The trade deadline passed, and the Jacksonville Jaguars held on to wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., even as speculation around his future with the team swirled.
Thomas' fit within Liam Coen's offense has never materialized, while his snaps and opportunities have continued to dwindle as the season has progressed.
However, as GM James Gladstone detailed on Wednesday, there is still plenty of value that Thomas' presence can add, both on and off the field.
"We have a ton of value when it comes to BTJ," Gladstone said, via 1010XL. "His role and what I imagine his contribution will be down the stretch here is going to be notable. He's such a good person to work with, he's such a good teammate, and so I expect a lot of good in what lies in front."
James
Gladstone explains why keeping Brian Thomas Jr. was important to the Jaguars and what he expects from the young receiver down the stretch. 🐆#DUUUVAL | #Jaguars https://t.co/06aCRC1g19 pic.twitter.com/5I9X4Ypvgl
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Even when the ball doesn't go Thomas' direction, the attention he draws on the field as a vertical presence can help open up opportunities for others in the passing game.
His combination of speed and route-running abilities adds another dimension to the Jaguars' passing game that defenses have to account for, and the variety of skill sets that the Jaguars possess in the passing game gives the offense a variety of ways to attack opponents.
But with that, targets from week to week could ebb and flow based on what the matchup dictates.
"Knowing at this time our wide receiver room, in particular, has such a range of skill sets at its disposal and those that complement each other really well," Gladstone added. "And when you think beyond that, the pass catchers we have at our disposal when you start working in the tight end group and the running back room, it just allows our offense to be multiple, it allows us to be able to activate guys in different ways in different games that looks different from one to the next. So I think that ability to jump from one to the next is certainly going to benefit us here in the rest of the season and look forward to that being the case."
Entering Week 4, the Jaguars' offense ranks fourth in points per game and second in yards per pass attempt.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Gladstone explains decision to keep Brian Thomas Jr. at trade deadline
