The trade deadline is 12 days away, and while we’ve already seen Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Davante Adams change teams, there are some executives around the league who believe there are still moves left to be made.
Here’s what we’re hearing, speculating and wondering ahead of the deadline:
CONOR ORR
• Suitable pass protection is hard to find this time of year, which is why my immediate focus goes to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cam Robinson is in the final year of his three-year extension. The Jaguars are 2–5. I would guess a Robinson trade would give us a window into what’s happening in Jacksonville. For example, are there folks on the personnel side making long-term plans while the coaching staff is trying to survive in the short term? Either way, Robinson is a solid, above-replacement-level starter who has been identified as attractive to teams looking to undercut the free-agency market next year or add critical depth before the playoff push.
• The Carolina Panthers have a tandem of young players with upside who may be more valuable elsewhere. Wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, the 2023 second-round pick out of Ole Miss, has completely bottomed out on Carolina’s depth chart and is receiving just a handful of targets per game. As the new regime tries to get its bearings and add players specific to a culture and talent overhaul, Mingo could be expendable given that he was not drafted under Dave Canales. Another name to watch there? Cornerback Jaycee Horn. The top-10 pick in 2021 is another possible candidate to move. I would assume more eyes are on the likes of Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen and Bryce Young, but Horn is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is an affordable late-season add for a competitive team that needs help in the secondary. Horn is a great run defender and is capable in coverage. I see two advantages here: Horn could bloom with more talented players around him and Ejiro Evero, his defensive coordinator, has a lot of respect (and copycats) around the league. My guess is that there are teams out there with similar setups schematically to make him comfortable right away.
• When it comes to the Detroit Lions making a move, I would point you back to a story we did on the team in August for the football preview magazine. Kalif Raymond told me about a sit down he had with Dan Campbell where Campbell brought up a route that Raymond ran on a passing play that did not even result in a completion. Raymond had 30 targets in his career before he came to Detroit. My point is that, if the Lions are bringing in reinforcements for Aidan Hutchinson, my guess is that the player is not going to smash up the news cycle. Campbell’s first free-agency class was foundational but unremarkable by our standards. I would guess that the trade deadline, if at all, would be a chance for Campbell and Brad Holmes to flex their muscle in that way. Of course, Campbell and Holmes are very vibe conscious. All of that matters.
ALBERT BREER
• I’d piggyback on Conor’s point on the Panthers and say they’ll get calls on everyone. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise at all to see Carolina try to do right by Thielen in the twilight of his career (age 34), though with Johnson and Mingo also eliciting calls, it’s fair to say they’ll have to be careful about stripping the position down to the point where they’re non-functional. And with a lot of teams needing pass-rush help, and assuming his health improves over the next week, I’d throw Jadeveon Clowney in there with guys such as the Cleveland Browns’ Za’Darius Smith and the Green Bay Packers’ Preston Smith who could be moved.
• The Browns are in a bit of an awkward spot, in that they’ve got a core of players smack dab in the prime of their careers, amid a season that seems to be fast circling the drain. That means calls will come on players such as Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward. Will Cleveland listen? In the case of Garrett, it’d take a real Godfather offer for the Browns to consider a move—and even then, I don’t think one is likely. But after going through a couple of drafts with less capital, as a result of the Deshaun Watson trade, it’d make some sense to load up, especially if drafting a quarterback could be in play in April.
• The Los Angeles Rams could go either way. Conor wrote about them Wednesday. If they beat the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks, they’ll be back in it, and maybe they even become a buyer. A loss Thursday night and next week, and they could move some guys. And, obviously, there’s been a lot of focus on Cooper Kupp. The Rams have gotten calls on Kupp and told other teams the price would be more than what the Las Vegas Raiders got for Davante Adams. Whether or not other teams value him that way is an open question, given his age, contract and injury history. But it makes sense that L.A. would be reluctant to move an iconic player who was part of Sean McVay’s first draft class, and caught the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Which is why the Rams’ valuation on Kupp may not match up with what other teams are offering.
MATT VERDERAME
• Don’t be surprised if the Chiefs aren’t done. Kansas City has a need at corner after losing Jaylen Watson for the season with a broken ankle. While the Chiefs will try a few in-house options first, including veterans Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson, general manager Brett Veach has a pair of third-round picks available to him along with three seventh-rounders. While another trade is far from a foregone conclusion, it’s quietly an area of need for the two-time defending champs.
• If the Panthers decide to move off some of their veteran talent, keep an eye on the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo and Carolina have longstanding ties in their front offices, with Carolina general manager Dan Morgan having worked under Buffalo GM Brandon Beane from 2018 to ’20. Additionally, Beane came to the Bills from the Panthers, where he spent the first 19 years of his career. While Buffalo already added a receiver in Amari Cooper, getting another pass rusher could make sense. Carolina has a good one in Clowney, who at 31 years old is set to be a free agent after this season.
GILBERTO MANZANO
• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have seemed like a candidate to trade for an offensive upgrade after Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both sustained injuries Monday night, but I’m told the team is first interested in seeing what they can get out of the players they have in house. That includes tight end Cade Otton and a rotation of three running backs. The Bucs’ two games before the deadline are against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and then the following Monday night in Kansas City.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Trade Deadline 2024: What We’re Hearing 12 Days Out.
