NFLTR Review: Shopping The Midseason Trade Block

By
Logan Ulrich
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The trade deadline is just a couple weeks away and the action is starting to heat up. In this issue:

  • A position-by-position look at players potentially available around the league
  • Plenty of pass rushers and RBs, slim pickings at CB and OL
  • 66 total names on the block

Around The Trade Block: Position By Position Trade Catalog

After a slow start to 2022, rumor season is finally starting to kick in with the trade deadline looming at the end of October. Teams are starting to separate themselves into buyers and sellers, though there’s still a whole crush in the middle that could break either way. With six weeks in the book, we know a lot more about which young players are ready to make veterans expendable, or which players aren’t happy with their roles. 

There’s still plenty of time before the trade deadline and more developments possible, but here is a snapshot of who is available on the block around the league. We’ve compiled this using reports from the past couple of weeks as well as a little bit of judicious dot-connecting, and it’s broken out by position. 

Let’s dive in: 

Quarterback

This is a tough time to trade for a quarterback, as it’s brutally hard to catch up to an offensive system midstream. The available options reflect this and it’s highly unlikely either are traded. Both profile more as backups than starters, though Minshew has flashed some low-level starter ability. Both players are set to be free agents this coming offseason, so any interested team would probably just wait. However, the fact they’re set to hit free agency also means their original teams might be more willing to let them go to lock in a pick rather than play the game with the comp pick formula. 

Running Back

If you’re an NFL team in need of a running back, there are a plethora of options available, even with the McCaffrey blockbuster. Gordon is the next name worth watching. There was some chatter out of Denver that he was about to fall dramatically behind Javonte Williams in the rotation before Williams tore his ACL, perhaps even to the point of being released outright. He hardly saw the field after the first series on Monday night, with newcomer Latavius Murray taking most of the work in the backfield, but Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett said this week Gordon will start again in Week 7.

I have no clue what Hackett is thinking, which has been said a lot this year. Regardless, Gordon is an above-average back and worth inquiring about for teams falling below that standard. 

Akers is clearly on the outs in Los Angeles and a fresh start could be what the former second-round pick needs. He claims to be back from his torn Achilles, which has been a career-killer for running backs, and not to have lost any of his explosiveness. His play on the field doesn’t match that assessment, though perhaps he’s just running tentatively and will be a better fit in a different system. 

Johnson is buried on the depth chart in Cleveland and they could stand to replenish their draft pick haul that was depleted in the trade for Deshaun Watson if another team is interested in sending a pick. Jones is also buried all the way at fourth in Kansas City. Scott is third on the depth chart with the Eagles but he missed a game due to injury and former 49ers third-rounder Trey Sermon looked good filling in, perhaps making him expendable. Vaughn has been a healthy scratch and barely played even with some injuries in Tampa Bay. 

Wide Receiver

Plenty of teams need receiver help, but the big prize is a free agent, as Odell Beckham Jr. will make his decision sometime in November. There are some interesting names available, however, headlined by Claypool. 

He had a big game in Week 6 but it’s largely been a quiet season for the third-year player. After a strong rookie season, Claypool has plateaued, to put it charitably. 2023 will be the final year of his rookie deal and it doesn’t seem at this point like the Steelers will break from their tendency of not signing wideouts to second contracts for him. Reports indicate other teams are under the impression Claypool has been available for the right price, though not a cheap one. I would guess it would take at least a third-round pick for Pittsburgh to pull the trigger. Is that worth it for a team like the Packers? It’s a good question…

Bourne headlines the rest of the list as a solid but not outstanding player, someone who could be productive in a No. 2 or No. 3 role. He’s not playing much for the Patriots right now, who have some sneaky depth at wide receiver, and while they haven’t been willing to deal him so far, that could change. They also have the depth to deal away Agholor, but the big impediment there is his salary. He was due $10 million this year, and even the prorated amount for the remainder of the season would be burdensome given how little available cap space there is generally around the NFL. It’s doubtful the Patriots agree to eat any of that as well. 

Guys like Slayton, Mims and Callaway aren’t nearly as proven as Bourne or Agholor but they have the advantage of still being on cheap rookie deals. Slayton’s been available since training camp, even with New York’s injuries at receiver. Mims has remained buried on the Jets’ receiving corps depth chart and has been a healthy scratch this entire season, yet New York’s asking price apparently remains high. Callaway is reportedly available even with the Saints’ injury issues at the position. 

Roberts is on injured reserve and there’s little trade buzz about him. However, he’s a proven return specialist and should be healthy for the back half of the year. The Panthers don’t really have a need for that, but another contending team might. 

Rodgers and Atwell are second-year Day 2 picks who do not have much of a role on offense or special teams for their current squads. The Packers or Rams might not be ready to cut bait just yet but if you’re a team that had a good grade on either player, it’s worth checking to see. 

Tight End

It’s so clear that Gesicki is miscast in Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel’s offense. His production has plummeted this season, though his six catches and two touchdowns in Week 6 were a reminder that the skill hasn’t gone. Realistically, he’s a big receiver, not a tight end, and needs to be deployed as such. That might not happen until next year when he’s a free agent, though, as the remainder of his franchise tag will be significant for an acquiring team to take on. 

Some of the other targets here are more true tight ends. Hooper has been sparingly used, has a low base salary this season and trading him would free up more reps for fourth-round TE Chigoziem Okonkwo, who the Titans like. Hooper is also still just 27. Okwuegbunam has fallen out of favor in Denver and was a healthy scratch this past week. He still has two years left on his rookie deal. The Buccaneers signed Rudolph to bolster their tight end group but he’s barely played this season. 

Boyle is an interesting situation because in the past he’s been a vital part of the Ravens’ offense due to his skill as a blocker. A devastating knee injury in 2020 has derailed his career, however. He’s played only nine snaps on offense this season, though significantly more on special teams. The injury is a complicating factor but at this point he’s not indispensable to the Ravens. 

Offensive Tackle

Plenty of teams would love an upgrade at tackle but there just aren’t many teams with a lot of surplus to spare. Wynn has had a rough few months, being booted from left tackle to right tackle during camp and struggling to open the season, as it’s not his natural position. He was benched this past week for Marcus Cannon, and if the Patriots feel like they’ll get enough players back from injury to have depth, they could listen to offers. However, Wynn is in the final year of his deal and making $10.4 million, so that’s a bit of a tough sell. 

Dillard is in the final year of his deal and buried behind Philadelphia’s excellent bookend tackles. Although the former first-rounder lost the starting job to Jordan Mailata, he looked much improved when he had to fill in for an injury last season. The Eagles, eyeing a potential comp pick in 2023, won’t give him away cheaply, however. 

On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine the Panthers driving too hard of a bargain for Erving. He’s in the final year of his deal and making $4 million this season. He also can play all five positions on the offensive line, which could be valuable for teams that have been hit hard by injuries. While Carolina isn’t holding a fire sale, Erving is exactly the kind of veteran they’re looking to deal as someone who isn’t in their future plans and could have more value to another team. He’s not even an average player but in a league starved for quality linemen, below-average can look pretty good. 

The Bears signed Reiff to fortify their depth at tackle during training camp but since then he has only played one snap. Chicago appears to be content letting youngsters Braxton Jones and Larry Borom develop, with Alex Leatherwood set to come off the injured list and potentially become a factor. Reiff is affordable and experienced and it’s not out of the question to think the Bears could flip him for a late-rounder. 

Little lost a competition to start at right tackle with Jawaan Taylor this summer. So far, Taylor has been pretty solid for the Jaguars. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal but it’s probably worth calling Jacksonville to see what their plans at tackle are. They just extended LT Cam Robinson this offseason and if they bring back Taylor, there’s no path to the field for Little. 

Guard/Center

Carolina looked like it had nabbed a free agent steal when Bozeman’s market inexplicably cratered this offseason. But perhaps the rest of the NFL was on to something, as he hasn’t been able to beat out Pat Elflein to start. Given he’s on a one-year deal, he might be more valuable to another team in need of help on the interior offensive line, as he can play both center and guard. 

Carman was a second-round pick just last year but lost the starting left guard job to fourth-round rookie Cordell Volson. He might not be a fit in Cincinnati and another team with a good grade on him could get him cheap if the Bengals feel like cutting their losses. Simpson is another former Clemson lineman who has lost the starting job and seems on the outs with his current team. 

Turner was benched and might not have much value to other teams, but you never know with offensive linemen and Washington has enough depth to get by if they decide to start selling off pieces. The Eagles are one of the few teams with a lot of offensive line depth and they could use that to their advantage, flipping someone like Opeta who is in the final year of his contract. 

Edge Rusher

Teams looking for pass-rushing help will have a plethora of options, from brand names to bargain binners. Quinn is the headliner, as the Bears are reportedly shopping him now that it’s clear their season is going nowhere. Unfortunately, they lost a fair amount of leverage by not trading him months ago, but it is what it is. He’s not having nearly as productive a season as a year ago when he notched 18.5 sacks but his resume speaks for itself at this point. The Bears should be willing to eat salary to add an extra pick to their rebuilding efforts, and they have young pass rushers like Dominique Robinson and Trevis Gipson who trading Quinn would free up snaps for. 

There’s not a lot of concrete trade buzz around Chubb at this moment but there are some interesting dots to connect here. He’s in the final year of his deal and playing well, with 5.5 sacks that are one off the NFL lead. That would put him in line for a ton of money from Denver this offseason, either on an extension or the franchise tag. However, Broncos OLB Baron Browning has been a revelation since coming in for the injured Randy Gregory, who should be back later this season. There’s good depth behind those three as well. You can make a case the Broncos should flip Chubb for draft picks and use the money to fortify other spots on the roster. 

Moving down the list, the Texans find themselves with more edge rushers than they can use at the moment. Given the team is still rebuilding and erring on the side of youth, they could flip either Addison or Okoronkwo to a contending team looking for a little more juice. The Jets are also super deep at edge rusher, to the point that Huff was a healthy scratch for the first three games. In the three since, he has an outstanding nine pressures on just 45 pass rushing snaps, per PFF. 

Chaisson is on injured reserve and has really struggled since being a first-round pick in 2020. But perhaps the Jaguars could get a late-rounder back from another team that liked his potential. Ferrell is a very different player, but he’s another first-round pick who hasn’t worked out and has a new regime in charge. 

Haynes is a decent rotational pass rusher who just signed an extension but Carolina has a similar rookie behind him in Amare Barno who they could stand to get playing time. Haynes might not fit a new coach’s defensive scheme either. 

Washington is set to get back DE Chase Young in the next few weeks, but a number of players have stepped up for them in the meantime. Perhaps the Commanders could flip one of either Obada, Toohill or Smith-Williams for a pick since they’re headed for more of a back seat role with Young in the fold. Obada is the oldest and in a contract year. 

Turay has been buried on a deep 49ers depth chart, but he’s already been cut once this year so it would be a little surprising if there’s interest. The same is true for Anderson, though he’s been alright against the run. Banogu has been available for a while as a busted high pick for the Colts, and Basham is set to come off injured reserve, but is expendable as the bottom rung on a deep Cowboys defense. 

Interior DL

I doubt the Cardinals pull the trigger on a trade involving Watt but there are a few reasons why they should think about it. He’s in the final year of his contract with the deal set to void after this season. Arizona’s defensive line is actually playing well outside of Watt, with DL Zach Allen taking a step forward. If another contending team offered a pick and was willing to take the rest of his salary, the Cardinals could set themselves up better for 2023 without realistically losing too much from this year’s team. 

There are a couple other big names to consider. The Commanders have made it clear they probably are not going to re-sign Payne when his contract expires at the end of this season, as they have other big deals to worry about on the defensive line. If they think they can get by for the rest of this season without him and another team is willing to beat what they’d potentially get in terms of a comp pick, it would make sense to move him. 

It would be surprising for the Eagles to trade away Hargrave when he’s a key starter on an undefeated squad, but they do have some young players behind him in Milton Williams and first-rounder Jordan Davis who could pick up the slack, which might make GM Howie Roseman think about it. Hargrave’s deal voids after this season and Philadelphia doesn’t have a ton of cap flexibility to bring him back. His salary is another obstacle to a deal but he’s a solid starter, so a contending team might look into making it work. 

There are probably more names that could be had than are listed here but Tillery stands out. The former first-rounder had his fifth-year option declined this offseason but so far through six weeks he’s on pace for a career season. The Chargers might not want to give up on him, as they have big hopes for the season, but if he’s not in their future plans, it could make sense to lock in a draft pick. 

Linebacker

Although Thompson is a strong candidate to be cut for savings next offseason, he’s still got some gas left in the tank for a team that wants to upgrade its linebacker group. He’s on a minimum base salary this season and doesn’t have any guarantees left. Carolina might take as little as a fifth-round pick for him at this point. 

Luvu is also playing well and just signed an extension with the Panthers this offseason. However, I get the sense that he was a favorite of departed DC Phil Snow and HC Matt Rhule. He’s also a bit of a tweener and those guys can fall between the cracks when teams change defensive systems. A mid-round pick could probably convince the Panthers to part ways with him as well. 

The Texans went crazy adding linebackers again this offseason but they have some young players they will probably want to give snaps to down the stretch this season. That means veterans like Kirksey and Grugier-Hill, who are playing okay, could be available. 

Cornerback

New Orleans’ secondary is struggling, so it wouldn’t seem like they would consider trading one of their starting corners. But they have some guys coming back healthy and off the practice squad, and obviously could stand to shake things up. Roby would draw the most interest of all the realistic options, and the Saints could actually save a little bit of money for 2023 when (surprise) they have a big book-balancing job to do to get under the cap. 

The biggest name available right now is Jackson in D.C. after he and the Commanders soured on each other just a year after he was a major free agent signing. To be fair to Jackson, he was signed with visions of playing more man coverage that haven’t exactly come to fruition. However, it’s hard to see many teams lining up to trade for a $10 million man-to-man corner who is 29 and has a back injury. A fresh start is what both sides need but Washington will need to eat some money to get a low pick back. 

Some less flashy names who could help a team looking to bolster their secondary depth include Hall and Jones, both who have been pushed to the wayside by younger options in their respective teams’ secondaries. Hall has great size and would fit with a number of teams going to zone-heavy looks. He does have two years still on his rookie contract so New York might not be in a hurry to give him away. Jones re-signed on a one-year deal but Seattle’s rookie class is giving early Legion of Boom vibes, so he’s expendable. 

It would be shocking to see the Titans give up on Farley so soon but he’s really struggled to stay on the field even in a Titans secondary that’s not chockful of household names. He’s been benched at least once this season, and perhaps a fresh start is what he needs to be able to lock in and put his incredible athleticism to use. 

Wright was a third-round pick last season and a bit of a developmental prospect at 6-4 and 185 pounds. He at least played special teams as a rookie, though. Dallas has made him a healthy scratch every week this season. 

Safety

Jackson is playing pretty well this season but there’s a new regime in town and his contract makes him a potential cap cut next offseason. If the Bears are sellers ahead of the deadline, Jackson would make sense as a trade candidate. His age, salary and position probably mean Chicago won’t get much if they shopped him, though. 

Las Vegas has reportedly been shopping Abram, who looks like an actual NFL player this season after a rough first few years. He’s still probably closer to a Mark Barron-style role player but a defensive coordinator with a vision could be rewarded. The Raiders probably wouldn’t need much to trade him. 

If Washington starts to change things up on defense and play younger players, both to try and play better and because they’re out of contention, McCain could be useful for another team. Murray also has starting experience but has been relegated to primarily special teams in Houston right now. Both are pretty cheap. Davis is a former third-rounder who is playing sparingly right now. 

This Week In Football

  • The Panthers pulled off the blockbuster deal, trading RB Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers for a package of draft picks. Two weeks ago, we outlined the case for the Panthers to deal McCaffrey and the 49ers were one of the teams we identified as a potential fit. They haven’t had a truly special running back in HC Kyle Shanahan‘s entire tenure, and McCaffrey gives him another weapon to scheme around. Adding him to an offense that already includes Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk could be massive and help the 49ers set themselves apart in an NFC without many strong teams. As for the Panthers, they got good value for McCaffrey even though they didn’t get a first-round selection. They got second, third and fourth-round picks in this coming draft and a fifth in 2024. That will be valuable draft capital as they start their rebuild, and trading McCaffrey has the added bonus of helping them lock up as high of a pick as possible. 
  • I did not include Jets WR Elijah Moore in the trade block above, despite his request for a trade on Thursday, because it’s highly unlikely the Jets trade the promising second-year receiver despite his frustrations. Moore hasn’t been a big part of the gameplan the past few weeks, as the Jets have focused more on their rushing attack to protect developing QB Zach Wilson and dramatically decreased their pass attempts. He has just one catch in the past two weeks and was not targeted in Week 6. He also saw his snaps on the field dip sharply. New York has a lot of weapons on offense but there still should be more of an emphasis on getting Moore the ball, and that could help smooth things over. We’ve seen players request trades and smooth things over in the past, 49ers WR Deebo Samuel and Browns TE David Njoku come to mind, so I would think that happens with the Jets and Moore in the short term. 
  • There’s a lot of news to get to this week, but in terms of impact, there was nothing bigger than Colts owner Jim Irsay putting embattled Commanders owner Dan Snyder squarely in his crosshairs and pulling the trigger at this week’s owners meetings in New York, telling a group of reporters he thinks the idea of excommunicating Snyder should be strongly considered. Fans of the Washington franchise have longed to be rid of Snyder for decades at this point, as his transgressions are too many to name at this point. Irsay’s comments show there is a legitimate chance this actually happens at some point and isn’t just a pipe dream. The clock is clearly ticking on Snyder. 
  • The Panthers made their first major transaction of the post-Rhule era, trading WR Robbie Anderson to the Cardinals for a 2024 sixth and 2025 seventh. Frankly, Carolina was lucky to get even that much after Anderson’s sideline blowup in the Week 6 loss to the Rams that caused him to be sent to the locker room early. Teams could have waited for the Panthers to cut Anderson, which would have happened with no buyers. But the Cardinals were desperate enough because of a foot injury to WR Marquise Brown that initially looked like it could be season-ending and at the very least will be several weeks. Anderson replaces the speed element they lost with Brown. 
  • We’re still weeks away from the bidding war for WR Odell Beckham Jr. really heating up, but it does seem like teams may already be turning an eye in that direction. The Chiefs restructured TE Travis Kelce to free up a few million in cap space this week. They needed that money because they had just $200K in cap space before that, but it does appear that Kansas City will be firmly in the mix to sign Beckham come November. From Beckham’s perspective, they’ll check a major box as a contending team with an outstanding quarterback. For Kansas City, a healthy Beckham could address what’s shaping up as a potential Achilles heel for the Chiefs — a receiving corps that can’t beat man coverage. 
  • It was a big week of quarterback injury news. In a year where good quarterback play, even from established stalwarts, has been hard to come by, the league is set to get a big boost with Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa set to return in Week 7. Prescott is recuperated from a Week 1 thumb injury, and just in time, as we saw the limitations of the Cooper Rush experience in a lost to the Eagles last week. Tagovailoa has cleared the concussion protocol after the scary scene a few Thursdays ago, and the Dolphins have missed him. Both the quarterbacks who replaced Tagovailoa have dealt with injuries and Miami has dropped three straight. As they come in, Commanders QB Carson Wentz is going out after banging his finger on a defender’s hand while following through on a pass. It’s similar to what happened to Prescott, albeit a different finger. He’ll also miss a few weeks, with Taylor Heinicke taking over again as the starter while he’s out. 
  • In other injury news, the nightmare year for Broncos QB Russell Wilson continues with a hamstring injury, though it’s not clear if it will keep him out for this week’s game against the Jets. Steelers first-round QB Kenny Pickett had to exit with a concussion in Week 6 and Mitchell Trubisky finished the upset against the Bucs. However, it seems like he’s on track to clear the protocol and start Sunday night against the Dolphins. The Panthers started the process of bringing QB Sam Darnold back off injured reserve and the way tihngs are going there’s a good chance he sees the field for Carolina this year. And while there was some reporting that Saints QB Andy Dalton had a chance to keep the job if he played well, Thursday night’s three-interception performance probably means they go back to QB Jameis Winston when he’s healthy. 
  • The hits just keep coming for the Rams on the offensive line, as they lost starting LT Joseph Noteboom to a torn Achilles. He is now the sixth lineman for Los Angeles to go down and the third to be lost for the season. Noteboom was replacing stalwart LT Andrew Whitworth, and while he wasn’t going to make the Pro Bowl or anything, he wasn’t the weakest link on the line either. Elsewhere in the NFC West, the Cardinals lost starting G Justin Pugh for the rest of the season to a torn ACL. They’ve been battling injuries on the interior as well, though not as bad as Los Angeles. 
  • The Ravens are 3-3 and their loss to the Giants this past week revealed a major weakness in their receiving corps with Rashod Bateman sidelined. So Baltimore took a bit of an unorthodox route to addressing that, signing 34-year-old WR DeSean Jackson. The veteran contemplated retirement this offseason, which makes you wonder how much he has left in the tank. But he did average 22.7 yards per catch last season while playing in 16 games for the Rams and Raiders combined, showing he still has his speed. 
  • The tale of Texans executive Jack Easterby has been one of the strangest NFL stories in recent memory, with a small-time South Carolina youth pastor somehow working his way up to one of the most powerful voices in an NFL organization with no previous experience. It was a cloak and dagger political intrigue, one that now seems to be over. The Texans fired Easterby this week, and his influence had reportedly been waning over the past year, ending his time in Houston. Will it end Easterby’s time in the NFL? That remains to be seen. This story might have a twist or two left. 

Nickels & Dimes

Quick-hit thoughts and observations from around the NFL…

My two cents on the roughing-the-passer controversy: the NFL is never going to undercut their officiating department if they can help it. But they do grade every call, and it should give you a clue about those assessments went that neither Falcons DT Grady Jarrett nor Chiefs DT Chris Jones were fined…

An “objective” power ranking, this only analyzes passing offense and passing defense, which could explain some of the record discrepancies given how effective running the football has been in 2022. Still, it passes the eye test pretty well…

Falcons HC Arthur Smith deserves a lot of credit for what he’s doing in Atlanta. The Falcons are a top-ten offense and that’s largely on the back of a punishing ground game that’s No. 3 in rushing. In fact…

Is it that crazy to think they could sneak into the playoffs? There are a lot of below-average teams in the NFC, and the Falcons’ cakewalk of a schedule could give them an edge…

It’s time to talk about Justin Fields, as his struggles are legitimate even if we allow for Chicago not having a good supporting cast. He’s not cutting the ball loose to his receivers, as evidenced here…

Chicago is at the bottom in pass plays resulting in a target and leads the league by far in the percentage of scrambles. Fields is an outstanding weapon on those plays, but it’s hard to sustain success that way and the results bear that out. He’s just not trusting what he’s seeing, whether it’s the coverage, the open windows or trusting his receivers to make a play. He’s not a lost cause by any means but he definitely needs a more specific set of supporting circumstances than he has right now…

That’s pretty stark…

The latest ESPN advanced metric that uses tracking data to measure how open a receiver gets and how good they are at contested catches. It also measures run after catch, but that’s not plotted here. Some fun takeaways:

  • Tyler Lockett is ridiculous and remains underrated
  • Plenty of familiar names in the top right but guys who might be more of a surprise include Jakobi Meyers and Chris Olave. Meyers is set to be a free agent this offseason, so pay attention to that if he gets out of New England. Olave is a rookie but isn’t playing like one. 
  • Usual big-bodied, possession guys in the top left; Tee Higgins, Mike Williams, Mike Evans
  • Not in this group is Courtland Sutton, who is suffering from a lower catch score at the moment while being good at getting open. 

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