Why the Jacksonville Jaguars Need to End the Drama, Trade Maurice Jones-Drew

It can't be easy coming to terms with the idea of trading your best offensive player, but the Jacksonville Jaguars would be better off trading holdout running back Maurice Jones-Drew than signing him to a contract extension. 

Agent Adisa Bakari said his client was open to "bridging what is becoming a more fractured relationship" with the Jaguars organization, according to NFL.com, but who knows precisely what that means? 

Does it mean MJD is willing to honor his current contract, which has two years remaining before it expires? Or is he simply lowering the amount of money he wants in an extension? 

Something tells me Jones-Drew still wants an extension. 

According to the sources of CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman, Jacksonville has no plans to deal their franchise runner:

"

I'm told, specifically, that for the moment, no (expletive deleted) way the Jaguars are trading MJD.

— mike freeman (@realfreemancbs) August 21, 2012"

Why is that the case?

Think about it. 

MJD has been productive his entire career in Jacksonville, never averaging less than 4.2 yards per carry. Since becoming the unquestioned feature back following Fred Taylor's departure, he's been one of the most valuable runners in the NFL. 

However, at 27, with 1,484 career rushing attempts, he's "old" in running back years. Frank Gore and Steven Jackson are the only backs who have carried the ball more than him since his rookie year in 2006. 

To many, the Jaguars aren't near playoff contention. While I tend to agree with the masses, it's unfair to totally rule them out of a relatively weak AFC South race.

Firstly, it will be hard for Blaine Gabbert to be worse than he was in 2011. The defense is solid, and the offensive line has potential. If anything, the Jaguars are building for the future. However, they're at least a few years away from fielding a team that can make noise in the playoffs.  

How does a 27-year-old running back factor into those plans? What about a guy that continues his holdout and isn't even on the field? 

In today's pass-happy NFL, it's not a sound business move to extend a 27-year-old running back with nearly 1,500 carries on his resume, especially if you're in the middle of organization reconstruction. 

Team's cannot afford to pay running backs for what they've done in the past.

They just can't. 

Most importantly, if they don't want to give in and extend MJD into his 30s, now is the absolutely perfect time to sell. He is fresh off a career-high 1,606 rushing yards in 2011. 

There are a handful of "win-now" teams who could potentially compensate the Jaguars with multiple draft picks—exactly what rebuilding teams need to improve their core.

If Jones-Drew comes back to play out the last two years of his deal, that's fine. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, that's unlikely.

It wouldn't be popular with the fans, but Jacksonville would be making the more intelligent long-term decision by trading their disgruntled running back right now.

Follow @ChrisTrapasso