expected to have to create more salary-cap space to fit in his contract. But Ngakoue’s time in Jacksonville is over, as he hoped. pic.twitter.com/roxgDbyLMO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2020
In order to facilitate the trade, Ngakoue must sign his franchise tender. According to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Ngakoue will also be signing a re-negotiated franchise tender worth nearly $6M less than what he would have made in Jacksonville had he stayed on the initial tag price of $17.8M.
Source: The Vikings and DE Yannick Ngakoue agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal. So Ngakoue will take nearly $6 million less to play in Minnesota than he would've taken in Jacksonville.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 30, 2020
So ... He really wanted out.
The Vikings would not have been able to take on the contract without a restructure on Ngakoue’s end due to the amount of cap space the team is set to have this season.
Late Sunday night, Ngakoue sent out a classy goodbye to the city of Jacksonville, officially moving on and beginning a new chapter in Minnesota.
It’s evident that my time in Jacksonville is up. But I want to say thank you to the organization for making it a home for myself for 4 years, and that I’ll never forget . That chapter is over with now. Nothing lasts forever. But I’m truly excited to start this new chapter! SKOL!
— Yannick Ngakoue (@YannickNgakoue) August 30, 2020
“It’s evident that my time in Jacksonville is up,” Ngakoue tweeted Sunday. “But I want to say thank you to the organization for making it a home for myself for 4 years, and that I’ll never forget . That chapter is over with now. Nothing lasts forever. But I’m truly excited to start this new chapter! SKOL!”
This has always been the most logical conclusion to the battle between Ngakoue and the Jaguars’ front office. Earlier this offseason, the Jaguars placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the defensive end in hopes of extending an olive branch of sorts, to allow him to reconsider signing a long-term deal.
That much wouldn’t last very long as Ngakoue spent much of the offseason on social media campaigning to get out of Jacksonville.
The Jaguars are aware I no longer have interest in signing a long term contract in Jacksonville. Duval, I love you and gave you guys everything I got. I’m thankful for the journey and look forward to continuing my career elsewhere. -91
— Yannick Ngakoue (@YannickNgakoue) March 2, 2020
Soon after, Ngakoue told ESPN’s “NFL Live” that his time in Jacksonville had ended.
″Everything comes to an end and it’s time for me to move on to the next chapter of my career,″ he said. ″I am forever thankful what Jacksonville has brought to me and my family, but it’s time to move on.″
Playing in 15 games last season, Ngakoue had 41 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, and eight sacks. He currently ranks second in all-time with 37.5 sacks, behind only Tony Brackens. He has also generated 14 forced fumbles in his career, including four just last season.