(This story was updated to correct a typo.)
Earlier this week, the Denver Broncos traded wide receiver Devaughn Vele to the New Orleans Saints, but from the sounds of it, the Jacksonville Jaguars were also interested.
As Broncos head coach Sean Payton recalled, Denver wasn’t actively shopping Vele. However, they received calls from three teams, two of which were “serious,” as Payton put it.
“Well, that factors in,” Payton said of trading Vele to the Saints, a team he obviously knows well. “And Jacksonville… you know, ultimately, it’s the best compensation. And when it became a four and a seven, that was certainly something that — I think George [Paton] and I both knew if it became a four, that’s something we would do.”
The Saints would end up offering a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick for Vele. One could infer from Payton’s comments that the Jaguars were the other serious contender for Vele.
At 6-5 – 210 pounds, Vele fits that big-bodied mold the Jaguars covet at the receiver position. A seventh-round pick in 2024, Vele caught 41 passes for 475 yards and three scores as a rookie.
The Jaguars’ apparent interest in Vele shows that the team may not be done adding to the receiver position. The top four spots on the depth chart are accounted for, and it looks like Trenton Irwin is in control of that fifth spot on the 53-man, but GM James Gladstone could be searching for a sixth option on the final roster.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Broncos Sean Payton mentions Jaguars when discussing Devaughn Vele trade
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
