Jags safety Rayshawn Jenkins on C.J. Henderson trade: ‘We have everybody that we need’
Jacksonville made headlines on Monday morning as news broke that the team would be trading 2020 first-round pick C.J. Henderson to the Carolina Panthers along with a fifth-round pick in exchange for tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick.
The second-year cornerback missed a large chunk of his rookie season with injuries, but he had a good preseason and had a solid start to the 2021 season with Jacksonville. Without him, the Jaguars will turn to rookie Tyson Campbell, who the team took from Georgia at the top of the second round, to start on the outside.
The Jags had high hopes for Henderson, and this is a disappointing way for his tenure in Duval to end. However, safety Rayshawn Jenkins said that he doesn’t expect Henderson’s departure to cause a major disruption.
“I wouldn’t say we’re too shaken up,” he said. “I feel like we have everybody that we need… C.J. was a good player, I know he’s going to go there and make an immediate impact. Wish him the best.”
Henderson is known as a quieter player and wasn’t considered to be a vocal leader for the team. But asked if that made working with him difficult, Jenkins quickly shot down that suggestion.
“Everybody learns differently, everybody interacts with people differently, I wouldn’t say it was difficult,” he said. “It was different but it wasn’t difficult for me. I’ve been in plenty of situations where I had to communicate or interact with someone who’s just a little bit different, it is what it is.”
Henderson’s tenure in Jacksonville was promising at times, but it also seemed like he never really clicked with the new coaching staff, and a change of scenery could be beneficial to his career. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have to prepare to take on a Cincinnati Bengals passing game that is quickly improving on a short week, and they’ll have to do so without one of their best defensive backs.
