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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen walks on the sideline during the first quarter of an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Liam Coen Weighs In on Khalen Saunders Trade

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to be a completely different team in the 2025 NFL season than the one they fielded last year. After an abysmal 4-13 finish, the franchise overhauled its sidelines, bringing in Head Coach Liam Coen, Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski, and Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile. Not only will their looks be new to Duval, but they could produce something the league has never seen before, considering each new hire is holding their respective positions for the first time in their NFL careers.

Jacksonville didn't only implement systematic changes, though. They also brought in a slew of new talent in the offseason. Much of the focus has been on what Liam Coen can do for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the Jaguars' offense, but this team desperately needed some new direction on the other side of the ball as well.

In free agency, they brought in some reinforcements for the secondary in safety Eric Murray and cornerback Jourdan Lewis. They also invested heavily in their defense in the 2025 NFL Draft, adding Travis Hunter Jr., Caleb Ransaw, Jack Kiser, Jalen McLeod, and Rayuan Lane III. Jacksonville wasn't satisfied with just those acquisitions, though. Right after the Jaguars' second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, they made a trade with their opponents, dealing away center Luke Fortner in exchange for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.

Liam Coen is a fan of new Jaguars defensive tackle Khalen Saunders' game

The Jacksonville Jaguars may have swung the trade for Khalen Saunders shortly after their clash with the New Orleans Saints, but Head Coach Liam Coen was well familiar with the defensive tackle's abilities before then. Saunders brings six years of NFL experience to the Jags' defensive line, and Coen got a good look at him last season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator.

He was asked about the trade following the next training camp practice:

"I think you just look at a guy that we played against twice last year in Tampa that I've got respect for as a vet that's played a lot of meaningful downs in this league, has won Super Bowls. He's been on teams that know how to win. Also, there's no question he can help us in the middle there at times. So, he's hard to double-team and move in there at times, and also has some ability to kind of redirect and has some initial [quickness]. So, I do believe he'll help add some meaningful competition and depth in that room.”

Saunders won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and 2022 next to legendary DT Chris Jones. This deal provides much-needed depth for the Jaguars at nose tackle, but it's also a testament to the improvements they made along the offensive line , which rendered Luke Fortner an expendable piece in Jacksonville.

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This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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