NFL Notes: Trade Deadline, Giants, Patriots & Redskins

Trade Deadline

Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com mentions that when he was working for the Packers, he and Ron Wolf drafted a few proposals to facilitate more trades in the NFL. However, the league denied both of them. The first proposal they came up with was to

The first proposal they came up with was to push the trade deadline back after Thanksgiving, as this would increase the likelihood of teams being “buyers” and “sellers.” Brandt says that the NFL wanted to instead discourage a “rent-a-player” strategy.

The other idea that Brandt and Wolf proposed was to allow teams to trade cap room, as this would help to alleviate some serious issues that prevent trades from happening in the NFL. Unfortunately, the NFL told Brandt that they didn’t want to have a way for teams to get out from under poor cap management, saying: “They made their bed, they should have to sleep in it.”

We’re obviously biased in regards to this topic, but it’s beyond time the NFL considered making the trade deadline more appealing. No matter what changes are made, it won’t ever be as active and as potentially exciting as in the NBA, MLB and NHL but there are ways to increase the amount of activity and actually make it useful to NFL teams.

Giants

• Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports that Giants rookie S Darian Thompson is unlikely to return this week after he aggravated his foot injury.

Patriots

Albert Breer spoke to some sources this week about the Patriots’ surprising decision to trade away LB Jamie Collins. Both sources told Breer that Patriots HC Bill Belichick can make these kinds of moves so long as he has Tom Brady playing quarterback.

“(Bill Belichick) can do whatever he wants until 12 isn’t there anymore,” a veteran rival defensive coach tells Breer. “It’s not even a question.”

“Anything they do, they get the benefit of the doubt because it all works out,” said a rival personnel executive. “But it’s Brady. I get that they won without Brady, but that would be a week-in/week-out team without him. … That team, with Jimmy (Garoppolo), no one’s afraid of them. It’s a normal game for you. With Brady, it’s a championship team every week.

“And they will continue to win as long as Tom doesn’t eat any strawberries.”