We are just one week away from the NFL trade deadline, and trade rumors are flying! The time of year where NFL superstars on bad teams get saved and shipped off to a contending team. Or bad fits that are bundled and sent off somewhere where they can be used properly.
It is clear which teams are sinking, and which teams are staying afloat in the playoffs picture. But which team will make the big splash to help put them on top?
Atlanta Falcons: Matthew Judon, 2021 2nd Round pick, 2022 4th Round pick
Baltimore Ravens: Julio Jones
The Dirty Birds are still suffering from a Super Bowl hangover that has lasted four years. Calvin Ridley has since arrived in Atlanta and is on the verge of becoming an elite receiver in the NFL. They really need a solidified edge defender opposite of Dante Fowler Jr. Tak McKinley is gonna be gone and that will make yet another failed attempt at drafting a pass rusher. Matthew Judon was franchise tagged earlier this offseason, and with the trade of Yannick Ngakoue, the Ravens have depth to give at the edge position.
On the other hand, Baltimore has been searching for a true No.1 target for Lamar Jackson to throw to in clutch situations. Julio Jones is without a doubt a top three receiver in the NFL (when healthy), and immediately turns the Ravens offense into a nightmare to cover. If Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin were able to Fusion together they would create Julio Jones.
Cincinnati Bengals: 2021 3rd Round pick, Conditional 2022 5th Round pick
Green Bay Packers: A.J. Green
Green Bay has ignored the wide receiver position long enough. Davante Adams is coming off a career game of 13 catches, 196 yards and two touchdowns but he can’t do that every game. This lethal offense is a Davante Adams injury away from stalling and having a repeat of last year. A.J. Green has looked very solid in recent weeks for the Bengals this year, recording 29 receptions for 297 yards this far.
The Cincinnati roster is filled with plenty of holes on the offense and defense. Really one of the only positions that doesn’t need to be addressed is the receiver position. It would be wise of the Bengals to try and flip their Pro Bowl wide receiver before he leaves for nothing. I currently have the Bengals selecting JaMarr Chase in my latest mock draft, which would pretty much fill any hole left from A.J. Green. If I’m the Cincinnati Bengals and I have a way to turn my abundance of receivers into more pieces to develop my new franchise quarterback, I do it 10 times out of 10.
San Francisco 49ers: 2021 5th Round Pick
Indianapolis Colts: Dante Pettis
The Colts need quality depth at the receiver position. Parris Campbell remains out with a PCL injury suffered in Week 2. Michael Pittman remains out with a calf strain. T.Y. Hilton is showing flashes of regression, and the same goes for Philip Rivers. Dante Pettis brings some much needed speed to this Colts receiving core, and adds a flare to the returning game too.
A 5th round pick might not seem like much of a return, but San Francisco has a knack of using late round picks well. Pettis also has done very little to increase his mid second round stock. The 49ers haven’t been able to use Dante Pettis very well, and now with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel there isn’t much need for Pettis’ depth.
Los Angeles Chargers: 2021 2nd Round pick, 2021 6th round pick
Cleveland Browns: Melvin Ingram
Melvin Ingram is unhappy with his contract, and voiced he would like to be traded earlier this year. The Chargers defense already has one of the best edge defenders in the NFL with Joey Bosa. Having both of them is a nice luxury but an expensive one. The Chargers are in a slight rebuild currently but Justin Herbert’s play has shown it might not take as long as expected.
Cleveland is sitting at 5-2 after a thrilling win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Odell Beckham Jr sadly was lost, but I still believe the Browns have plenty of firepower on offense. If they are able to add someone to get after the passer, and allow more one-on-one situations for Myles Garrett, they should. The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and just added to it. Pittsburgh defense is debatably the best in the NFL too.
Dallas Cowboys: Stephon Gilmore
New England Patriots: Michael Gallup, 2021 3rd round pick
This trade offer might be the most fair, even, and mutually beneficial out of the five. We’ve got two teams that are both struggling vastly compared to their offseason expectations. One has a defense that might be able to stop a high school football team and the other just can’t seem to keep any weapons healthy.
Stephon Gilmore’s name has surprisingly been floating around in trade rumors and I’d assume nearly every team in the NFL would be interested. Even with Trevon Diggs just added to the roster, cornerback is definitely still a need for Dallas. On the other hand, with the addition of CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup is suddenly a lot more expendable. Julian Edelman is aging and so far N’Keal Harry hasn’t been able to prove he’s any sort of a reliable receiver. Dallas owns two 3rd round picks next year, so giving up one won’t hurt at all, and they can plug up the cornerback position quickly.
