Christian McCaffrey, Roquan Smith and Von Miller were the best trade deadline acquisitions over the past four years.
NFL teams looking to bolster their playoff hopes for a run at the Super Bowl have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to make a trade. Of course, it takes two to make a deal.
Several moves already were made. The Bengals acquired Joe Flacco. The Rams got cornerback Roger McCreary. The Eagles added cornerback Michael Carter II. Defensive end Keion
White went to the 49ers. Safety Kyle Dugger was traded to the Steelers. The Jaguars and Browns swapped cornerbacks Greg Newsome II and Tyson Campbell a few weeks ago.
None of those were blockbuster trades like McCaffrey going from Carolina to San Francisco for four draft picks in 2022. Or cornerback Jalen Ramsey going from Jacksonville to the Rams for two first-round picks and a fourth in 2019.
The Ravens got Smith from the Bears for a second-round pick, a fifth-rounder and linebacker A.J. Klein in 2022. Smith has been an All-Pro linebacker in each of his two full seasons in Baltimore.
Miller was traded from Denver to the Rams in 2021 for two Day 2 picks. He had nine sacks in 12 games for Los Angeles, helping the Rams win the Super Bowl that season.
Bengals All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and Jets running back Breece Hall are among the biggest names being mentioned in trade speculation along with quarterback Kirk Cousins. Dolphins edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen also have been discussed in rumors.
Rumors and speculation don't mean much. It’s just talk. The Eagles aren’t moving wideout A.J. Brown by Tuesday despite endless speculation about the mercurial star.
Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson have requested trades so those rumors have merit.
Here’s a look are some of the players who could be available and potential landing spots:
The 30-year-old Hendrickson is in the final season of a restructured contract paying him $29 million after a lengthy holdout during training camp. The Bengals (3-5) aren’t in playoff contention and it’s unlikely Hendrickson will get the contract he wants from Cincinnati, though he’s a candidate for the franchise tag. Trading him makes sense and there are several teams who could use a sack artist. The Bengals’ asking price for Hendrickson was too high in the offseason. He’s dealing with a hip injury and has a lot of money left on his contract so the cost has to be reasonable. The Patriots (6-2) have $52.4 million in salary cap space, are surprise leaders of the AFC East and landing a premier pass rusher could be a difference maker. The 49ers (5-3) have $20.7 million in cap space and a huge need after losing Nick Bosa. The Cowboys (3-4-1) have $31.5 million available after trading Micah Parsons and have the second-worst defense in the NFL. But Jerry Jones already said they’re not one player away from contention.
Hall has 581 yards rushing and two touchdowns in eight games for the woeful Jets (1-7). He had two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown in the fourth quarter in a comeback win over the Bengals last week. But Hall is a pending free agent, though the Jets could put a franchise tag on him. Coach Aaron Glenn said New York has no intention of trading Hall. The Jets are going nowhere. They need a quarterback and adding draft capital can only help them. Trading Hall could provide important pieces for the future. He’s making $3.4 million this season in the final year of his rookie deal. If the Jets want to move him, the Chiefs (5-3) should be first in line. Adding a talented back like Hall to join Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice would make Kansas City favorites to return to the Super Bowl for the fourth straight season. The Chargers (5-3) have a need for a running back and might want to keep him away from the Chiefs.
The Falcons kept Cousins as the highest-priced backup in the NFL and he started last week because of an injury to Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta would have to pay some of his guaranteed $27.5 million (plus $10 million next season) to make a deal. Cousins has a no-trade clause and probably wouldn’t be interested in going somewhere unless he would start. So unless a team loses its quarterback this weekend, that’s not a possibility.
Wilson wants to go somewhere he can play and the Bengals should be looking to add draft picks. But Wilson’s $8.8 million cap complicates the trade. The Bills could use a linebacker but have the least amount of salary cap space available at $1.7 million.
The Dolphins (2-7) should be sellers and they have three edge rushers who can be attractive additions to teams. Phillips is making $13.3 million in the final season of his rookie deal and will be a free agent. He has three sacks. Chubb is on an expiring contract with a $12.3 million cap hit. He has four sacks this season. Judon is on a one-year, $3 million deal and his playing time has diminished. He has no sacks. The Patriots, 49ers, Eagles, Colts and Lions would be among the teams should have interest in Miami’s edge rushers.
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