JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the NFL's most fascinating teams ahead of next week's NFL Trade Deadline, but that doesn't mean there aren't still some lines that have to be toed.

Toeing the line of adding talent on paper against disrupting the Jaguars' set locker room and playing field chemistry is the ultimate line that general manager James Gladstone, head coach Liam Coen, and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli have to guard against.

That is why no matter what the Jaguars do this deadline, from Brian Thomas Jr. to adding new pieces on defense, adding a player who, for the lack of a better team, isn't intangibly rich is the one mistake the Jaguars can not afford to make at the deadline.

The Trade Deadline Lesson

While we have not seen the Jaguars make many trade deadline decisions that have backfired in recent years (their most recent trades were for Jakobi Meyers and Ezra Cleveland, two multi-season starters), they can consider themselves the lucky ones. Each year we see a team with an open window, like the Jaguars are now. And each year we see a team flop, like the Indianapolis Colts a year ago.

That is not to say the Sauce Gardner trade has not worked because of Gardner's fit in the Colts' culture. Gardner lost a lot of games with the New York Jets so he is unlikely to be totally phased by the Colts' brand of football, and the real reason that trade hasn't worked out is because the Colts gave it no chance to with the price they paid.

But that is the lesson the Jaguars can learn from. It isn't about adding the right fit on or off the field, at least not completely. It is about reading the room and knowing which moves can, and which moves can't, take you over the top. The Gardner trade never seemed like it was going to make that difference for the Colts, and the Jaguars can't afford to make a similar mistake this trade deadline.

“Yeah, that's a lot of it when you're going through potential options, things like that. You start with, okay, does this player make us better or not? Yes or no? And then, is it going to fit what we're doing, how we operate, the locker room, all that stuff is very important with it and you can't just reach and grab," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said this week.

Everyone wants to add a pass-rushing defensive tackle, for example. But what about the fact the Jaguars' defense is hitting all cylenders with Arik Armstead and Ruke Orhorhoro as their prime pocket pushers. And while a veteran safety makes a lot of sense, is it worth disrupting the recent play of Rayuan Lane and his fit in Anthony Campanile's defense?

Those are the questions the Jaguars will have to ask themselves. They can not mortgage the future for a deal that will not put them over the top. And they also can't afford to take a big swing on a player who might not be the exact fit for what they are looking for in their culture.

"History shows, a lot of those situations. And then obviously last year, with Jakobi [Meyers], that was one of those that really just fit. You're always looking for that fit and it's so much about the person, the competitor, the football character, that is everything that you look at when making any of these types of decisions," Coen said.

"I'm sure a lot of teams are going through similar processes right now but it's very important, especially when you've got a good thing kind of going, that you're intentional with the background and making sure that the player is in the headspace to come in and fit what we're doing.”