With the trade deadline coming up on October 30, many teams will be trying to make improvements to their teams to assist in their playoff push. Teams like the Raiders and Giants have proven that they plan to sell. Oakland shipped out both Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper and the Giants traded All-Pro nose tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison. This year’s trade deadline is shaping up to be pretty interesting. What NFL superstars could appear in headlines as we approach the NFL trade deadline?
Le’Veon Bell
The most obvious player on this list is the Steelers’ star running back who’s been absent from the training facility since the beginning of training camp. Bell has said many times he plans on coming back but has yet to deliver on his promised return. The Steelers have turned to James Conner as the fill-in back for Bell, and Conner’s numbers have been comparable to Bell’s. With many teams looking to add a player of Bell’s caliber, this brings to question, will Bell get traded? At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Best Fits: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans.
The Price: 2019 first and second-round picks.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. has been one of the best wide receivers in football since he came into the league. Every year he’s been healthy, he’s amassed 1,300 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. However, with Odell’s most recent comments and constant sideline/locker room antics, the question is, how long can the Giants hold on to him without him being detrimental to the locker room morale?
My guess is: not very long. Odell’s a constant distraction to his team. The only doubt that I have that Odell gets traded is that the Giants just drafted Saquon Barkley to be their lead back for years to come. Why would they start a rebuild now? I wouldn’t consider trading Odell to be the sign of a definite rebuild rather than just being able to add more locker room/salary cap friendly players.
Best Fits: Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers.
The Price: two first round picks and two mid-round picks.
Patrick Peterson
Patrick Peterson has supposedly requested, within the last week, to get away from the struggling Cardinals defense. Since his requested trade, he’s gone to social media to send his statement that says he’s a Cardinal, and that’s where he wants to be.
I don’t buy it.
Why would Peterson request a trade and then a couple days later say he wants to be a Cardinal? It doesn’t make any sense. I think the Cardinals are trying to work out a trade very quietly, as to not disturb the locker room. I do think he will be traded. The speedy All-Pro cornerback has 368 tackles and 23 interceptions throughout his career. However, his price should be relatively low given his cap hit.
Best Fits: New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Price: second and fourth-round picks.
Chandler Jones
Chandler Jones led the league in sacks last year. So, why would they consider trading the still productive edge rusher? For the future! The Cardinals have already picked up their hopeful franchise quarterback in Josh Rosen, but they know they won’t contend for another couple of years. So, why not get rid of a guy who can bring in a pretty big return and is pretty expensive, for future draft picks so you can start building your team around the younger guys?
Best Fits: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and New Orleans Saints.
The Price: A first-round pick and a mid-round pick(s).
Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders
The Denver Broncos have an unnecessary amount of wide receiver talent with Emmanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas, and Courtland Sutton. However, Thomas and Sanders are each over 30 years old, and their production has started to decline. This may be because Case Keenum is their quarterback or their age is starting to catch up to them. I personally think it’s the former.
The two stars have had their issues this season but not because of a lack of talent. They still have plenty of it to be able to produce true WR1 numbers. It seems they just need a change of scenery. Their price should be pretty low given their relative lack of production mixed with their age.
Best Fits: Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, and Carolina Panthers.
The Price: A pair of late-round picks (per receiver).
Whether or not these players get traded is an unknown. However, these players have a decently high chance of being moved by 4 PM on October 30, and it’s bound to be an exciting day for all of us.