Not only were the Jets close to landing Dante Fowler Jr. before the trade deadline, they nearly landed him two months ago.

According to CBS Sports' Jason La Confora, the Jets offered QB Teddy Bridgewater to the Jaguars in exchange for the defensive end, but Jacksonville declined.

Instead, the Jets dealt Bridgewater to the Saints for a third-round pick.

Per the report, the Jets reached out to the Jaguars shortly after the team suspended Fowler for fighting with a teammate in practice but were quickly rebuffed.

The deal certainly made a lot of sense for both teams. The Jets had an abundance of quarterbacks and were set on rookie Sam Darnold starting the season, while the Jaguars declined to pick up Fowler's fifth-year option in the offseason, signaling that his time was coming to an end in Jacksonville.

Bridgewater would have given the Jaguars a stable backup behind Blake Bortles, who has struggled mightily this season, while the Jets would have gotten their coveted pass-rusher.

The Jets made a "very competitive" offer for Fowler again before the Oct. 30 trade deadline, per SNY's Ralph Vacchiano, but the Jaguars instead dealt him to the Rams for a third-round pick and 2020 fifth-rounder.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets offered a third and fifth-round pick but also wanted a fourth-round pick in return and would not budge on that.

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